Front and center in Aaron Wirsing’s office is a framed and colorful drawing of killer whales chasing down dinner—seals, fish, dolphins, other frightened sea creatures. The artist? A 10-year-old Aaron, inspired by the nature television shows of his youth. “Predators always fascinated me. Nothing’s changed!,” said Wirsing. Now an assistant professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, he still pursues his passion for predators.
Read more »Puget Sound’s rich waters supplied by deep, turbulent canyon
The headwaters for Puget Sound’s famously rich waters lie far below the surface, in a submarine canyon that draws nutrient-rich water up from the deep ocean. New measurements may explain how the Pacific Northwest’s inland waters are able to support so many shellfish, salmon runs and even the occasional pod of whales.University of Washington oceanographers made the first detailed measurements at the headwater’s source, a submarine canyon offshore from the strait that separates the U.S.
Read more »Greenland ice cores show industrial record of acid rain, success of U.S. Clean Air Act
The rise and fall of acid rain is a global experiment whose results are preserved in the geologic record. By analyzing samples from the Greenland ice sheet, University of Washington atmospheric scientists found clear evidence of the U.S. Clean Air Act. They also discovered a link between air acidity and how nitrogen is preserved in layers of snow, according to a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more »Hall Conservation Genetic Research Award: applications due April 16
The College of the Environment is pleased to announce the new Hall Conservation Genetic Research Award, designed specifically to support graduate students working in the field of conservation genetics. Any funded project must be completed in its entirety within the funding year, and a scholarly research product–like a manuscript submitted to peer-reviewed journal, presentation at a national or international scientific society conference–must result from the work.
Read more »College Advisory Board member Denis Hayes in Northwest Prime Time
The College of the Environment is fortunate to have a tremendously talented group of individuals that make up our Advisory Board–and Denis Hayes is one of them. He is the President of the Bullitt Foundation, an organization whose mission is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. Notably, the Bullitt Foundation’s headquarters are housed in the brand new Bullitt Center, billed as the greenest commercial building in the world.
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