Ray Hilborn and Tom Quinn, professors in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, are among the first-ever group of Fellows named in the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Fellows are recognized for their outstanding or meritorious contributions to the diversity of fields that represent the AFS, which can include leadership, research, teaching and mentoring, resource management and/or conservation, and outreach or interaction with the public.
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In the midst of ferry boats, container ships and tourists crowding Seattle’s Elliott Bay, young salmon are just trying to get a decent meal. The fish hatch in the rivers and streams that feed into Puget Sound and almost immediately rely on eating small organisms near the shore, including in the heart of Seattle’s commerce-filled waterfront. Though salmon share the busy Elliott Bay waters with boats and barges, scientists suspect built-up, “armored” shorelines and large piers may be the main culprits disrupting fish habitat.
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Far above the wildfires raging in Washington’s forests, a less noticeable consequence of this dry year is taking place in mountain ponds. The minimal snowpack and long summer drought that have left the Pacific Northwest lowlands parched have also affected the region’s amphibians through loss of mountain pond habitat. According to a new paper published Sept. 2 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, this summer’s severe conditions may be the new normal within just a few decades.
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What is wilderness? As we sit at our computers or scroll through on tablets or smart phones, perhaps we picture the opposite of our current locales—mountainous terrain, soaring evergreens, and a variety of critters that depend on each other to maintain balanced ecosystems. Maybe thoughts of flora and fauna, untamed and unexposed to an otherwise modern, industrialized, human-centric world swirl around.
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How can we assess the value of food, energy, clean water, and other resources we depend on? A group with field offices around the U.S., including at the University of Washington, is working to figure that out. The Natural Capital Project wants to integrate the socioeconomic, cultural, and spiritual values of nature into all major decisions affecting the environment and human well-being.
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