Fullbright Scholar, Science contributor, freshwater biologist. These are some of the ways to describe Aashna Sharma, who is currently working with Dr. Julian Olden at SAFS as part of her two-year postdoctoral fellowship. From the foothills of the Himalayas in India, Aashna was recently inspired by the Past as Prologue feature in Science that highlights how different scientists from around the world are shaped by their family and background, and submitted a piece herself.| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Last year, we spoke with SAFS undergrad, Michael Han, about receiving the NOAA Hollings Scholarship and where this would take him over the next year. This summer, Michael has split his time between NOAA’s HQ in Silver Spring, Maryland and NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) in Lakeland, Florida. His internship has been focused on NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters, aircraft which fly into the world’s worst weather to collect data which assists forecasters in making accurate predictions duri...| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking 2–3 undergraduate students for a volunteer position in their otolith lab. Volunteers will take images of whole and cross-sectioned otoliths using a mounted camera. These photos will train an image classification model to determine Pacific halibut ages based on photos of their otoliths. Coupled with traditional aging methods, this model will help produce more high-quality ages, making the stock assessment process more efficient.| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
When awarded the NOAA Hollings Scholarship, students spend a summer working on a topic related to the wide-ranging scientific expertise of NOAA, from fisheries to the atmosphere. For SAFS undergrad, Michael Han, he’ll be joining the NOAA Hurricane Hunters to take data from notable past missions and present them in a visualized format on NOAA’s Science on a Sphere display.| fish.uw.edu
Climate change threatens the health of polar bears across the Arctic. A new study introduces a new approach to measuring the health of polar bear populations, drawing inspiration from a well-known concept in human medicine: allostatic load, or the "wear and tear" on the body from chronic stress.| College of the Environment
A collaborative network of agency and tribal scientists and resource managers, university faculty and students, and community volunteers are diligently working together to unlock the secrets of the Dungeness crab’s life cycle in the Salish Sea. The Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) is leading this unprecedented effort, generating vital data and fostering robust relationships to ensure the long-term sustainability of this ecologically, economically and culturally-important species.| College of the Environment
50 years on from the Boldt Decision, SAFS held a one-day Bevan Symposium reflecting on Tribal fisheries, their co-management since this landmark decision, and what the next 50 years will look like for Washington fisheries. Centering on Tribal voices, the symposium heard from Tribal leaders, elders, scientists, artists and lawyers, through a series of panels and Q&A discussions.| fish.uw.edu
Until now, no one knew what caused the sea star wasting disease which wiped out populations along the West Coast starting in 2013. But an international research effort including scientists from the University of Washington has finally revealed the cause: a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida.| fish.uw.edu
A new story in the Seattle Times shows just how alive the Seattle waterfront is, if you know where to look. From baby salmon to bull kelp, the renovations at the waterfront include a seawall where the public can look down at the fish-friendly seawall. The UW Wetland Ecosystem Team has been instrumental in this work, with continued monitoring of the site.| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
We’re living in a digital age, where the ability to find information (or even at times misinformation) is instant wherever you are in the world. This comes at the same time we’re at a critical juncture for climate research, where studying our changing world is more important now than ever. For SAFS graduate student, Amirah Casey, she knows that communication is vital to make impactful changes, and so applying for the PNW Climate Ambassadors program was a no-brainer.| fish.uw.edu
Seeking to understand the impacts of environmental stressors on Pacific oysters is the driving force behind a years-long research project involving scientists from the University of Washington and NOAA, and in collaboration with the oyster industry. Critical in aquaculture, Pacific oysters are the dominant oyster species grown on the US West Coast, with the industry in the Pacific Northwest alone valued at over $270 million a year.| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
A new video features how genetic metabarcoding is being used by the UW Whale And Dolphin Ecology Lab, led by Amy Van Cise, to understand and conserve southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea.| fish.uw.edu
Students Explore Aquatic Sciences (SEAS) is a volunteer-run outreach program operated by undergraduates, graduate students, and staff in the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and College of the Environment. We aim to increase access to science for underserved students in the Seattle area. Our program provides project-based learning activities, free of charge, for K–12 students, but our lesson offerings are primarily designed to serve middle school students...| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Preparing a diverse group of first-year college students for the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship is the Hollings Preparation Program (HPP) Internship, which includes a six-week paid research experience with one of NOAA’s many divisions. For Dash Dicksion, a SAFS undergrad now in his sophomore year, he got to return to his home island of Oahu during his HPP internship in the summer of 2024, working with the Ecosystem Sciences Division of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center....| School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
How do people make the decision on where they fish? What factors influence human behavior in fisheries? Terrance Wang is exploring the answers to these questions during his PhD research at SAFS. Fisheries management is an important process across the world, informing international and regional decisions on fishing locations, type of catch, methods used, and more.| fish.uw.edu
