Bowhead whales, the ‘jazz musicians’ of the Arctic, sing many different songs

A bowhead whale surfaces in Fram Strait, to the northwest of Norway.

A University of Washington study has published the largest set of recordings for bowhead whales to discover that these marine mammals have a surprisingly diverse, constantly shifting vocal repertoire. The study, published April 4 in Biology Letters, a journal of the United Kingdom’s Royal Society, analyzed audio recordings gathered year-round east of Greenland. This population of bowhead whales was hunted almost to extinction in the 1600s and was recently estimated at about 200 animals. 

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Earth and Space Sciences' Tyler Valentine honored by Goldwater Foundation

Earth and Space Sciences' Tyler Valentine

Three University of Washington undergraduates—including Tyler Valentine, a junior in the College of the Environment’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences—are among 211 students nationwide named as 2018 Goldwater Scholars. One UW student received honorable mention. Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to students who have “outstanding potential” and plan to pursue research careers in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. The awards cover tuition, room and board, fees and books up to $7,500 annually for one or two years. 

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Earth’s stable temperature past suggests other planets could also sustain life

New research from the University of Washington suggests a milder youth for our planet than what has often been cited. An analysis of temperature through early Earth’s history, published the week of April 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, supports more moderate average temperatures throughout the billions of years when life slowly emerged on Earth. “Ideas about the early Earth’s environment are all over the place, from a very hot world, to one locked in a permanent ice age, from a world with acidic oceans to one with seawater so alkaline it would sting your eyes,” said David Catling, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences. 

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Partnering with indigenous communities to anticipate and adapt to ocean change

Crab fishing gear sits in port at La Push after a delayed opening season.

The productive ocean off Washington state’s Olympic Coast supports an abundant web of life including kelp forests, fish, shellfish, seabirds and marine mammals. The harvest and use of these treaty-protected marine resources have been central to the local tribes’ livelihoods, food security and cultural practices for thousands of years. But ocean acidification is changing the chemistry of these waters, putting many coastal species — and the human communities that depend upon them — under threat. 

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