After nearly a decade of guidance as a member of SeaDoc Society's Scientific Advisory Committee, we want to thank Jamie Donatuto for her service. Her time comes to a close this year and we are deeply thankful!

"Jamie's tireless work, insight and support has helped us strategically focus our efforts, resulting in the SeaDoc Society funding over $3.5M in highly targeted external research projects, 40% of which have already had a positive scientific impact," said Science Advisor Joe Gaydos. "Her help with grants, publications, and strategic thinking on different issues will be missed!"

We asked Jamie to share a bit about how she came on board and her experience informing scientific work in the Salish Sea:

I joined SeaDoc as a Science Advisor after meeting Joe through collaborations with the Swinomish Tribe. As tribal staff, we worked together researching impacts of increased vessel traffic in the Salish Sea. From the onset, it was clear that Joe and SeaDoc were committed to honoring Indigenous knowledge, supporting independent Indigenous-led research with Coast Salish Nations. Continued collaborations included: a peer reviewed publication about threats in multinational marine ecosystems, piloting and implementing the Junior SeaDoctors curriculum, and fostering learning between Coast Salish Tribes and First Nations in Canada about clam gardens. I am honored to have been a part of this work as a SeaDoc Science Advisor, and am excited to see how it continues to unfold.

Huge thanks from Team SeaDoc to Jamie for everything she's given to our mission and to the Salish Sea over the years!

If you haven't met our two newest Science Advisors: Meet Tim Ragen and Noelani Villa!