Spending a few weeks this summer with NOAA’s Marine Mammal Laboratory in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, UW Marine Biology student Samantha-Lynn Martinez was up close and personal with Steller sea lions.
Protected under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA monitors two populations of Steller sea lions, and Samantha-Lynn’s focus was on the Western Population which are found throughout the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and into Russia and Japan. 

As our student population in the Marine Biology Major continues to grow, so too does our team to support our students. Speaking with the new Academic Adviser, Danielle (Dani) Greiner Shenk, she shared with us her background, how she joined the Marine Biology program, and what most excites her in her new role. 

Tell us how what journey took you to the current position as Academic Adviser for UW Marine Biology? 

Immersive fieldwork, a bridge program for community college students, a unique research opportunity – these are just some of the ways to describe the GEODUC program, whose team has been awarded the College of the Environment’s Outstanding Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Accessibility Award.
The GEODUC program – which welcomes transfer students each September into the UW marine geosciences – is led by José Guzmán, (Marine Biology and SAFS), Mikelle Nuwer (Oceanography), Kerry Naish (Marine Biology and SAFS), LuAnne Thompson (Oceanography), and Jane Dolliver (Dean’s Office, College of the Environment). 

Benefitting from a series of in-person information sessions geared towards helping students apply for the NOAA Hollings Scholarship Program, we’re happy to announce that multiple UW students from the College of the Environment have been granted the award this year.
Marine Biology students Jenna Callan and Kathryn Whitmer, Oceanography student Annabel Wade, and Atmospheric Sciences student Vlad Munteanu, are some of the 120 students who were awarded the Hollings Scholarship this year from thousands of applicants nationwide. 

Heading into its second year, the GEODUC program, based at the UW College of the Environment, is a two-week immersive experience for incoming transfer students interested in marine science.
Apply now, by July 14
José Guzmán, faculty in Marine Biology and SAFS, describes GEODUC as a unique opportunity that acts as a bridge program for students from community colleges to build confidence with quantitative skills and create a support network before they arrive at campus. 

As the newest faculty member to join the UW Marine Biology Program and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, we spoke with Ronel Nel, a beach ecologist and sea turtle conservationist from South Africa.
Tell us a bit about your background
I received my PhD from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2002, and quickly started working with a state conservation agency, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. 

In the second episode of the “Where Are They Now?” series, we speak to Andrew Chin (BS 2020) who is now a Fish Biologist at NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
The series showcases UW’s Marine Biology graduates in their early careers.

Interested in being featured and sharing your story? Please contact Niamh Owen-McLaughlin. 

UW third year senior in the Marine Biology and SAFS program, Henry Stier, joined our Instagram to share his experiences with scientific diving and his work on salmon and zooplankton.
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Thanks for tuning in to my takeover! I chose UW because it’s local to me in Washington and it has one of the best Marine Biology and Fisheries programs in the United States. 

Welcoming Katherine Rogers to our Instagram student takeover series, they shared their love of fish morphology and the exciting work underway at the UW Fish Collection.
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My name is Katherine and today I got to take over the instagram! I’m a junior who is a marine biology and SAFS double major, and I LOVE FISH. I love love love fish morphology so that’s what I wanted to share. 

Parasites play an outsize role in balancing ecosystems, and some species may be in danger. Read the article from Scientific American featuring SAFS’ Chelsea Wood who teaches Parasite Ecology (FISH 406) and Fisheries Ecology (FISH 312)