Summer 2026 Sea Star
A new issue of our biannual magazine is here!
Through our Sea Star magazine, Washington Sea Grant shares highlights from our research, outreach, and education programs.
Our summer 2026 issue features a deep dive into The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp, a webstory rich in art and imagery that shines a light on the West Coast’s underwater canopies; a review of the many successes of the Coastal Hazards Organizational Resilience Team’s first biennium; a look at the first cohort of WSG’s new Coastal Resilience Fellowship; a recap of the Washington Fishermen’s Convention, WSG’s new effort to celebrate Washington’s commercial fishing community; and an exploration of a new WSG and UW Climate Impacts Group collaboration, the Summer Learning Institute for emerging environmental professionals.
The new Washington Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Fellowship builds capacity and careers on the Pacific coast
When Rich Desanto applied for the new Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Coastal Resilience Fellowship, he was looking for a change. After nine years in Seattle, mostly spent in grad school and weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, Desanto was feeling priced out of the city and unsettled in his career in landscape architecture.
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In strengthening coastal resilience, COHORT supports local leadership
By Alison Lorenz, WSG Communications Project Coordinator
Almost ten years after the Washington State Coast Resilience Assessment pointed to a need for a unified, state-funded response to growing hazards on Washington’s coasts, the Coastal Hazards Organizational Resilience Team – or COHORT – is making its mark in coastal resilience by letting communities lead.
WSG welcomes first Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fellow
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to share that PhD candidate Mariah Ricci is the first Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fellow!
As the ocean absorbs excess carbon dioxide from greenhouse gases, it becomes more acidic, causing harm to marine functions and ecosystems.
New modeling tool shows coastal flooding hazards in central Puget Sound
Created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and supported by Washington Sea Grant (WSG), the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) recently released flood hazard products for shorelines in King and Pierce Counties
From flooding to eroding shorelines, extreme storms increase the hazards faced by coastal communities.
Shake out! Don’t freak out! Reflections from a WSG fellow on the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe Great ShakeOut Drill
By Madeleine Lucas, WSG Coastal Resilience Fellow
On October 16 at 10:16 a.m., Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe (SBIT) community members and staff participated in the Great ShakeOut Drill by practicing “Drop, Cover, and Hold” and walking their tsunami evacuation routes.
Read moreJoin WSG for king tide viewing parties in South Bend December 5 and Olympia December 9
King tides are the annual extreme-high tides that occur whenever the moon is closest to Earth. They are a dramatic feature of Washington winters – and a glimpse of what our future along Washington’s coasts may look like as sea levels rise.
Read moreFirst king tides of the season reach Washington shores this week
The first series of king tides, the highest high tides of the year, is set to reach Washington shores November 5-9. Residents and visitors to Washington’s coast are invited to capture these high water events in photos and upload them to the MyCoast website or phone app.
Read moreWSG welcomes inaugural cohort of Coastal Resilience Fellows
Congratulations to our new WSG Coastal Resilience Fellows!
We are pleased to announce that recent graduates Anabel Baker, Elyse Kelsey, Madeleine Lucas and Rich Desanto have been awarded the Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Coastal Resilience Fellowship for 2025–2027.
Supporting community-led coastal resilience on the Lower Willapa River
By Sydney Fishman, WSG Coastal Management Specialist
The Lower Willapa River, including the cities of Raymond and South Bend, is beloved by its residents for its access to nature, sense of community, and small-town charm.