Coastal and Marine Communities
See all current research projects here.
Completed Projects
Bae, Christine, Principal Investigator
Impacts of West Coast Moorage Marinas
Regional researchers calculated the wide range of economic and environmental impacts associated with moorage marinas in Washington and Southern California. Results provided more reliable coastal development strategies for moorage marina policies.
Barber, Julie, Principal Investigator
Researchers created a model to determine the best place to install the first present-day clam garden in the U.S.
Beattie, Jake, Principal Investigator
Basic Watchstanding for Fishing Crews
A low cost curriculum was developed to improve fishing crew competency in vessel operation, reducing the risk of accidents.
Bednarik, Brandi, Principal Investigator
Researchers addressed the maritime workforce capacity needs by creating Sea School, an initiative that provides vocational training and outreach to inform young people about maritime careers.
Bond, Nicholas, Principal Investigator
Washington Coast Regional Ocean Projections
Researchers developed a new modeling system that forecasts cyclical and climate-driven changes in regional ocean conditions. The system also has many other potential applications.
Callender, Russell, Principal Investigator
Washington Coastal Resilience Project
The Washington Coastal Resilience Project was a 3-year effort to rapidly increase the state’s capacity to prepare for natural events that threaten the coast and establish the Washington Coastal Resilience Network.
Christie, Patrick, Principal Investigator
Puget Sound Marine Protected Areas
This research was the first empirical, multi-method comparative study of a marine protected area (MPA) system in the United States, addressing the growing need for including social dimensions in MPA management strategies.
Cordell, Jeffery, Principal Investigator
Filming Salmon Around Seattle’s Seawall
Researchers provided precise data on the benefits of Seattle seawall enhancements, enabling managers to choose the best elements for improving juvenile salmon survival and adult returns.
Dahl, Peter, Principal Investigator
Acoustic Model for Monitoring Marine Noise
Researchers refined and tested an underwater sound propagation model, which can be used to protect marine mammals from construction noise.
Dolšak, Nives, Principal Investigator
Stakeholder Partnerships in Salmon Recovery
An exhaustive analysis of newspaper coverage and public comments on salmon-recovery efforts revealed extremely low participation by private interests, a significant gap in collaborative salmon management.
Friedman, Carolyn, Principal Investigator
Researchers assessed whether native eelgrass and Pacific oysters can synergistically enhance their environments.
Holtgrieve, Gordon, Principal Investigator
Using Predator Bones to Determine Trophic Dynamics
This project used a new, state-of-the-art technique called compound-specific isotope analysis to examine the ratios of two nitrogen isotopes in archived seal bone collagen. With these data, researchers were able to address hypotheses about the role of increasing marine predator biomass on coastal ecosystems.
Matson, Pamela, Principal Investigator (regional lead); Snover, Amy, Principal Investigator (Washington lead)
Successful Climate Change Adaptation
With funding from West Coast Sea Grant programs, researchers assisted leading scientists and West Coast adaptation practitioners in developing guidelines and potential metrics for measuring successful adaptation to climate change in coastal communities.
McDonald, P. Sean, Principal Investigator
New Tool for Monitoring Green Crab
Researchers developed an environmental DNA assay tool to identify the invasive European green crab, which can be used by a citizen science program to support monitoring efforts.
Miles, Scott, Principal Investigator
Transportation, Disaster Recovery Models for Tsunamis
This project modeled community recovery trajectories for Pacific County, synthesizing current estimates of prospective loses, community input, and computer simulations in order to understand coastal community resilience.
Parrish, Julia, Principal Investigator
COASST Citizen Science Program
Researchers identified the key elements leading to successful citizen science endeavors using COASST as a model.
Parrish, Julia, Principal Investigator
Oil Spill Vulnerability Models
This project took a closer look at how oil spills affect different species of Pacific Northwest seabirds in order to predict the taxon-specific vulnerability to oiling.
Rollwagen-Bollens, Gretchen, Principal Investigator
Student-Conducted Columbia Estuary Research
High school students gathered water, plankton and hydrographic data in the Columbia River estuary to learn about and assess relative effects of cumulative watershed drainage and local factors such as sewage outflows.
Rottle, Nancy, Principal Investigator
Prototype Stormwater Solutions for Waterfront
Researchers designed and constructed an innovative, multifunctional stormwater treatment system that may significantly reduce pollution and serve as a model for Puget Sound communities.
Rubenstein, Sarah, Principal Investigator
Port Townsend Maritime Education
This project supported an initiative of Port Townsend Schools and marine professionals to integrate maritime skills and at-sea experience into local K-12 educational curricula.
Ruesink, Jennifer, Principal Investigator
Using trained birdwatchers, remote sensors, and seine sampling, researchers determined how fish and seabirds use eelgrass meadows from Willapa to Fidalgo Bay.
Ryan, Clare, Principal Investigator
Assessing Geoduck Aquaculture Policies
Researchers analyzed geoduck aquaculture policies and the associated stakeholder interests to answer concerns regarding the recent aquaculture expansion.
Ryan, Clare, Principal Investigator
Hazard Mitigation for Coastal Infrastructure
Researchers examined legal and policy factors affecting a coastal community’s ability to move vital infrastructure out of the way of tsunamis and other natural hazards.
Scherer, Sarah, Principal Investigator
Maritime Career Industry Paths
Seattle Maritime Academy invested in the creation of a summer experience that introduces high school students to rewarding ocean-related careers and assists in building Washington’s maritime workforce capacity.
Schumacker, Ervin Joe, Principal Investigator
Quinault Reservation Hypoxia Monitoring
This project created a low-cost model nearshore and a shore-based monitoring network that engaged tribal fishers and youth in gathering coastal water-quality information related to ocean acidification.