December 18, 2018
The ability to smell is critical for salmon. They depend on scent to avoid predators, sniff out prey and find their way home at the end of their lives when they return to the streams where they hatched to spawn and die.
New research from the University of Washington and NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center shows this powerful sense of smell might be in trouble as carbon emissions continue to be absorbed by our ocean. Ocean ...
Read MoreOctober 1, 2018
A feature article in The Revelator tells the story of what researchers including WSG coastal hazards specialist have learned since the two dams that once sat on the Elwha River were removed.
The key takeaway? That recovery is possible. “When we go into these large-scale ecosystem-restoration projects, it’s hard for our human brains to wrap our heads around what to expect … because it’s a very complex ecosystem,” Miller said. “But in general, you walk away with a sense that ...
Read MoreSeptember 6, 2018
When the two dams on the Elwah River were removed starting in 2011, it was the world’s largest project of that kind. Years later, the now free-flowing river continues to mend and reshape its surrounding environments. A new study documenting the changes in sediment was published in Nature this week. Co-authored by WSG Coastal Hazards Specialist Ian Miller, the research was done in collaboration with scientists from the United States Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. ...
Read MoreAugust 9, 2018
A sea-level rise report led by Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group provides the clearest picture yet of what to expect in sea-level rise along Washington State coastlines.
Coverage in the Tacoma Weekly News recognizes that the information in the report is vital to urban planners. “This new, risk-based information will allow planners and developers to better assess the impacts of sea level rise on their projects along Tacoma’s waterfront,” researcher Harriet Morgan ...
Read MoreAugust 3, 2018
Warm Regards, a podcast about climate change and associated issues, recently featured Washington Sea Grant social scientist Melissa Watkinson. She talked with them about her perspective as an indigenous tribal member, and her work with local tribes studying the cultural dimensions of ocean acidification in the Pacific Northwest.
Listen in to the episode here.
Read MoreJuly 30, 2018
A new report led by Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group provides the clearest picture yet of what to expect in sea-level rise along Washington state coastlines.
The report, entitled Projected Sea Level Rise for Washington State – A 2018 Assessment, includes projections for more than 150 different sites along the Washington coastline, from all marine shorelines in Washington state. It incorporates the unique geology-driven land motion, with uplift at Neah Bay and ...
Read MoreApril 1, 2018
The productive ocean off Washington state’s Olympic Coast supports an abundant web of life including kelp forests, fish, shellfish, seabirds and marine mammals. The harvest and use of these treaty-protected marine resources have been central to the local tribes’ livelihoods, food security and cultural practices for thousands of years. But ocean acidification is changing the chemistry of these waters, putting many coastal species – and the human communities that depend upon them – under ...
Read MoreDecember 20, 2017
Ocean acidification is threatening ecosystems, cultures and economies in Washington State – today. In 2012, Governor Jay Inslee recognized the importance of developing a strategy to address these challenges by creating the Washington State Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification. After reviewing the scientific literature, the panel outlined a plan in its seminal report, Ocean Acidification: From Knowledge to Action.
The science on ocean acidification has come a long way over the last five years. Today, the Marine ...
Read MoreMarch, 2017
In March 2017, Washington Sea Grant was formally recognized as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its work in preparing coastal communities for hazardous weather.
NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation initiative seeks to improve the nation’s responsiveness and resilience to extreme weather, water and climate events. Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors are partner agencies, organizations and businesses that share a commitment with NOAA to collaborate on outreach about extreme-weather preparedness and to serve as examples themselves by ...
Read MoreMarch 7, 2016
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management announced today that Washington Sea Grant will be awarded $879,255 for a three-year project to assist coastal communities in Washington State facing significant risk from the impacts of sea level rise, storm surge and shoreline erosion.
With 3,067 miles of coastline and more than 45 coastal cities, Washington needs to prepare people, infrastructure, and fish and wildlife habitat for these hazards, which is anticipated to worsen over time.
Washington Sea ...
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