Another new paper! Dr. Jay Dimond (MACS research faculty) published a new study on the population genomics of endangered pinto abalone throughout their range.

New paper alert! The Olson and Cooper labs (MACS / Biology) just published a collaborative study of the effects of polyunsaturated aldehydes on early life stages of zebrafish.

New paper alert! Dr. Nina Whitney (MACS research faculty) is a coauthor on a new study testing responses of four different species of North Atlantic bivalves to elevated pH and temperature conditions.

Another new research paper! With co-lead student authors Avia Breiter (WWU ESCI ‘22) and Cameron Sokoloski (WWU ESCI ‘21), Dr. Sylvia Yang (MACS research faculty) published results of a long-term experiment on the effects of warming on eelgrass.

New paper alert! Dr. Liz Cooney (WWU MS ‘16) published a new paper with Strom Lab members Dr. Suzanne Strom and Kelley Bright. The paper uses multiple techniques to describe the biology of a species of understudied heterotrophic dinoflagellates.

New paper alert! Dr. Jim Cooper (MACS/Biology) published a new study examining the comparative trophic evolution of damselfishes and surfperches.

Yesterday the WWU Environmental Hydrodynamics Lab deployed a suite of oceanographic instruments at the Swinomish clam garden. The project is focused on measuring seawater residence time in the clam garden and determining how it varies with physical forcing.

Joyce Block has been awarded a prestigious NOAA Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship to pursue her graduate research on larval development and survival of the European Green Crab at SPMC.👏

A second new paper with co-lead author and @larvallab principal investigator Dr. Shawn Arellano, documents the recent burial of deep sea hydrothermal vent communities by the 2022 eruption of a submarine volcano near Tonga. .

New paper by SPMC postdoc Dr. Tanika Ladd quantifies how organisms like mussels that settle as larvae on deep sea hydrothermal vents are actually cueing in on microbial biofilms on the surfaces they settle upon.

The Ichthyology class has been doing LOTS of field trips this spring. While some were gazing up at the northern lights a few days ago, the class was at Deception Pass gazing down into the water using lights to attract fish. The video shows the amazing diversity they collected.

Emma Martin, a soon-to-be Marine and Coastal Science graduate, joined MACS because it provided the opportunity to learn about all aspects of marine science. Give Day is less than a week away -contributions directly support students like Emma!

“Having more than one way to live in your back pocket is probably extremely advantageous in a highly variable environment”. This sums up recent work on mixotrophy in the Gulf of Alaska by Dr. Suzanne Strom (SPMC senior marine scientist):

Here’s the new 2024 Marine and Coastal Science cohort last Friday! These students will soon be eligible to apply for MACS scholarships to support their participation in the program. Please consider a donation on 🦀🪼GIVE DAY 🐳🦈coming up at the end of this month on April 25th!

It’s been a full week of marine science for the latest cohort of MACS students here at SPMC: oceanographic sampling, snorkeling, oyster aquaculture and growth, eelgrass ecology, marine geology, whales, and much more! Welcome 2024 MACS cohort!

Mission accomplished! The Waves and Tides course (MACS 421) retrieved their wave buoy today from just offshore of the Swinomish clam garden. 🌊

New article out on effects of short-term salinity and desiccation stress on subsequent grazing, growth, and DMSP concentrations in sea lettuce by Dr. Kathy Van Alstyne and former MIMSUP student Natasha Borgen:

Here's the Waves and Tides class deploying a wave sensor just offshore of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s clam garden last week. This is part of a larger study led by Drs. Sam Kastner and Marco Hatch along with grad students Chloe Cason and Maia Heffernan (both MACS ‘23).

Last week we lost Mary Valentine, a member of the SPMC extended family. Mary was a 2018 REU student who became a WDFW employee several years ago. Our hearts go out to her family and friends. A WDFW news release on the incident is linked here:

A story in the Peninsula Daily News last week profiles work by Dr. Jay Dimond (MACS research faculty) and collaborators on Dungeness crab genetics in the Salish Sea.