When it comes to teeth, vertebrates have a lot in common. No matter the shape, size or sharpness, teeth share genetic origins, physical characteristics and, of course, a home in the jaw. New findings call into question one of these core assumptions. Spotted ratfish, a shark-like species native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean, have rows of teeth on top of their heads, lining a cartilaginous appendage called the tenaculum that loosely resembles Squidward’s nose. The new research was led by FHL postdoctoral researcher Karly Cohen.

About to embark on a study abroad adventure is Ellie Thomas, a Marine Biology undergraduate heading into her third year of study at the University of Washington. On 1 September, Ellie will be flying (and driving and boating) more than 5,000 miles away to Veli Lošinj, a small town on one of the western islands of Croatia, nestled in the Adriatic Sea.

In his famous words, Oscar Wilde proposed that life imitates art, meaning that art can shape our understanding of life and inspire us to act in certain ways. So why not science too? Marjorie Wonham, Associate Teaching Professor in UW Marine Biology and SAFS, at Friday Harbor Labs, has published a new study in BioScience outlining the six reasons why integrating arts and sciences in higher education is an effort worth undertaking.

Bryan Lemus, a recent Marine Biology graduate from the University of Washington, worked with a team at Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) studying armored fishes. They study poacher fishes, which are small, bottom-dwelling, cold-water marine fishes covered in dense armor from head to tail.

In our latest student takeover, we were joined by UW Marine Biology student, Charly Cooper, who is interning during the summer of 2025 at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Find out more about her summer internship.

The Valiant Mentoring Program is a near-peer mentoring program that supports first generation undergraduates in the College of the Environment as they navigate their academic and professional journey in the environmental sciences. Students will take part in interactive class sessions, get personalized support from a near-peer mentor, connect with a cohort of peers, and gain best practices for navigating the “hidden curriculum” in higher-ed. The program runs from Autumn 2025 to Spring 2026. Apply by August 18, 2025.

It’s not only invertebrates that are seen along the rocky intertidal. Bella Andre, an undergraduate majoring in ESRM with a minor in Marine Biology, spent almost two weeks this summer with the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab. Where? Just over the border in British Columbia, Canada, conducting drone surveys of long term rocky intertidal study sites and measuring the physical environment around the sites. These surveys will support the lab’s continued understanding of how the habitat at these sites have changed over time.

Marine Biology majors are prepared for a variety of careers. The job posts below are good examples of early career positions that are available for those who have graduated from our program. Sign up for alerts via UW Handshake.

Visit their website to browse more job opportunities with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Now in the fourth week of her NOAA Hollings Scholar internship, Megan Cosand has been immersed in the world of jellyfish research, looking at Skagit Bay’s lion’s mane and fried egg (also known as egg yolk) jellies. Specifically, she has been working with long-term datasets to understand how different environmental factors contribute to blooms of these jellyfish species.
“So far I’ve been working on fitting models to some data for different jellyfish, and the results have changed as the models and data have been updated, so we don’t have a lot of conclusive results yet,” Megan said.