Oct 6, 2020

Studying Yellowstone’s ravens during COVID-19

Summers for UW Environment students are often spent working as interns, taking summer classes or accompanying faculty conducting field research. But the spring and summer of 2020 were anything but typical as COVID-19 forced faculty and students to figure out alternative plans or rethink research. With the belief that many students learn best when doing, known as immersive learning, many researchers have had to pivot to still provide students with the resources and opportunities normally available.

Greenland is on track to lose ice faster than in any century over the past 12,000 years, study finds

Researchers collect rock samples in Greenland

If human societies don’t sharply curb emissions of greenhouse gases, Greenland’s rate of ice loss this century is likely to greatly outpace that of any century over the past 12,000 years, a new study concludes. University of Washington scientists are among the authors of the study published Sept. 30 in the journal Nature. The research employed ice sheet modeling to understand the past, present and future of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

What do we mean by SciComm anyway?

When you hear the term “science communication” — or SciComm — what comes to mind? Is it a specific way to communicate, or is it many ways? Is it verbal, written, visual or all of the above? Is it serious, or can it be funny and lighthearted? Truth be told, SciComm can take many forms, and what it looks like depends on you and your goals.

UW Environment COVID-19 resources

The College is closely monitoring the local outbreak of the novel coronavirus and is making every effort to address the changing needs of the college community. To help you navigate our complex “new normal,” the College and unit chairs and directors have compiled resources that should help you continue teaching, learning, and working through the pandemic. Take good care and let us know how we can help.

Aquatic hitchhikers: Using mobile technology to predict invasive species transmission

Invasive Eurasian milfoil entangled on a boat and trailer.

A cooler full of fish might not be the only thing anglers bring back from a trip to the lake. Unknowingly, they may also be transporting small aquatic “hitchhikers” that attach themselves to boats, motors ― and even fishing gear ― when moving between bodies of water. Considerable research shows that aquatic invasive species can completely transform ecosystems by introducing disease, out-competing and eating native species, altering food webs, changing physical habitat, devastating water-delivery systems and damaging economies.