UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs

Congratulations, graduates! The SMEA Class of 2026 is ready to make waves in marine and environmental affairs. We’re proud of all you’ve accomplished and excited to see where your journey takes you next. 🌊💙

Congratulations to SMEA Associate Professor Dr. Sunny Jardine on the publication of a new co-authored article in PLOS ONE.

We're proud to see SMEA faculty advancing research that informs environmental decision-making and sustainability efforts.

Check out the Paper here:

Improving restoration heuristics to support anadromous fish passage Investments in restoring river connectivity are growing worldwide to support freshwater biodiversity. Although optimization methods exist for selecting cost-effective restoration portfolios, decisions are often guided by simple heuristic rules. For example, managers may prioritize restoring barriers...

SMEA faculty Patrick Christie, Anne Beaudreau, and Phil Levin recently participated in the UW College of the Environment's Community-Engaged Research Symposium.

We're proud to see our faculty contributing to conversations about community-engaged environmental research and collaboration.

Read more on our website:

SMEA Faculty Participate in UW College of the Environment Community-Engaged Research Symposium | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Three School of Marine and Environmental Affairs faculty members recently participated in the University of Washington College of the Environment’s inaugural Community-Engaged Research Symposium. The event brought together researchers, students, and community partners from across the College to sh...

This spring, SMEA students presented capstone and thesis projects addressing environmental and social challenges through interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and applied problem-solving.

Projects explored topics including climate policy, fisheries, offshore wind development, environmental justice, kelp ecosystems, food systems, and marine conservation.

We are proud of the hard work, dedication, and impact of our students and look forward to seeing where their careers take them next.

Check out their work here: https://smea.uw.edu/about/news/2026/06/02/2026-smea-capstones-theses-advancing-interdisciplinary-solutions-to-environmental-challenges/?preview_id=24636&preview_nonce=850b8e07bc&_thumbnail_id=24639&preview=true

At SMEA, students gain hands-on experience contributing to collaborative marine and environmental research.

SMEA second-year student Maddie Gard recently participated in a Washington Ocean Acidification Center cruise aboard the Rachel Carson UW vessel in Puget Sound. During the April 13–17 cruise, Maddie worked with the research team to deploy the CTD and process water samples for chlorophyll measurements and eDNA preservation.

The Washington Ocean Acidification Center has supported Maddie’s research on the harmful algal bloom species Alexandrium catenella during her time at SMEA.

Read more in our latest website story: https://smea.uw.edu/about/news/2026/05/14/smea-student-participates-in-washington-ocean-acidification-center-research-cruise/

Eitan Gerstle, a 2nd-year SMEA student, spent this spring in the Stillaguamish River estuary contributing to research on estuary restoration and salmon recovery.

Working with Dr. Anne Beaudreau and partners from The Nature Conservancy, Skagit River System Cooperative, and the Stillaguamish Tribe, Eitan helped monitor how restored habitats support salmon and their prey.

This work, supported by Washington Sea Grant, reflects SMEA’s commitment to hands-on, collaborative environmental research.

Big congrats to SMEA alum Max Perkins on publishing his first lead-author paper in Ecosystem Services!

Co-authored with SMEA Affiliate Faculty member Katir Arkema and colleagues, this research highlights how coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses can help protect coastal energy infrastructure and how protected areas can boost grid resilience for coastal communities.

Take a look at the interactive model: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1bd072fb855745ee8598d373179bdf42/

From an undergrad internship at PNNL to a published paper, this project has been years in the making. Way to go, Max!

Read the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212041626000355?via%3Dihub

www.sciencedirect.com

It’s Husky Giving Day!!

At the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, we’re training the next generation of marine and environmental policymakers and leaders who will shape sustainable futures across the globe.

Your gift supports student success by funding scholarships, advancing research, and helping us bring in world-class faculty and researchers.

From analysts and consultants to nonprofit leaders and activists, SMEA graduates are making an impact, and it starts with support from our community.

Make a gift today and be part of the impact
https://together.uw.edu/i/hgd/Campaign/husky-giving-day-20266?refGuid=58d7aac9-1e50-4004-9cca-5891ccce89d7&refName=College%20of%20the%20Environment

Today is ! Find out how you can support students, teaching and research.

https://bit.ly/4c5DFuZ

Our students, faculty and staff are working on some of the most pressing environmental issues, including extreme weather, natural hazards mitigation, ocean health, climate change and more. We hope you join us in powering this important work.

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences UW Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science University of Washington Earth and Space Sciences UW EarthLab UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Friday Harbor Labs UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Marine Biology at the University of Washington UW Program on the Environment UW Program on Climate Change

Exciting news from SMEA!

SMEA postdoctoral scholar Kristen Marie Green, Ph.D., has been awarded a BRIN-Fulbright Scholar Award to support a project in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Her work will focus on bringing “Blue Foods”, like fish and other aquatic foods, into school lunches to improve nutrition for children while supporting local fishing communities and sustainable fisheries.

We’re proud to see SMEA research making a global impact!

Read more about her work here:

SMEA Postdoctoral Scholar Kristen Green Awarded BRIN-Fulbright to Advance Sustainable “Blue Foods” in Indonesia | School of Marine and Environmental Affairs The University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) is proud to highlight the work of postdoctoral scholar Kristen Marie Green, Ph.D., whose research sits at the intersection of coastal resilience, food systems, and community wellbeing. An interdisciplinary social scientis...

We’re pleased to share this Husky Giving Day spotlight on SMEA student Emma Klessig.

Supporting students like Emma means investing in future leaders working at the intersection of science, policy, and environmental stewardship.

Learn more and support SMEA: https://together.uw.edu/i/uw/Campaign/husky-giving-day-20266