S1 E2: Field Detectives with John Marzluff

John Marzluff with crow

John Marzluff is a professor of wildlife science in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and renowned researcher studying the relationships between birds and humans. In 2022, Marzluff was named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, honored for advances in our understanding of how humans impact birds, and for communicating the importance of birds to the public. 

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Warm liquid spewing from Oregon seafloor comes from Cascadia fault, could offer clues to earthquake hazards

Sonar image of bubbles rising from the sea floor.

The field of plate tectonics is not that old, and scientists continue to learn the details of earthquake-producing geologic faults. The Cascadia Subduction Zone — the eerily quiet offshore fault that threatens to unleash a magnitude-9 earthquake in the Pacific Northwest — still holds many mysteries. A study led by the University of Washington discovered seeps of warm, chemically distinct liquid shooting up from the seafloor about 50 miles off Newport, Oregon. 

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UW’s Phil Levin to direct first-ever US National Nature Assessment

Phil Levin

The Biden-Harris Administration on April 3 announced the appointment of Phil Levin, professor of practice in environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington and lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy in Washington state, as director for the first-ever U.S. National Nature Assessment. The NNA will take an interdisciplinary approach to better understand the role of nature in the lives of people across the country, integrating science with traditional ways of knowing and the needs of communities. 

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As climate warms, overlapping wildfires are changing forest resilience

Photo of reburned landscape

A new study from the University of Washington has found that forest ecosystems may be facing more profound ecological impacts due to wildfires than has previously been documented. The study, published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, shows that as wildfire activity increases with climate change and more forests face multiple wildfires within a short period of time, overlapping fires are changing forest resilience. 

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Cherry blossoms get new visitors’ website, are on track for early April peak bloom

A cherry blossom in the UW Quad pictured on March 21, 2023.

[March 29 update: The UW Quad cherry trees are at 50% bloom, and are on track to reach peak bloom this weekend.] The cherry blossoms at the University of Washington campus are a seasonal tradition and celebration for the entire region. This year’s colder-than-usual spring is demanding a little more patience. Mark your calendars and plan your visit for a peak bloom expected in early April. 

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