Jan 28, 2016

Jeffrey Cordell honored by the Seattle Aquarium

Every year, the Seattle Aquarium recognizes outstanding individuals who work and make a difference in the marine environment. This year, UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences research scientist Jeffrey Cordell was honored for his innovative work on restoring marine habitat along Seattle’s Elliott Bay seawall. Jeff led the long-term research, funded by the City of Seattle and Washington Sea Grant, to design, install, and monitor large-scale test panels at three locations along the Seattle waterfront as part of the Elliott Bay Seawall Project.

What’s the name of that tree? New interactive plant map for arboretum

First-time visitors and regulars to Washington Park Arboretum can now learn the names and origins of plants as well as save favorites while strolling through the grounds. A new interactive map for smartphones and tablets shows every plant and tree that’s part of the arboretum’s collection, now numbering more than 15,000. Visitors can pull up the map on their phones, locate themselves, then zoom in to see which plants are nearby.

Scientists solve long-standing ecological riddle

The fundamental mechanisms underlying global productivity-diversity patterns have been debated by ecologists for decades. Methodological advances are now permitting a glimpse at the processes that lie behind surface patterns.

Researchers have found clear evidence that communities rich in species are substantially healthier and more productive than those depleted of species, once complicating factors are removed. An international group of scientists, including University of Washington ecologist Jonathan Bakker in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences has solved this long-standing ecological riddle using new scientific techniques for analyzing complex data to answer the question: How do we know that conserving biodiversity is actually important in the real world?

Alaskan trout choose early retirement over risky ocean-going career

Dolly Varden with mature spawning coloration in Alaska’s Newhalen River.

After making an exhausting migration from river to ocean and back to river—often multiple years in a row—one species of Alaskan trout decides to call it quits and retire from migrating once they are big enough to survive off their fat reserves. This is the first time such a “retirement” pattern has been seen in fish that make this river-to-ocean migration, according to University of Washington-led research published in July in the journal Ecology.

UW's Alaska Salmon Program: A Living Laboratory

Sarah Schooler walks up one of Lake Aleknagik's many streams, counting and tagging sockeye salmon.

Sarah Schooler spent her summer in the Alaskan bush, collecting data on salmon and the habits of hungry grizzly bears with the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.