Jul 14, 2021

Microtrash is a macro-problem

The sun is shining and the wind is keeping you cool as you relax on Lake Washington — ahhh, summer is finally here! The sand moves through your toes as you soak up the warm weather when that all too familiar experience jars you out of your summer lullaby… a cigarette butt, stuck in your toes where the sand should be cascading through.

Re-thinking conservation: student leaders are changing the face, practice and future of environmental stewardship

The word “conservation” is a common one, and conjures up visions of protected land- and sea-scapes, species being walked back from the brink of extinction and using sustainable approaches to manage precious natural resources. It makes sense that these kinds of images come to mind; they fit the mold of conservation as many of us know it. But what if we thought about conservation in a broader and more inclusive way, acknowledging that humans and ecosystems are inextricably linked?

Last ice-covered parts of summertime Arctic Ocean vulnerable to climate change

Sea ice on the Wandel Sea north of Greenland was taken Aug. 16, 2020, from the German icebreaker Polarstern, which passed through the area as part of the year-long MOSAiC Expedition.

In a rapidly changing Arctic, one area might serve as a refuge — a place that could continue to harbor ice-dependent species when conditions in nearby areas become inhospitable. This region north of Greenland and the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago has been termed the Last Ice Area. But research led by the University of Washington suggests that parts of this area are already showing a decline in summer sea ice.

Remotely-piloted sailboats monitor ‘cold pools’ in tropical environments

An orange Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicle (USV)

Conditions in the tropical ocean affect weather patterns worldwide. The most well-known examples are El Niño or La Niña events, but scientists believe other key elements of the tropical climate remain undiscovered. In a study recently published in Geophysical Research Letters, scientists from the University of Washington and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory use remotely-piloted sailboats to gather data on cold air pools, or pockets of cooler air that form below tropical storm clouds.

Shuyi Chen to serve as College of the Environment’s Associate Dean for Research

Shuyi Chen has agreed to serve as the UW College of the Environment’s associate dean for research, effective September 16, 2021. In this role she will foster multidisciplinary collaborations, promote and support the range of basic and applied research programs across the College and University, and help PIs identify opportunities to partner and collaborate with universities and research organizations both in the U.S.