Jun 23, 2017

Nature spotlights UW geophysicists’ fight to save lives with seafloor sensors

Inventor and entrepreneur Jerry Paros and University of Washington scientists are monitoring undersea faults for movements and signs of the next catastrophic earthquake. A recent Nature article looks at Paros, who has donated $2 million to the UW, and the collaborative project he’s working on with researchers including the School of Oceanography’s Emily Roland and William Wilcock. Over the course of his career, Paros developed an ultra-precise quartz sensor for oil, gas and other industry applications.

Support for tidal energy is high among Washington state residents

Sail boat in Puget Sound waters with mountains in the background.

Puget Sound is one of the best places in the United States to capture energy from the tides. Tidal currents throughout the Sound move especially swift in the narrow spaces around islands and peninsulas. Those currents are what developers were eyeing when they proposed the first Pacific Northwest tidal energy pilot project in Admiralty Inlet, between the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island.

Invasive lionfish feasts on new Caribbean fish species

Researcher Luke Tornabene entering a submarine.

Caribbean coral reefs have been invaded by lionfish, showy predators with venomous spines. And they’ve found a new market to exploit: the ocean’s “twilight zone” — an area below traditional SCUBA diving depths, where little is known about the reefs or the species that inhabit them. Researchers from the University of Washington and Smithsonian Institution have reported the first observed case of lionfish preying upon a fish species that had not yet been named.

Scientists set the stage for a more just, equitable seafood sector

Young migrant fishers pulling and cleaning nets on fishing boats in Thailand.

Marine scientists from UW and other organizations launch a global agenda to curb social and human rights abuses in the seafood industry.

Seattle seawall’s novel fish features are a potential model for the world

Below the sidewalk at low tide along the new Seattle seawall. Structures and textures along the wall are helpful for young salmon and the organisms they eat.

The modifications designed for Seattle's seawall are aimed at helping young Chinook, pink and chum salmon navigate, grow and avoid predators along the engineered shoreline.