Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by UW College of the Environment

uofwa.bsky.social @uofwa.bsky.social · 2d

UW alum Mary Brunkow, ’83, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine this morning.
This photo was taken while she was on the phone with the Nobel Committee in Sweden. Mary said she initially missed the call because a strange number popped up on her phone — she thought it might be spam.
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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 2d

Undergraduate students and faculty in our Ocean Technology Program recently teamed up with Sea-Bird Scientific to see if a sophisticated ocean sensor could work in freshwater, too.

https://bit.ly/4nHDISw

Two individuals in life jackets are assembling scientific equipment by Portage Bay in seattle on a sunny day.

A group of seven individuals standing outdoors in a sunny setting beside scientific equipment, with a Clean Harbors truck visible in the background. They are dressed in casual outdoor attire and are smiling at the camera.

Four individuals examining scientific equipment on a dock by a body of water, with a person kneeling in front center holding the device.

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 5d

“It’s a pretty big wake-up call,” said @brian-j-harvey.bsky.social, professor of forest fire science at the University of Washington who was not involved in the new study. “We live on a flammable planet, and that flammability is increasing.”

https://nyti.ms/4o1bDVR (via @nytimes.com)

Costly and Deadly Wildfires Really Are on the Rise, New Research Finds

www.nytimes.com

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 7d

A tiny site in rural Pierce County is one of ~650 seismic stations operated by @pnsn1.bsky.social to detect and monitor #earthquakes in the #pnw. It was key to detecting a swarm of small earthquakes at @altmtrainier.com last summer.

https://bit.ly/3IQrckf

How a Graham farm helped detect a swarm of earthquakes at Mount Rainier

Private properties, schools, fire departments and others play a key part in monitoring temblors in the Pacific Northwest.

bit.ly

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences @uwsafs.bsky.social · 8d

🆕 New story on our new major! Discover more about Aquatic Conservation & Ecology at @uofwa.bsky.social SAFS.

@uwenvironment.bsky.social

environment.uw.edu/news/2025/09...

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences launches new conservation degree focused on people and nature

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences is offering a new degree starting this year — a bachelor of science in aquatic conservation and ecology (ACE). The new major focuses on the ecology of aquati...

environment.uw.edu

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 9d

Join us for our flagship fall event on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at Town Hall Seattle.

More info and tickets: https://bit.ly/42AiP39

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 12d

Joel Thornton, our new interim dean, sat down with us to talk about what drew him to the role, what makes our college a research powerhouse, and the unique opportunities available to our students: https://bit.ly/48BEzPI

@atmostaj.bsky.social #UWEnvironment #ResearchMakesAmerica #HuskyExperience

Promotional image featuring Joel Thornton, the interim dean, with a purple background. Text overlay reads 'Q&A with our interim dean, Joel Thornton.'

Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences @uwsafs.bsky.social · 13d

🐋📏Longer body size means more female calves for baleen whale moms, contradicting a popular evolutionary theory postulating that strong mammals benefit more from birthing males.

New research by UW QERM student Zoe Rand, @trevorabranch.bsky.social & Sarah Converse.

www.washington.edu/news/2025/09...

Longer body size means more female calves for baleen whale moms

University of Washington researchers found, in historical whaling data, that longer baleen whale mothers were more likely to birth female calves than males. These results run contrary to a leading...

www.washington.edu

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 14d

Happy first day of Autumn Quarter! 💜💛 #UW #UWEnvironment #UWSeattle #UWSeattleHuskies #UniversityOfWashington

📷 by @uw_environment_undergrads (Instagram)

Welcome poster for new Huskies featuring various images including a salmon, a dog wearing a collar, University of Washington's Suzzallo Library, a scenic waterfall, weather forecast, and an aerial view of a campus.

UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 16d

Our interim dean, Joel Thornton, gets ready to record his welcome message to new students that aired at the 2025 UW New Student Convocation yesterday. Welcome to our new Huskies! #newhuskies2025

Watch Dean Thornton's message: https://bit.ly/47Wwuou

Two people operate video equipment, and a third person prepares to talk on camera.

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences @uwsafs.bsky.social · 21d

📢 New Major: Aquatic Conservation & Ecology (ACE). Coming to @uofwa.bsky.social this Autumn, a new #undergraduate degree at SAFS.

🐠 About the ecology of aquatic organisms, their ecosystems, & how we conserve them.

🌊 Learn by doing, in the lab & the field.

Find out more fish.uw.edu/students/und...

A poster about the new Aquatic Conservation and Ecology major at SAFS, with a large photo of people on a boat and someone holding a fish. The text has gold and white letters against a purple background.

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

Corey Garza @profcgarza.bsky.social · 21d

This week is the annual Latino Conservation Week, a week that promotes engagement of Hispanic/Latino/a/x communities in the conservation of the outdoor environment. Check out the link below to learn about this week’s activities. @sacnas.bsky.social @cientificolatino.com
latinoconservationweek.com

Latino Conservation Week :: A Hispanic Access Foundation Initiative - Home

Latino Conservation Week, an initiative of Hispanic Access Foundation launched in 2014, supports the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural r...

latinoconservationweek.com

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20d

Odds tilt toward favoring wetter than normal conditions across the state from October-December with greater uncertainty for temperatures.

Sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Pacific continue to cool. La Niña conditions may develop in the next couple of months.

climate.uw.edu/2025/09/18/l...

Climate Prediction Center October-December Temperature and Precipitation Outlook. Precipitation is most likely to be above normal for this period. Temperatures have equal chances of being below, above, or near-normal.

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW News @uwnews.uw.edu · 26d

This week, researchers at Friday Harbor Labs released 29 lab grown sunflower sea stars into an urchin hot spot near San Juan Island with the hope that they will help keep the urchin population in check.
@uwenvironment.bsky.social

More on the project: www.washington.edu/news/2024/02...

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW News @uwnews.uw.edu · 28d

For years, researchers have hypothesized that westerly winds were ferrying warm water toward the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, accelerating ice melt. A new @uwess.bsky.social study flips the existing narrative on its head, pointing toward winds from the north instead.
www.washington.edu/news/2025/09...

Penguins walking across sea ice by a large iceberg

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · 27d

Scientists long believed that Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton on Earth, would thrive in a warmer world. But new research suggests the microscopic bacterium will decline sharply as oceans heat up. @uwnews.uw.edu

Read the @apnews.com story: https://bit.ly/46celQV

Warming seas threaten key phytoplankton species that fuels the food web, study finds

New research suggests that a tiny phytoplankton that is an essential part of the marine food web may decline sharply as oceans warm.

bit.ly

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

UW News @uwnews.uw.edu · Sep 5

New findings call into question one of the core assumptions about teeth. Adult male spotted ratfish have rows of teeth on top of their heads, in addition to those in their jaws. They use these teeth to grip females while mating. @karlycohen.bsky.social

More: www.washington.edu/news/2025/09...

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Sep 5

It's another hazy and smoky day across Washington. Hear from #wildfire scientist and professor Brian Harvey on answers to some of the most common questions about fires, including trends, how to stay safe, and common causes: https://bit.ly/45TiJpa

@uwnews.uw.edu #wawx #firefighting

Are wildfires really getting worse? A Q&A with Brian Harvey

Whether you live in a rural community that grapples with annual threats of destructive wildfires or in a city that now spends part of every summer inundated with smoke, many across North America have found themselves wondering: what happened to cause su...

bit.ly

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Sep 2

This new AI model simulates up to 1,000 years of the current climate in just one day, using less computing power than conventional methods. Find out how: https://bit.ly/4mb5zsJ

#climate #weather #AI

Satellite image of a large storm system over the central United States, showing extensive cloud formations swirling over green landmasses and bodies of water.

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Aug 30

New research shows deep-ocean oxygenation occurred 100 million years later than previously thought, aligning with the growth and spread of land plants. Once oxygenated, the ocean hosted rapid animal evolution, leading to the rise of modern vertebrates: https://bit.ly/3HAbUzH

‪@uwess.bsky.social

How oxygen made the deep ocean home to animals, spurring rapid evolution

New research shows that deep-ocean oxygenation occurred 100 million years later than previously thought, aligning with the growth and spread of land plants. Once oxygenated, the ocean hosted rapid...

bit.ly

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Aug 29

Our college just received a transformative $10 million grant from the Fund for Science and Technology, part of the Paul G. Allen philanthropic ecosystem. This investment lets us push forward research in climate solutions, climate prediction and environmental monitoring: https://bit.ly/4lT2tt5

Three people examine something in the grass

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Aug 27

Despite looking like harmless translucent blobs, jellyfish have an appetite that researchers worry could wreak havoc in the Salish Sea and affect endangered #PNW icons like Chinook #salmon and southern resident #orcas. @sa<a href="https://bit.ly/3ULaTYn" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lish-current.org

https://bit.ly/3ULaTYn

New research warns of potential jellyfish-spurred upset

Despite looking like harmless translucent blobs, jellyfish have an appetite that researchers worry could wreak havoc in the Salish Sea.

bit.ly

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UW College of the Environment @uwenvironment.bsky.social · Aug 25

On clear days, when Mt. Rainier is visible from Seattle and Tacoma, locals say "The mountain is out." But lately, melting #glaciers have made that iconic view look rockier and less snowy, @knkx.org reports.

https://bit.ly/4mSxCxF

@uwess.bsky.social

Mount Rainier looks less snowy as climate change melts glaciers worldwide

Views of the Puget Sound region's iconic mountain are darker, showing signs of climate change.

bit.ly

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · Aug 21

🌡️Dangerous heat returns late this week and through the weekend.

Then, summertime temperatures stick around in the PNW into early September. The Climate Prediction Center's short term outlooks show above normal temperatures are likely to continue through Sept 4.

CPC's 6-10 day outlook with above normal temperatures from August 27-31.

CPC's 8-14 day outlook with above normal temperatures from August 29-September 4.

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Reposted by UW College of the Environment

Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · Aug 21

A La Niña Watch is in place. What might this mean for the upcoming fall and winter in Washington?

Read our latest Climate Outlook to learn more:
climate.uw.edu/2025/08/21/l...

What can you expect over the next couple of weeks? More persistent summer heat continues statewide.☀️

Late August Climate Outlook

climate.uw.edu

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