Rethinking land conservation to protect species that will need to move with climate change

All plants and animals need suitable conditions to survive. That means a certain amount of light, a tolerable temperature range, and access to sources of food, water and shelter. Many of the existing efforts to protect plant and animal species across the United States rely on information about where these species currently live. For example, if a rare bird species such as the snowy plover is found in a specific location along the Washington coast, conservationists try to protect it from human development where it lives.

Fisheries management is actually working, global analysis shows

Ray Hilborn in a speed boat on Bristol Bay.

Nearly half of the fish caught worldwide are from stocks that are scientifically monitored and, on average, are increasing in abundance. Effective management appears to be the main reason these stocks are at sustainable levels or successfully rebuilding. That is the main finding of an international project led by the University of Washington to compile and analyze data from fisheries around the world.

Join us for the 2019 Doug Walker Lecture with J. Drew Lanham, PhD

Inviting diversity and race to play an active role in conservation: 2019 Doug Walker Lecture As an African American raised in the south who had a love affair with nature, Dr. J. Drew Lanham grew up feeling like a “rare bird”. Join us for the 2019 Doug Walker Lecture where Dr. Lanham, will discuss what it means to embrace both his history and relationship to nature, and how these two intertwine as an ornithologist, wildlife ecologist and college professor.

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Aug 5, 2019

Washington leads: connecting ocean acidification research to people who need it most

At the helm of EarthLab’s Washington Ocean Acidification Center are two experienced ocean scientists, but what they are trying to do is something entirely new. Terrie Klinger and Jan Newton are Salish Sea experts — one an ecologist, one an oceanographer — and they are addressing one of the biggest emerging threats to our environment today, ocean acidification. “When we first were funded by the legislature to stand up the Washington Ocean Acidification Center, there was no precedent.

Spend time outdoors this summer to reap health benefits

Fresh air, lush foliage, open space and sunshine. Time spent outdoors isn’t just good for the soul—research at University of Washington EarthLab is showing it’s also good for the mind and body. Even in the Pacific Northwest, where the weather is often, let’s say, less than optimal, getting out into nature brings with it a host of health benefits. And there are plenty of options in the Seattle area, even in the heart of the city.