UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

10/13/2026

Why are we still losing coastal ecosystems despite advances in science and conservation?

SMEA Affiliate Instructor Joe Ryan is exploring this question alongside SMEA master's students Tessa Marks and Will Burnham, investigating why conservation efforts don't always translate into better environmental outcomes.

Their work examines how science, policy, funding, and community needs shape efforts to protect coastal ecosystems.

Read more about their research on the SMEA blog!

Coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and wetlands play an important role in storing carbon, supporting wildlife, and sustaining coastal communities. So why are these ecosystems still disappearing despite growing scientific knowledge and investment in conservation? SMEA Affilia...

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

New research: Embracing Environmental DNA (eDNA): Trust, Skepticism, and Competence in an Emerging Method

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming how researchers monitor biodiversity, but how do people come to trust it as scientific evidence?

SMEA Assistant Professor Shana Hirsch, SMEA Postdoc Pedro Brandao-Dias, Michelle Hauer, SMEA Research Scientist Yin Cheong Aden Ip, and UW doctoral candidate Sayan Bhattacharjee explore how experience with eDNA shapes perceptions of its validity, usefulness, and trustworthiness.

The research highlights why building trusted communities of practice is key to the responsible adoption of eDNA.

Read the research:

Trust in eDNA is fundamentally relational. Survey results show that experience increases perceived validity and usefulness while transforming skepticism into more nuanced evaluation, highlighting the...

10/06/2026

SMEA Senior Research Scientist, Chris Sergeant, was lead author of a recent publication in the journal Climatic Change. The seven-author research team described the diversity of water temperature patterns in the massive, roadless, and undammed T'aakú (Taku) watershed, which is widely known as a stronghold for Pacific salmon. Some tributaries run icy cold thanks to glaciers, while others, especially those below big lakes, get warm enough to stress salmon. As glaciers shrink and the climate warms, protecting this mix of cold, moderate, and warm streams will be key to keeping salmon runs resilient. The authors sincerely thank the citizens, elders, and staff with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, who have supported this work and continue to steward their lands.

The paper, titled Stream thermal regime variability and the influences of geomorphology, land cover, and climate in a free-flowing watershed, is available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-026-04296-0

10/02/2026

Want to see salmon in the Cedar River?

Join the Cedar River Salmon Stewards this October for salmon viewing events in Renton! Co-managed by 2024 SMEA alum Aina Hori, these events offer a chance to discover salmon redds (nests), learn more about the Cedar River, and explore ways to help keep our watershed healthy.

📅 October 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 & 25
📍 Renton Library, Renton Community Center & Landsburg Park
🕙 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Learn more and find event details:
https://www.envsciencecenter.org/resources/cedar-river-salmon-stewards

We’re proud to see SMEA alumni putting their knowledge into action and connecting communities with the ecosystems around them!

Cedar River Salmon Stewards (CRSS) increases awareness and support for salmon recovery through education and outreach events that help build an informed and engaged community throughout the Cedar River/Lake Washington Watershed. We raise awareness about salmon habitat needs, coordinate messaging abo...

10/01/2026

Seattle is at the center of a growing field of environmental research as the first Global eDNA Conference comes to the region!

The conference brings researchers and practitioners together to explore the growing use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to better understand and monitor ecosystems.

We’re excited to see SMEA represented in this important conversation, including Dr. Shana Hirsch and Dr. Ryan Kelly, whose work contributes to research at the intersection of environmental science, policy, and emerging approaches to understanding our changing world.

Read more about the conference and the researchers bringing this conversation to Seattle:

09/29/2026

Welcome, SMEA Class of 2028! 🎉

We’re excited to welcome our newest students to the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington!

The Class of 2028 is already coming together as a community, and we’re looking forward to seeing the ideas, research, and perspectives they’ll bring to SMEA over the next two years.

We’re so glad you’re here. Welcome to the SMEA community!

09/24/2026

SMEA alumna Ellie Mason is featured in The Maine Monitor!

Ellie, a habitat restoration project manager with the Downeast Salmon Federation, is helping lead efforts to restore endangered Atlantic salmon habitat on Maine’s Narraguagus River.

We’re proud to see SMEA alumni putting their expertise into action and contributing to important conservation work.

Read the full story:

Cherryfield rallied to remove the last dam on the Narraguagus after decades of habitat rehabilitation by local conservationists and landowners. They are committed to decades more.

09/22/2026

SMEA students Walker Hobson and Jane Holiday are featured in a recent The New York Times article about invasive green crabs!

Their research, conducted in partnership with Washington Sea Grant, highlights important questions about invasive species and their impacts on coastal ecosystems.

We’re excited to see their research contributing to conversations happening far beyond the University of Washington.

Read the full story:

Tribes and scientists are mounting an urgent trapping effort to keep European green crabs from devastating a corner of Puget Sound.