About WSG

December 19, 2020

September 30, 2025

In July, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) shared that Kate Litle, WSG interim director, had been nominated for the prestigious 2025 Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Now, we are so excited to say that Kate is a recipient of the award! 

Along with 23 other dedicated public servants, Kate was recognized by Governor Bob Ferguson at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on September 23. The ...

July 24, 2025

Kate Litle stepped into the role of WSG interim director as of July 1

One year ago, I assumed the role of interim faculty director at Washington Sea Grant (WSG). This represented a new leadership model for WSG, and my goal was to pilot the new model for 12 months while actively helping to recruit a permanent director from among the UW faculty. A second goal—no less important—was to expand the role of WSG ...

July 18, 2025

WSG is thrilled to share that Kate Litle, WSG interim director and deputy director, was nominated for the prestigious 2025 Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award. 

The award recognizes state managers who “not only met high standards of leadership, but who also advanced innovation, equity and continuous improvement in the work they do every day,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson wrote in the call for nominations. Kate embodies all of these qualities, and more. 

Since joining ...

June 24, 2025

For twenty-seven years, Robyn Ricks has shaped how the outside world sees Washington Sea Grant. As the program’s creative director, Robyn has brought her visual branding and graphic design skills to produce materials from websites to the Sea Star print magazine to formal presentations. She brings an element of magic to everything she touches, turning even the most bureaucratic of documents into something beautiful. 

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June 20, 2025

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to welcome two new staff this summer: Jubilee Cho is the new graphic designer, and Kaitlyn Kowaleski is a new postdoctoral scholar.

In Jubilee’s role, she works across several creative mediums in print, web, digital and experiential to promote WSG communications, outreach and campaigns.

Jubilee earned her double degree from ...

May 15, 2025

Mel Lemke is a self-proclaimed creepy-crawly-enthusiast who loves the deep sea. Hailing from the mountains of Colorado, Mel has always had an awe and appreciation for the complexity of marine systems, leading her to complete her B.S. in marine biology from the University of Oregon in 2021. During her undergraduate education, she ...

May 12, 2025

We are happy to announce that Dr. Nicole Naar, WSG social science and education specialist, was selected to receive the UW College of the Environment’s 2025 Outstanding Community Impact Award. This award recognizes stakeholder engagement that stimulates, inspires and drives interactive uses of environmental science and information to impact the broader community. The Awards Committee was impressed with the way Nicole exemplifies the spirit of this award by engaging with diverse constituents to convey complex information ...

March 13, 2025

Dear Partners and Friends of Washington Sea Grant:

For more than 50 years, Washington Sea Grant has served the State of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, and the nation by funding marine research, providing technical assistance, and working with communities, managers, businesses, educators, and the public to advance regional understanding and sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources. WSG’s work in 2018-2023 brought more than $190 million in services and economic benefits to the state. As a non-partisan state-federal partnership, ...

February 25, 2025

Luciana Calle was born and raised in the Midwest yet has been living in Washington for 8 years. Her awe for the Pacific Northwest and her fascination with the environment led her to pursue environmental science and resource management, which she currently studies as an undergraduate at the University of Washington. She also took an interest in climate change early ...