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    January 2021

    Feature Story

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    Jan 12, 2021
    • Conservation
    • Ecology
    • Marine Science

    From tiger sharks to grey wolves, predators shape our world

    In many ecosystems, a well-balanced yet delicate relationship exists between predators and their prey. Like two dancers anticipating each other’s moves, predator and prey often find themselves entangled in a sophisticated battle for survival, and whoever adapts to the other first holds the advantage. Prey often find ways to avoid, deceive or confront their carnivorous counterparts, and predators find new ways to hijack their defenses. As a result, this never-ending brawl often shifts favor to one side or the other for a variety of reasons that researchers are still trying to pin down.

    Aaron Wirsing, professor of environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington, and a team of scientists from different backgrounds, specialties and locations published an over 20-year collaborative effort in Ecology Letters to better understand this balance and, in doing so, unravel how predators impact whole habitats and species. “Work like this is a testament to the value of collaboration, teamwork and long-term research,” says Wirsing.

    Wolf and snow
    Washington Wolf Project
    A wolf patrols a forest in Washington State.

    The study sheds light on predator-prey interactions from marine to terrestrial ecosystems, vertebrates to invertebrates, and demonstrates Wirsing’s “ecology without borders” research approach. Wirsing proposes that non-consumptive predator effects (NCEs) can be important drivers of shifts in a system’s equilibrium. NCEs can occur both directly or indirectly and are heavily dependent on not only the danger a prey perceives in its immediate surroundings, but also their capacity to avoid it or even fight back. A good example of a NCE is how mule deer and white-tailed deer, when exposed to grey wolves, choose terrain on which they graze based on how well they are able to escape if a wolf shows up. This, in turn, could have a cascading effect on the terrain’s plants, whose growth and propagation can hinder or benefit depending on how much the deer graze in that chosen area.

    These anti-predator behaviors, however, do not apply to all animals. For instance, we don’t see them as much in moose, likely because these large animals are capable of directly engaging with a couple of wolves and are unfazed by their presence.

    The setting in which predator and prey interact can play an important role in shaping patterns of defensive behavior, as illustrated in another example between tiger sharks and bottlenose dolphins. Turns out, the clarity of the water — or turbidity — can play a role. In the absence of turbidity, or in clearer water, researchers found dolphins are more timid in their activity, as sharks, being prominent visual hunters, dominate the system. In murkier waters after a heat wave,  dolphins are more relaxed and freer to search for food thanks to the cover provided by seagrass, which coupled with echolocation allows them to navigate shallow banks and detect sharks without much visibility. Similarities between the  wolf and shark case studies point to generalities in the ways prey can adapt their behavior when confronted by the danger of predation, regardless of ecosystem type and species groups.

    Dolphin swimming
    Mike Heithaus
    Dolphins use echolocation to navigate in high turbidity waters, giving them cover from predators.

    Wirsing hopes that the concepts presented in this new review paper will allow researchers to develop behavioral models that will help predict the environmental impact of predators in a given system. From a conservation standpoint, these insights offer not only a powerful tool to illustrate the effects of potential ecological disasters like predator extinctions, but also show the importance of successful habitat restoration efforts. By successfully predicting the effects of introducing or removing certain predators in a given ecosystem, researchers will be able to calibrate the impact of their conservation efforts.

    Collaboration from researchers all over the spectrum of the field is also a vital aspect of this work, according to Wirsing. “Having ongoing discussions and engaging in a constant cross pollination of ideas with other likeminded researchers, often results in a more general understanding of natural systems,” he says. This open exchange of information between specialists provided the study with a broader pool of expertise to draw ideas from and allowed its authors to compare and study NCEs with a much wider context.

    Wirsing’s assessment of predator-prey interactions not only establishes an important framework for predicting the impact a predator can induce in an ecosystem, but also expands the current understanding of how ecological and environmental context interact with how prey species respond to risk. This work also emphasizes the importance of understanding species’ natural history, encouraging future researchers to dive deeper into the study, modeling and predicting many of the hidden patterns found in nature. Understanding how the creatures that surround us, big or small, shape our world will ultimately give us a stronger chance at restoring what has been lost, preserving what still remains and sustaining ourselves because, as Wirsing passionately puts it, “we’re not separate from nature. We are of nature”.

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    Jan 14, 2021
    • Conservation
    • Marine Science
    • Resource Management
    • Social Sciences

    Marine-related Learning Networks’ role in ocean governance 

    Healthy ecosystems buzzing with life are more than something pretty to look at – they are critically important to our health and wellbeing. Ecosystems deliver goods and services that humans need – like fresh water, protection from the elements and food for our dinner tables – and it’s in our best interest to make sure they remain vibrant and thriving for future generations.

    coral reef and fish
    Healthy ecosystems provide goods and services that people need, like seafood.

    Meeting that need requires effective management, and while many institutions across the globe deliver that care and successfully mitigate major harms to the environment, they can fall short in other ways. Rules about resource stewardship often come from the top down in a one-size-fits-all approach that can lack the flexibility needed to address complex, rapidly evolving issues. Too often, institutions do not have mechanisms for community voices and knowledge to be part of the solution, leaving communities with insufficient pathways and resources to solve problems.

    New research from the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs identifies a powerful yet seemingly simple tool to help fill that gap: networks. As part of a year-long capstone project, a team of graduate students and their mentors* examined marine-related learning networks, which are already playing a role in strengthening ocean governance. These networks facilitate knowledge creation, exchange and dissemination and help individuals and institutions address problems facing communities connected to the ocean.

    The researchers partnered with PainelMar, an emerging learning network in Brazil to complete their study, with the goal of providing insights to them based on interviews and findings from other networks around the world. Their work was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

    “While marine-related networks are not a panacea for ocean and coastal issues, they allow for the inclusivity of communities that have previously been left out of environmental governance management regimes,” says study co-author Henry Bell. Networks can begin to take shape when people connect over “a shared problem that everyone wants to talk about but there’s not a clear organization to solve it.”

    marine related learning networks
    PainelMar and UW collaborators meet virtually, a necessity during the pandemic and because of geographic distance.

    Marine-related learning networks can take many shapes and sizes, depending on their goals. They can be local, national or international. They can help build and share local knowledge, develop unique skills and create relationships that encourage mentoring and problem-solving. They can build connections between groups that otherwise might not interact, like scientists, policy makers, communities and other stakeholders. They can help shape collective governance approaches that lead to a more just and sustainable future for everyone.

    “Every network is different,” says Marlena Skrobe, a co-author on the study. “Some are for managers to connect with other managers, some networks try to bring their knowledge to policy, others try to bring in perspectives that aren’t always heard. The problems surfaced are often timely and happening now, and waiting for the next paper to come out won’t help people on the ground.”

    The team’s study looks for common elements of success across 16 marine-focused networks that vary in size, scope, geography and goals. Successful networks share four key attributes: the network has a distinct purpose, is used to build trust and relationships, emphasizes equitable participation and supports clear, sustained leadership.

    “The importance of having a coordinator driving communications and outreach is really critical,” says co-author Katy Dalton. “Even though network approaches are less hierarchical, there still needs to be someone doing the work. Success comes when that person is fairly compensated, dedicated, sticks around for the long-run and is able to leverage all the different partnerships. They can make or break a network.” She emphasized that learning networks can “break down hierarchies and build equitable partnerships, to not value one type of knowledge over another because all have value.”

    While learning networks are well documented in literature, “there was not really much research out there at all on networks in marine and coastal spaces,” notes Bell. “Plenty of networks exist in marine fields, but there hasn’t been any critical comparison of commonalities across these networks — we tried to bring that together.”

    “This is not revolutionary or groundbreaking,” says Dalton. “We’re offering a starting point to help people realize the potential of these networks and to help avoid some of the mistakes that other networks have made. Our goal was not to create more networks, or to be duplicative, but instead to offer guidance and a broad overview of what marine learning networks are and why they might be important.”

    Students were mentored by School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Professor Patrick Christie and Leopoldo Gerhardinger of Brazil’s PainelMar, whose scholarship focuses on justice and sustainability at the interface of oceans and coastal communities, and who fosters various ocean learning networks in Brazil and the Pacific. Their paper is a novel addition to the literature on marine resource management and helped shape students’ views on research and the direction of their own careers.

    “I am now motivated to work on marine policy from the perspective and dimension of the people and communities dealing with these very complex problems,” says Dalton. Skrobe adds that the “learning experience was about changing the narrative, not just being extractive researchers but giving back so the outcomes are more collaborative and co-produced.”

    *The capstone project team and authors included graduate students Katy Dalton, Marlena Skrobe, Henry Bell, Benjamin Kantner and Dave Berndtson from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, Ocean Nexus Center, and Jackson School of International Studies, and mentors Leopoldo Gerhardinger and Patrick Christie.

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    Jan 19, 2021
    • College of the Environment

    UW community mourns passing of Professor Robert Winglee (1958–2020)

    UW space scientist Robert Winglee and a student prepare to launch a bottle rocket. As part of the new effort, more teachers will be trained to do rocketry demonstrations.
    Washington NASA Space Grant
    UW space scientist Robert Winglee and a student prepare to launch a bottle rocket. As part of the new effort, more teachers will be trained to do rocketry demonstrations.

    Robert Winglee, professor of Earth & Space Sciences, passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 24, 2020, after suffering a heart attack at the age of 62. His nearly 30-year UW career spanned research in space plasma physics, magnetospheric physics, advanced propulsion and engineering, as well as educational outreach to underserved and underrepresented communities across the country.

    Professor Winglee completed his undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Sydney in Australia, earning his Doctorate in Physics in 1985. After postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado at Boulder and appointments at University of California, Los Angeles, UC Boulder, and the Southwest Research Institute, he joined the UW faculty in 1991, in what was then known as the Geophysics Program.

    Throughout his career, Winglee promoted the integration of different strands of academic fields to further research in physics. He served as chair of the UW Department of Earth & Space Sciences (ESS) from 2005 to 2015, and also held adjunct appointments in the Department of Physics, the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, and participating faculty in the UW Astrobiology Program.

    In addition to research, Professor Winglee was a devoted teacher who provided both theoretical education and practical experience. He was loved by his students for his attitude of always supporting them if they had an idea and a plan. He started a UW course in designing and building rockets in 2009, which included field trips to remote areas, particularly Black Rock, Nevada, for launches. These continue to be popular and have led many graduates to pursue careers in the space community.

    More recently, Professor Winglee mentored a UW student team that designed and built a miniature satellite, called a CubeSat. It launched in 2019 and began orbiting Earth in January 2020. This was the first student-built satellite to be launched in Washington state. He also led summer exploration seminars to his native Australia, where he took numerous students into the Outback to study geology and biology. In 2005 he received the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium Brotman Award for Instructional Excellence and was the 2014 UW Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year. He graduated 20 Ph.D. students, as well as numerous masters and undergraduate students.

    “Robert’s passing is a tremendous loss to our department, and our entire University,” said Eric Steig, professor and current chair of the Department of Earth & Space Sciences. “Robert’s influence on the curriculum in our department — especially the popular physics track in our undergraduate major — cannot be overstated.”

    Winglee became director of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium in 2007. In 2016 he established the NASA-sponsored Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pipeline, which he also directed to bring STEM outreach to underserved communities. He made STEM more approachable to students by emphasizing that anyone can be a scientist.

    The outreach efforts included balloon and rocket launches, microscope observations, observations of the surroundings, and maintaining logbooks. For example, during the solar eclipse in August 2017, Winglee facilitated a balloon launch with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon to obtain a high-altitude perspective of the eclipse.

    In 2019, for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, he developed a moon-themed robotics challenge for hundreds of middle and high school students from across the country, with a grand prize trip to the NASA Johnson Space Flight Center. He continued to design student competitions with the ROADS on Mars challenge in 2020, which he adapted from in-person to online during the pandemic.

    Read more at the Earth and Space Sciences site »

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    Jan 6, 2021
    • Students
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

    Seattle MESA delivers STEM virtually

    In pre-pandemic times, Seattle MESA coordinators Martha Flores Pérez and Brian Tracey could  be found in six high schools and five middle schools in the Mukilteo, Seattle and Tukwila school districts, supplementing science and math classes with hands-on learning to expose students to the joys and excitement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The goal of the program is to build a pipeline for students from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences to pursue STEM in universities and professionally, and to help develop their identities as scientists. 

    Then the pandemic hit, and the Seattle MESA team was forced to completely rethink the program while trying to support teachers also rethinking their lesson plans for the year. A big question was: how can science still be engaging and hands-on while taught through a computer screen in a completely virtual environment?

    Model of the Earth's layers using clay, foam and other inexpensive materials
    Model of the Earth’s layers using clay, foam and other inexpensive materials.

    Flores Pérez and Tracey tried different online tools, but they lacked the hands-on component  foundational to the MESA program. With donations from organizations such as the Bezos Family Foundation, they put together “MESA kits” focusing on STEM education through hands-on projects. Students received kits with Arduino microcontrollers and robot parts that could be built into functioning robots and sensors, and the MESA coordinators worked with the students on robot assembly during class time, answering questions and talking about the mechanics.

    Students were encouraged to fully immerse themselves into the projects – to play around with their kits and not be afraid to fail or break something. MESA developed different kits too, including a module on earth science using inexpensive, readily available materials like popsicle sticks, foam and clay to model the different layers of the earth, and another that focuses on the environment and how to design smart cities.

    Model city using cardboard
    “MESA kit” model city using cardboard to learn how to build smart cities.

    Seattle MESA Director Peter Abe noted that excitement for the robot kits was contagious, and students not participating in the classes asked to join when they saw their classmates’ robots. Flores Pérez noticed something similar. “I’m hearing that the students are telling their friends and family about the things that they are learning, and that’s what STEM is all about: sharing,” she says. “It’s nice to have something concrete amongst the ambiguity.”

    Lesson plans are up to the teachers, and the MESA coordinators meet with each instructor to identify goals for the school year and make sure their projects are complementary. All lessons are centered around the theme of identity, to make sure they are compelling and useful for students. For example, in schools with Latin American students, Flores Pérez taught the students about how Mayans used math, showing them that their heritage also is deeply rooted in STEM.

    “The cool thing about the teachers we work with is that they are very flexible and vocal about the kind of support they need,” says Flores Pérez. “They see the value in the work we do, and make the students feel like they are a part of that.” 

    Feedback has been positive amongst students who have been attending virtual classes. But many students are not attending classes and this learning gap will pose a challenge once in-person classes resume. There’s also the issue of access; more than half of the students don’t have a computer or are sharing one computer per household, many have inadequate internet connectivity and speed, and others don’t have a quiet space to work and focus. On top of that, limited class time is cut even shorter with unexpected technological issues that arise and other technological restrictions. To help combat at least some of these problems, Seattle MESA delivered laptops to students and helped them get connected to the internet. Once they are online, MESA provides resources via newsletters sent out to parents and teachers. 

    Flores Pérez and Tracy are seeing the benefit they bring to the classroom and want Seattle MESA to continue being valuable, especially in this time of remote learning. “I want to be a resource and make sure I’m not overburdening the teachers. MESA is part of the College of the Environment and part of the University of Washington, where there is a wealth of knowledge. I encourage UW Environment and the UW community to reach out and not only see how they can contribute to MESA but vice versa,” says Flores Pérez. 

    Want to get involved? Flores Pérez encourages UW staff or students to volunteer with Seattle MESA. She notes that previous undergraduate volunteers have helped students with homework, and the students love seeing college students – especially if they are students of color.

    Reach out to the Seattle MESA team for current volunteer opportunities.

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    Dec 24, 2020
    • Marine Science

    Bait and switch: Mislabeled salmon, shrimp have biggest environmental toll

    A raw salmon filet
    Pixabay
    Salmon filet

    Seafood is the world’s most highly traded food commodity, by value, and the product is hard to track from source to market. Reports of seafood mislabeling have increased over the past decade, but few studies have considered the overall environmental effects of this deceptive practice.

    A study by Arizona State University, the University of Washington and other institutions examined the impacts of seafood mislabeling on the marine environment, including population health, the effectiveness of fishery management and marine habitats and ecosystems.

    The results, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that some 190,000 to 250,000 tons of mislabeled seafood are sold each year in the U.S., making up 3.4% to 4.3% of all the seafood consumed. Farmed Atlantic salmon, often labeled and sold as Pacific salmon or rainbow trout, is the second-most-consumed mislabeled seafood product in the U.S., just behind shrimp.

    Co-author Sunny Jardine, an assistant professor in the UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, helped to design a statistical analysis to compare the product on the label with the one that was actually consumed.

    “It’s important to consider mislabeled consumption, rather than mislabeling rates, when thinking about the various biological and environmental impacts of mislabeling,” Jardine said.

    Read more at UW News »

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    Jan 13, 2021
    • Resource Management

    More management measures lead to healthier fish populations

    Boats in a harbor.
    Chris Anderson/University of Washington
    Fishing boats in a harbor in Kodiak, Alaska

    Fish populations tend to do better in places where rigorous fisheries management practices are used, and the more measures employed, the better for fish populations and food production, according to a new paper published Jan. 11 in Nature Sustainability.

    The study, led by Michael Melnychuk of the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, draws upon the expertise of more than two dozen researchers from 17 regions around the world. The research team analyzed the management practices of nearly 300 fish populations to tease out patterns that lead to healthier fisheries across different locations. Their findings confirmed, through extensive data analysis, what many researchers have argued for several years.

    “In general, we found that more management attention devoted to fisheries is leading to better outcomes for fish and shellfish populations,” Melnychuk said. “While this won’t be surprising to some, the novelty of this work was in assembling the data required and then using statistical tools to reveal this pattern across hundreds of marine populations.”

    The study builds on previous work that found, by using the same database, that nearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from populations that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance. The new paper takes a closer look at specific management actions and how they have impacted fishing pressure and the abundance of each population examined, Melnychuk explained.

    Read more at UW News »

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    Dec 22, 2020
    • Ecology
    • Marine Science

    Coral recovery during a prolonged heatwave offers new hope

    Danielle Claar near Christmas Island.
    Lead author Danielle Claar near Christmas Island.

    Coral reefs serve important ecological functions, from providing habitat for countless species to protecting shorelines from erosion. Reef-dependent fisheries are also a vital source of food and income for hundreds of millions of people in tropical island nations where coral reefs are valued at $6.8 billion annually.

    The pressing concerns of climate change have placed the long-term health of the world’s coral reefs in jeopardy. However, new research inspires hope as some corals managed to survive a recent and globally unprecedented heatwave.

    “Understanding how some corals can survive prolonged heatwaves could provide an opportunity to mitigate the impact of marine heatwaves on coral reefs, allowing us to buy time as we work to limit greenhouse gas emissions,” said lead author Danielle Claar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington who completed the work as doctoral student at the University of Victoria.

    Heat stress from the 2015-2016 El Niño event triggered mass coral bleaching and mortality on reefs around the world. The study published Dec. 8 in Nature Communications presents the discoveries made by an international research team as they tracked hundreds of coral colonies on reefs around Christmas Island (Kiritimati) in the Pacific Ocean, where the heatwave lasted an unprecedented 10 months.

    Read more at UW News »

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    Events

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    February 17, 2021

    UW 2021 Virtual Environmental Career Fair

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    February 18, 2021

    2021 Bevan Series on Sustainable Fisheries: Mamie Parker

    Calendar Icon Check out our calendar for more events

    News From Around the College

    • Listen | How Mount Rainier will tell us when it’s going to blow, Crosscut / Earth and Space Sciences
    • Family Exploration kits encourage science learning and outdoor activities at the Arboretum, Kubota Garden, and your own backyard, South Seattle Emerald / UW Botanic Gardens
    • Simple change to fishing gear saves thousands of birds in Namibia, The Guardian / Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
    • Move over, murder hornets: There’s a new bug in town — and it’s coming for your lawn, The Seattle Times / Environmental and Forest Sciences
    • A unique alliance could help warn us of toxic algae, Wired / Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies
    • How to avoid cabin fever in WA’s pandemic winter, Crosscut / UW Nature & Health

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