🌊 Now more than ever, students at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) are committed to making a real-world impact. They’re critical thinkers with diverse experiences and a passion for protecting our environment. 💜

New study from SMEA’s Anne Beaudreau + colleagues looks at a decade of rockfish conservation outreach. 🐟 They found collaborative research with fishers + divers builds the most trust, knowledge, and stewardship. Read here: journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... More Work: smea.uw.edu/about/news/2...

It’s official! The first day of classes is here! Welcome to the UW SMEA Class of 2027. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do 💜🐾 #HuskyPride #SMEAatUW

🌊 The High Seas Treaty (aka the BBNJ Treaty) has been ratified! It enters into force in January 2026. Read the full Treaty here: linktr.ee/uwsmea

SMEA’s Chris Sergeant joined Brittany Milner of Simon Fraser University’s Salmon Watersheds Lab to discuss how melting glaciers are impacting local salmon populations. 🐟❄️ Catch their recent interview on CBC’s The Weekender: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

🌟 Alumni Spotlight: Erick Dowell (Class of 2024) 🌟 Erick is a Washington Sea Grant Fellow with the Peugeot Sound Restoration Fund, and his work is bridging ocean and land.

SMEA alumni & friends, we’re looking for mentors! 🌊 The Alumni & Friends Mentorship Program connects students with mentors who can share advice, encouragement, and career guidance. Sign up to support the next generation of marine and environmental leaders: smea.uw.edu/alumni/alumn...

Alumni Mentorship Program | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

SMEA Alumni Mentorship Program The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs is excited to launch the Alumni Mentorship Program this academic year! We welcome and encourage all alumni and friends of SM...

smea.uw.edu

Check out these summer snapshots from SMEA student Justin Hirsch, who's making the most out of his summer: 🌅 Golden hour aboard the Washington State Ferries → Friday Harbor Labs 🚢 Driving a ship-to-shore crane at Port of Seattle Terminal 5 ⚓️ Operating a similar crane at Port of Seattle Terminal 18

Interested in the SMEA MMA program? 🌊 We’re hosting several Information Sessions this fall & winter! Learn about admissions, funding, FAQs, student panels & individual visit options. Sessions are offered both virtually and in person at the UW Seattle campus Register here: smea.uw.edu/program/for-...

SMEA faculty P. Joshua Griffin & Erendira Aceves-Bueno co-authored a new paper in Restoration Ecology! 🌿 It reveals a big gap: most ecosystem restoration frameworks fail to include environmental justice.

From 1978 to 2024—SMEA grads are making waves in Japan! 🌏 Allen Shimada (MMA'85) met with Minister M. Sato & Noriko Sanefuji in D.C. to celebrate our alumni’s impact. #SMEA #MarineAffairs

Join us for the 2025 SMEA Reception! 🌊 Connect with alumni, students, and faculty. 📅 November 22, 2025 🕠 5:00–7:00 PM 21+ event RSVP: events.uw.edu/event/SMEAre... #SMEA #UWAlumni

📘 New paper alert! SMEA alum Rondi Nordal (’24), with faculty Anne Beaudreau & Erendira Aceves-Bueno, teamed up with NOAA colleagues to study the Dungeness crab fishery in Southeast Alaska.

Quiet Sound just published a new study exploring what motivates container ship operators to participate in voluntary slowdowns. Reducing underwater noise and protecting endangered orcas in Puget Sound.

Emma, an upcoming 2nd year at SMEA, spent her summer working as a student assistant at Washington Sea Grant. She contributed to the seaweed + aquaculture programs by supporting a tideland tour, collaborative meeting, and an information exchange with industry partners.

🐟✨ Here’s your dose of #FlashFromThePast meets #NewScience: two stories showing why sculpins are more than just funny-looking fish.

We love connecting with our community across platforms! Stay updated on SMEA news, stories, and opportunities by following us 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/uwsmea 📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/UWSMEA/ 💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/uw-s... Find us wherever you scroll and join the conversation!

🌊 Alumni Spotlight: Bella Colpo'18 Bella is an Environmental Scientist with the County of San Diego, where she leads watershed planning and water quality initiatives. 💧 #AlumniSpotlight #Stormwater #CleanWater #UWAlumni

Yesterday, SMEA Director Nives Dolsak was reminded how strong the Puget Sound boating community is when her vessel’s engine failed near Port Everett. Two boaters responded in 15 minutes, one towing them in. At SMEA, we know that caring for our waters means caring for each other, too. 🛥️💙

2025 Capstone and Thesis Projects may be done, but we’re still thinking about them. 🌿 Seagrass in the PNW ⚖️ Climate justice + policy 🐟 Tribal co-management in fisheries Full list of 2025 projects → smea.uw.edu/about/news/2... #SMEAatUW #MarinePolicy

2025 SMEA Capstones & Theses: Tackling Real-World Environmental Challenges Through Interdisciplinary Research | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

The 2025 capstone and thesis projects at SMEA showcased a diverse range of interdisciplinary research addressing important environmental and social issues. Capstone teams collaborated with external pa...

smea.uw.edu

🎉Congratulations to SMEA 2nd-year student Marria Peduto, who was awarded a CICOES Graduate Student Fellowship for her research with SMEA faculty member Anne Beaudreau on advocacy coalitions in Bering Sea fisheries management. 🐟

🎓 Alumni Spotlight: Kevin Grant ’04 As Superintendent of NOAA’s Olympic Coast Sanctuary, Kevin leads efforts in marine protection, research, and Tribal collaboration. Proud to celebrate his impact! 🌊 #SMEAAlumni #NOAA #OceanConservation #AlumniSpotlight

New " Washed in the Tide" just dropped! SMEA alumni are driving change in ocean science, policy, and more! This edition is a snapshot of what impact likes like across sectors. Read more about these incredible changmakers doing incredible things: smea.uw.edu/about/news/2... #UWSMEA

Washed in on the Tide | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

What is this column? We are experimenting with ways to engage with our alumni and to inspire current students with their accomplishments. This section is a random walk through what we’ve recently obse...

smea.uw.edu

@uwess.bsky.social Eric Steig elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences. #UWEnvironment @uwnews.uw.edu www.washington.edu/news/2025/07...

12 UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences

Election recognizes the new member’s “outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and willingness to assist the Academy in providing the best available scientific information and...

washington.edu

Thrilled to announce the new Valiant Near-Peer Mentoring Program. Sponsored by the Valiant Endowment Fund, the program supports first gen undergrads enrolled in an @uwenvironment.bsky.social degree program. Details below. @uwess.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social environment.uw.edu/about/inclus...

Valiant Near-Peer Mentoring Program

A program for first-generation undergraduate students in the College of the Environment Program purpose The Valiant Mentoring Program is a near-peer mentoring program that supports first generation* u...

environment.uw.edu

SMEA Professor Terrie Klinger is featured in the NYT for her work on ocean acidification + climate change impacts on oyster farming. A timely and important read. 🔗 www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/s... #OceanScience #SMEA #ClimateChange #Oysters #BlueSkyScience

Increasingly Acidic Seas Threaten Oyster Farming

nytimes.com

New research co-authored by SMEA’s Director Nives Dolšak digs into what makes people support (or not support) waste-to-energy plants in Thailand. Super interesting look at trust, foreign firms, and sustainability. 🔗 journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... #EnvPolicy #EnergyJustice #Thailand #SMEA

Penalty or premium for foreign ownership in Thailand? Comparing public support for waste-to-energy plants operated by Thai, Japanese, and Chinese Companies

Waste-to-energy (WtE) projects use municipal waste to generate energy. While they increase local environmental and health risks, they also generate local environmental and economic benefits. If facili...

journals.plos.org

Our Summer 2025 newsletter just went live ☀️ It’s full of SMEA highlights — grads, research, alumni moves, and a note from our director on where we’re headed. It’s a good one → smea.uw.edu/about/news/?... #SMEA #MarineAffairs #EnvironmentalWork #AlumniNews #GradSeason

News | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

smea.uw.edu

Scotland is turning tides into power. The MeyGen project is scaling up—installing new underwater turbines that could deliver steady, clean electricity to thousands of homes. Tidal energy may finally be ready for the spotlight. 🌊 🔗 apnews.com/article/tida... #TidalPower #MarineEnergy #ClimateTech

Underwater turbine spinning for 6 years off Scotland's coast is a breakthrough for tidal energy

Submerged in about 40 meters of water off Scotland’s coast, a turbine has been spinning for more than six years to harness the power of ocean tides and generate electricity.

apnews.com

A new article co-authored by Connor Lewis-Smith (SMEA'20) explores how shellfish growers perceive ocean acidification and the uncertainty in their operations. 📖 fish.uw.edu/2025/05/chan... #oceanacidification #SMEA #climatechange