In her second year at the University of Washington, double majoring in Marine Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Mugdha Chiplunkar recently jetted off to the nation’s capital to undertake her orientation as a 2025-2027 NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholar. Awarded to roughly 120 students from across the US each year, the prestigious scholarship provides undergraduates with awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

A new paper published in Nature Communications on the multiple evolution of glowing fishes, features alumni from the University of Washington, including Jonathan Huie, the first person to graduate from UW Marine Biology.

Congratulations to Mollie Ball, named this year as the College of the Environment Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist. Mollie, double majoring in Marine Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at UW, has been an exceptional student, an outstanding contributor to the College and Marine Biology communities, and a leader amongst the transfer student community.

Museum collections tell the story of life on Earth, and are a critical resource for researchers around the globe working on a variety of species, from fish and snails to birds and mammals. In the Burke Museum, the mammal collection is where UW Marine Biology senior, Lauren Grady, has been volunteering for the last two months, building on experience she gained working with the Wood Lab at SAFS.

Between keeping time for the Husky Marching Band and tossing fish at Pike Place Market, Ryan Shapero, ’27, is as Seattle as it gets. A second-year marine biology student, Ryan loves getting to apply some of that science to his weekend job at Pike Place. He particularly loves when kids come up with the oddest questions. “Multiple times I’ve just been, like, explaining crustacean morphology to a 7-year-old. And they’re into it!” Read his UW feature story.

In our second profile featuring a Marine Biology postbac student, we spoke with Kylie West about why she chose UW to complete her second undergraduate degree, plus what reinspired her shift back to studying STEM.

Only a small number of postbaccalaureate (postbac) students are admitted to the University of Washington each quarter, however it’s a common enquiry received by us here at Marine Biology. We spoke to Walker Hobson about his journey to becoming a postbac student, some of the benefits and the challenges, and what he would share with others considering the same route.

Finishing up his second quarter at the University of Washington – studying Marine Biology and American Indian Studies (AIS) – is Jaycee Williford. He recently received the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship, which is awarded to Indigenous people interested in pursuing educational opportunities in aquaculture, fisheries science and management or natural resource management.

10 years ago, the UN declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. On this 10th anniversary at the University of Washington, we’re celebrating our women in aquatic and marine science: women who are leaders in their fields, women who are aspiring to be the next generation of fisheries scientists and marine biologists, women who are uplifting and supporting other women in science.

For over 20 years, Associate Teaching Professor, Sean McDonald, has been working on West Coast crab populations. Among his favorite study subjects is the Dungeness crab. Despite its very high value both commercially and culturally, scientists know surprisingly little about the iconic crustacean’s early life. In a collaborative effort spanning federal agencies, local government, tribes, non-profits and scientists, the Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) has been undertaking a monitoring effort along the Washington coast for larval Dungeness crab, supported by UW students.