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MAR
MAR
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Sea Star
By incorporating people, culture and Indigenous knowledge systems, these three projects model the use of interdisciplinary approaches to inform marine resource management
By Olivia Horwedel, WSG Science Communications Fellow
Deep blue ocean waters push against rocky shorelines and coastal forests. Eagles soar overhead. In the distance, whales surface, taking a moment to breathe as they navigate through the ocean’s waters. This incredibly unique landscape, situated at the Northwest tip of Washington state, is the ...
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27
JUN
JUN
As dense aggregations of moon jellyfish form in Puget Sound, researchers study the ecosystem-wide impacts
By Andrea Richter-Sanchez, WSG Science Communications Fellow
Have you ever seen a jellyfish floating in Puget Sound? Chances are, it was a moon jellyfish. Moon jellies, or Aurelia labiata have had large blooms — high numbers in certain areas — in the past several years.
Moon jelly aggregations normally form in the summer in Puget ...
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27
JUN
JUN
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s clam garden reclaims an ancient Indigenous practice on ancestral land
By Samantha Larson, WSG Science Writer
From one set of hands to another, each rock was passed down the human chain from the beach to the sea. Some of the rocks could be held in one palm and easily passed. Others were the size of small boulders, requiring strong posture and extra exertion to settle the rocks into their ...
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26
JUN
JUN
The second edition of this classic text is now in bookstores
Generations of oyster farmers have weathered many challenges to continue the harvest. Their stories are braided together with significant history that have defined the modern-day Pacific Northwest: the arrival of white ...
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APR
APR
April 7, 2023
From the Summer 2023 Sea Star
Having served as director of Washington Sea Grant since 2018, Callender retires in April 2023
“Ever since I was a teenager, my passion was for conservation,” says Russell Callender. He kept his love for preserving the environment close to heart throughout his career, which involved twists and turns from academic research to climbing the ranks of government, ...
7
APR
APR
Washington Sea Grant supported an innovative pilot project repurposing marine debris, transforming it into a useful tool for recreational crabbers
By Benjamin Haagen, WSG Science Communications Fellow
Aquaculture in the Salish Sea brings both benefits and challenges to coastal communities and ecosystems. The yellow aquaculture rope commonly used in shellfish farming is contributing to a key environmental issue facing the world today: plastics pollution. This issue is being addressed in a novel way by Nicole Baker, ...
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15
SEP
SEP
The Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group connects fisheries management scientists and resource managers, facilitating collaboration and information sharing
By Samantha Larson, WSG Science Writer
“Male Dungeness, 173, 1-2!” After calling out the specs, Emily Buckner — the program coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) — swiftly tosses the wriggling crab overboard and then reaches back into the pot to pull out another. Today, Buckner’s job entails going out with a small team on ...
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15
SEP
SEP
New research finds that rules to protect endangered southern resident killer whales could mean less demand for commercial whale watching — but tour operators have options for making up the difference
Maddie Hansen, WSG Science Communications Fellow
The Salish Sea is a beacon for whale enthusiasts: it is possible to view ...
15
SEP
SEP
Washington Sea Grant rapidly provided funding to two projects to survey the impacts of the historic June 2021 heat wave on intertidal marine life
By Samantha Larson, WSG Science Writer
In June 2021, the peak of an unprecedented heat wave coincided with extremely low tides in the Salish Sea, wreaking havoc on intertidal ecosystems. As a “heat dome” settled above the Pacific Northwest for several days and the temperatures climbed well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, many ...
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15
SEP
SEP
In the third consecutive summer of pandemic-related closures, NOAA Science Camp brought new programming to the beach during an extreme low tide
By Ashli Blow, WSG Science Communications Specialist
When Puget Sound receded during an extreme low tide in June, Maile Sullivan, Washington Sea Grant education specialist, and a team from ...
15
SEP
SEP