Kate Litle

As Deputy Director, Kate partners with the Director to provide strategic leadership and programmatic oversight of all Washington Sea Grant (WSG) activities, including research, education, outreach and communication across Washington State. Kate serves as one of the lead principal investigators for the program, overseeing an annual program budget of nearly $10 million. With more than 35 staff distributed across Washington state, Kate helps the WSG team build successful partnerships and conduct high-impact programs.  She also oversees WSG’s expanding fellowship programs and works with the Director to manage the WSG research program. 

Kate currently serves as the WSG representative on the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council, is on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Shellfish Institute, on the Executive Committee of the Governing Council for the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, and serves as a member of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program Steering Committee and Executive Committee.

Kate served as the Interim Director for WSG in 2018, and again in 2023-2024 and 2025-2026. Previously she led program planning as Assistant Director for Programs, responsible for programs and reporting, where she oversaw WSG competitive processes, including research and program development grants and coordinated integration of WSG program components. Kate continues many of these duties as Deputy Director. 

Kate first joined Washington Sea Grant in 2009 as the Citizen Science Specialist and her personal interest in this field has compelled her to continue connecting citizen science efforts with research, monitoring and management needs in the region while holding her newer positions. For example, she worked with WSG and UW staff to launch WSG Crab Team in 2015 and continues to work with the team on program strategy and funding. 

Prior to her affiliation with WSG, Kate served as Program Coordinator for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), a citizen science program based in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Kate received bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Environmental Policy from Colby College and a master’s degree in Marine Affairs from the School of Marine Affairs at the University of Washington.