School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington

🐋 In a new study challenging conventional thinking about how populations of large baleen #whales recover from whaling, researchers have revealed that populations continue increasing rapidly for a wide range of recovery levels, only slowing once approaching pre-whaling levels. This could have wide implications for how agencies from across the world manage whale populations, and when we think a population has fully recovered from overexploitation. Find out more, visit 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVniC2Yk Research team: 🔹Dr. Yu Kanaji, Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency 🔹Dr. Rob Williams, Oceans Initiative 🔹Dr. Alex Zerbini, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies at the University of Washington, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research 🔹Professor Trevor A. Branch, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, University of Washington College of the Environment

🐻❄️ Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet, apparently due to changing sea ice conditions in a warming Arctic. 🧊 🐾 While surveying the health of two #polarbear populations, researchers led by Kristin Laidre from University of Washington SAFS, found lacerations, hair loss, ice buildup and skin ulcerations primarily affecting the feet of adult bears as well as other parts of the body. ↪️ Read the fully story by UW News during #PolarBearWeek: https://lnkd.in/gFArdvHk

🦭Harbor seals and 🪱 fish parasites: How two undergrads contributed to major discoveries in cryptic diversity. 🔬Almost 25 years ago, Donna Hauser, a University of Washington undergrad at the time, took the AERA summer field class as part of the #AlaskaSalmonProgram. For her independent research project, she started a study of the resident harbor seals in Alaska's Iliamna Lake. Fast forward to this year, a new paper published in Biology Letters explores the genetic and evolutionary divergence of these seals. 💬 "The essence of the paper is that these seals, which are easily capable of swimming to and from Bristol Bay and thus integrating with the seals there, are highly different from them genetically," said SAFS Professor Tom Quinn. 🐟 In 2012, another undergrad, Brian Harmon, headed up to Alaska for the same class. "Brian's serendipitous observation of parasites in sculpins initiated a study on the genetic status of the parasites, in comparison to similar ones commonly seen in 3-spine and 9-spine sticklebacks," Tom Quinn shared. A study recently published in May this year shows that the parasites in the sculpins are highly different from those in sticklebacks. 💫The cryptic diversity of both these species means although they are superficially similar, their genetics are very different. "I credit the terrific opportunities of the AERA class and the creativity and hard work by these two students for a couple of major discoveries," Tom Quinn said. Donna Hauser is now a Research Associate Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Brian Harmon works in the sustainability space as a Principal Technical Advisor for LMI. 👉 Discover the full story at https://lnkd.in/gb57t3pH

🐟🐟🐟 Interested in finding out more about the Alaska Salmon Program? Visit alaskasalmonprogram.org or visit fish.uw.edu for our latest stories!

☀️🐟University of Washington Fish Collections Manager Katherine Maslenikov takes us behind the scenes of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture to answer questions about the giant bizarre Sunfish washing up on the shores of Oregon. Where are these fish coming from? What do they eat to get so large? Why are they the “pinnacle of fish evolution”? 📹 Watch the new video from the Burke Museum below⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g5xzcsiR

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Part 2️⃣ of our 2024 Alaska Salmon Program student experience blog! 🐟 We hear about connection and community while students spend time in Alaska at the field camps. Hiking and fishing during downtime. Tundra lunches and connecting with peers while learning in one of the world's most remarkable ecosystems. 👉 Head to https://lnkd.in/gxfYSQzS to check it out! // 📸 credits and special thanks for content to our students: Ryan Luvera, Naomi Prahl, Emma Meyer, Callie Murakami & Emma Bell

🦞 They may be small, but crayfish are mighty in other ways, one of them being invasive risk in areas where they are not natively found. A type of freshwater crustacean, crayfish are increasingly being traded online for ornamental purposes, such as aquariums. In a new study led by University of Washington SAFS Professor Julian Olden, the first ever global assessment of the online trade in and associated invasion risk of freshwater crayfishes was conducted. 💻 The global pet trade, including aquatic species, constitutes a burgeoning pathway for the intentional introduction of non-native species, with 6-19% of hobbyists admitting to releasing unwanted aquarium animals into the wild on at least one occasion. Popular stories of released goldfish growing to the size of a football might be ringing a bell. Crayfish are another aquatic species increasingly traded via e-commerce over recent decades, presenting an invasive and biosecurity risk when released into the wild. ↪️ https://lnkd.in/gtFsgpng

🌊 Chris Mantegna, a third-year graduate student at SAFS, has spent the past three summers mentoring undergrads on on Yellow Island, a pristine 11-acre nature preserve in Washington’s San Juan Islands. 🤝 The summer mentorship program, created in partnership with Black In Marine Science, Non-Profit Organization and The Nature Conservancy, combines #research and access, aiming to create an inclusive environment where students feel part of the community. Read the feature article by University of Washington Magazine ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/g7-FXkn8

🐟 It's been a very busy 2024 so far at SAFS, from new faculty joining us to researchers uncovering new and exciting things from across the watery world. Check it all out in our Spring/Summer 2024 Newsletter ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g8rAnAXr