The amount of biomass — life — in Earth’s ancient oceans may have been limited due to low recycling of the key nutrient phosphorus, according to new research by the University of Washington and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The research, published online Nov. 22 in the journal Science Advances, also comments on the role of volcanism in supporting Earth’s early biosphere — and may even apply to the search for life on other worlds.
Read more at UW Today »
Dear College of the Environment Community, Recently, I heard science described as the team-iest of team sports. As a scientist and a dean, that resonated with me: When we tackle big, important questions, we do so as a community ranging in size from research groups of several people to large, International networks of scholars from allied disciplines. Science is a social enterprise, and integrity is the foundation of great science.
Read more »
Usha Varanasi, ’68, and Richard Feely have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As part of the Section on Chemistry, Usha was recognized for her distinguished contributions in environmental chemistry and toxicology, particularly in establishing and communicating the impact of environmental contaminants on marine organisms and ecosystems. In the Section on Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Sciences, Richard was recognized for leading the scientific examination of ocean acidification and shifting public policy to address the issue.
Read more at UW Today »
It’s no secret that human activities affect fish, particularly those that must migrate to reproduce. Years of building dams and polluting rivers in some regions have left fish such as salmon struggling to return to their home streams and give birth to the next generation. A new University of Washington study points to yet another human factor that hampers the ability of fish to reproduce: the timing of our fishing seasons.
Read more at UW Today »
The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program at the UW was started in 2014 when it became clear that the environmental movement had made no strides in decades to address its lack of racial and gender diversity, a problem commonly known as the Green Ceiling. Simply put, no more than 12 percent of all employees in non-governmental organizations and foundations that work with natural resources could be described as ethnic minority or multiracial.
Read more from Columns »
