Apr 4, 2016

To be sustainable, conservation needs to consider the human factor

The Salmon Dancer Canoe Family paddles along the shorelines of Swinomish

How decisions affect people’s lives, and how human culture, values, and equity affect conservation outcomes should be considered when defining sustainability goals and approaches to environmental management.

Global ocean fish populations could increase while providing more food, income

Most of the world’s wild fisheries could be at healthy levels in just 10 years, and global fish populations could greatly increase by 2050 with better fishing approaches, according to a new study co-authored by University of Washington researchers. The new report, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also explains how the world’s fisheries could produce more seafood and increase profits for fishermen by 204 percent by the year 2050, if reforms such as secure fishing rights are implemented now.

Tracking 'marine heatwaves' since 1950 and how the 'blob' stacks up

The coast of the Pacific Northwest from space

Unusually warm oceans can have widespread effects on marine ecosystems. Warm patches off the Pacific Northwest from 2013 to 2015, and a couple of years earlier in the Atlantic Ocean, affected everything from sea lions to fish migrations to coastal weather. A University of Washington oceanographer is lead author of a study looking at the history of such features across the Northern Hemisphere.

Dean’s Letter: Curiosity-driven research—the foundation of all that we do

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” —Albert Einstein Curiosity-driven research is scholarship in which real world applications are not immediately apparent. Such fundamental research can be seen as a luxury in a time where the College is called on to address a panoply of environmental challenges. Far worse is the fact that fundamental research in the geosciences is under fire in Washington, D.C.

Marine diseases, fisheries management, and more

Each week we share the latest peer-reviewed publications coming from the College of the Environment. As a special Spring Break edition, we are including all the new articles that have been added to the Web of Science database in the past two weeks. This week, we are showcasing twenty-two articles about marine diseases, fisheries management, and more. Check them out!