Justin Cox
New SeaDoc Society Science Advisors: Tim Ragen ...

SeaDoc Society is thrilled to welcome two new members to our Scientific Advisory Committee, which plays a vital role in our mission to fund and conduct impactful science here in the Salish Sea. Our newest members are Tim Ragen and Noelani Villa, both of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team.

A lifelong marine scientist and conservation leader, Tim Ragen has spent decades advancing the protection of ocean wildlife. Meanwhile Noelani Villa is blending science, culture and community to help shape a more resilient future for Tribal nations and coastal ecosystems. Learn more about Tim and Noelani below! Welcome to the team!

Justin Cox
Deadly 300-Foot Fishing Net Recovered from ...

During a recent research dive, SeaDoc scientists Joe Gaydos and Cat Lo spotted a large Ghost Net strewn across the Salish Sea floor. Not only do these nets strangle and kill wildlife, but they’re also a danger to divers. Cat supported to Joe as he hooked a bright marker to the net, ensuring that he didn’t get entangled in the process. When the divers returned to the boat, Erika dropped a GPS point to mark the exact location and the team alerted our friends at the Northwest Straits Foundation.

Justin Cox
Photos from SeaDoc Society's 2025 Wine & ...

Thanks to all who joined us for the 2025 Wine and Sea Auction last month! It was an incredible evening with so many special people – and the perfect way to celebrate out 25th anniversary in the Salish Sea. Now our eyes are fixed on the next 25 years, and we are excited about where we’re going.

We have a lot of work to do: 81 of the 268 Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Washington State are marine species. Abalone, native oysters, rockfish, marine birds, Southern Resident Killer Whales, and dozens more – all symbols of the work that lies ahead. Now is a time when SeaDoc and our impartial science are more important than ever and we’re lucky to have you by our side!

Photos from SeaDoc Society's 2025 Wine & Sea Auction!
Justin Cox
SeaDoc Funds New Science on Eelgrass, Dungeness ...

We're excited to share that SeaDoc will fund four new research projects this year–all carefully reviewed and selected by our Scientific Advisory Committee and made possible thanks to SeaDoc Society donors.

In a moment when science funding is tenuous, we feel privileged to help make this important work possible. We hope you do, too. 

SeaDoc strives to fund projects that meet the criteria most often associated with having a positive conservation impact, meaning this work won't simply produce papers, but ultimately change the way we understand and manage the Salish Sea. Two of the funded projects were part of our dedicated Tribal and First Nations grant program. 

The projects range from a novel process for planting eelgrass, clam gardens as a tool to combat climate change, biological monitoring of Dungeness crab, and the relationship between acoustics and behavior in Southern Resident Killer Whales. 

SeaDoc Funds New Science on Eelgrass, Dungeness Crab, Clam Gardens and Endangered Orcas
Justin Cox
Photos: On the Shores of Indian Island With ...

A group of dedicated SeaDoc Society supporters joined our team for a stunning day of tidal exploration on the shores of Orcas Island over the weekend! As the tide lowered and the sun came out, more than 30 donors and staff enjoyed a beautiful meal before hiking out to Indian Island. 

Click through the slideshow above to see highlights from this spring’s Tidepoolers event!

Photos: On the Shores of Indian Island With SeaDoc Society Tidepoolers and Wildlifers

Donor Spotlight: Apple State Vinegar

Donor Spotlight: Apple State Vinegar

Not only is Apple State Vinegar a wonderful product that comes in just about the most beautiful bottle you have ever seen, but the company’s owners are also champions of wildlife! Six percent of all Apple State Vinegar profits gets donated to organizations that restore clean ocean habitats—one of which is SeaDoc Society! They are also one of the sponsors for our upcoming Cheers to 20 Years virtual event and will have a featured raffle prize.

We asked them why ocean conservation is a key part of their product, from the design to the charitable giving:

Welcome to the Team, Michelle Cartier Homewood!

Welcome to the Team, Michelle Cartier Homewood!

We’re excited to announce the latest addition to our team, Michelle Cartier Homewood! Michelle comes aboard to help SeaDoc on the admin and operations side of things. While the pandemic has changed things, we’re as busy as ever and Michelle has already proven to be an excellent addition as we prepare for our Cheers to 20 Years virtual event on September 17.

Advising on Whale Watch Guidelines & Bridging the Gap Between Science & Policy

Advising on Whale Watch Guidelines & Bridging the Gap Between Science & Policy

Last week, our Science Director, Joe Gaydos, presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission about an upcoming decision they face concerning new whale watching guidelines.

Like most of SeaDoc's science-based work, our efforts are integrated and layered to be more effective at driving conservation. Here’s how how something like this presentation (which you can read in full here) comes about and how it can help drive change:

Ocean Acidification & the Health of the Salish Sea

Ocean Acidification & the Health of the Salish Sea

Ocean Acidification is projected to have a major impact on marine ecosystems and resources in the years ahead. A recent SeaDoc-funded study determined the biological risks facing the Salish Sea if current levels of human-caused Ocean Acidification exposure are maintained.

Through years of groundbreaking science, Nina Bednaršek, who led the team that conducted the study and was awarded SeaDoc’s 2018 Salish Sea Science Prize, discovered that tiny marine mollusks called pteropods could be used to understand the biological effects of Ocean Acidification—a growing threat due to human-caused pollution. Pteropod, whose shells deteriorate with increased acidification, are an indicator species for the ecosystem as a whole.

Donor Spotlight: Jean Lyle on Leaving a Legacy

Donor Spotlight: Jean Lyle on Leaving a Legacy

You may already know Jean Lyle, who worked at SeaDoc for 10 amazing years and remains part of our extended family. She’s a truly wonderful person and a lover of the natural world, most specifically the Salish Sea. If there’s a body of water, she’s swimming it in. If there’s a trail, she’s hiking it.

A few years ago, Jean pledged a legacy gift to the SeaDoc Society, and she shares her reasons below. A legacy gift is a planned future donation - a way to make an investment in something you care about after you are gone. It also can make a difference for you. Legacy giving can provide important tax benefits, including a charitable income tax deduction or savings on capital gains taxes. Gifts can be structured to give you lifetime use of your property or lifetime income from your investments. It’s what we call a win-win.

Meet Eleanor Parks, SeaDoc Society's Newest Board Member!

Meet Eleanor Parks, SeaDoc Society's Newest Board Member!

We’re thrilled to announced the latest addition to our Board of Directors, Eleanor Parks.

Eleanor was born and raised in the Seattle area and spent her youth plying the waters of the Salish Sea, including the San Juan and Gulf Islands, where she developed a passion for the region and a commitment to place-based conservation. She and her husband and also have a cabin on Lopez Island.

SeaDoc Society is Hiring a Regional Director

Have you managed a dedicated team? Do you have demonstrated fundraising experience? Do you know how to engage a high-level Board of Directors and shepherd a team towards the big, hairy and audacious, but critical, goal of creating a healthy Salish Sea? If so, we have the opportunity for you.

The SeaDoc Society is hiring a Regional Director to provide development and management leadership for our team. This is a position within the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The person hired will work closely with our Science Director, Dr. Joe Gaydos, our Executive Director Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, and our Board of Directors to advance SeaDoc's overall mission in the Salish Sea. She/he also will oversee and manage SeaDoc Society outreach, education and administrative staff and workloads.

Book Review: The Iconic Abalone’s Remarkable History and Uncertain Future

Book Review: The Iconic Abalone’s Remarkable History and Uncertain Future

How were Vancouver Island’s Nuu-chah-nulth people, California red abalone, Chinese quicksilver, and 18th century Spanish Treasure Fleets connected to each other? In two enlightening pages, author Ann Vileisis weaves a fascinating story of world trade for bright shiny objects, plush furs, and technology that illuminate a web of dependency among the Salish Sea, China, California, Mexico, and Spain all tied to a big marine snail with a miraculous shell—abalone. It’s an engaging introduction.

Donor Spotlight: Dean and Audrey Stupke

Dean and Audrey Stupke have championed SeaDoc's efforts to heal the Salish Sea through science and education for well over a decade. They've regularly donated to our annual GiveBig campaign and our Wine & Sea auction, both of which are crucial to making our science-based work possible. They are also a long-time sponsor of our Ocean Night event series each winter, helping us bring amazing speakers and educational films to Orcas Island.

Are marine mammal stranding hotspots a real thing?

Are marine mammal stranding hotspots a real thing?

Scientists learn a lot about marine mammal health from stranded animals. Afterall, marine mammals don’t spend much time above water, so they’re pretty hard to study. Studying stranded animals teaches us about diseases that are important for marine mammal health and human health. But finding stranded animals is challenging, because everything from tides and currents to coastal conditions can determine where a dead animal might end up on shore. And are there really such things as stranding hotspots?

Saving the Pinto Abalone, One Bottle of Sea Water at a Time

Saving the Pinto Abalone, One Bottle of Sea Water at a Time

Pinto abalone populations in the Salish Sea have been decimated after years of poaching and over-harvest, falling by 98 percent in recent decades. There are not enough remaining in the wild for them to reproduce naturally because they are “broadcast spawners,” meaning if one releases sperm, a female needs to release her eggs close enough to be fertilized.

When abalone are not close enough to other reproductively active abalone there can be no reproduction, making them functionally extinct in the wild.

SeaDoc Awards Salish Sea Science Prize to Crab Team For Early Detection and Prevention of Invasive European Green Crab

SeaDoc Awards Salish Sea Science Prize to Crab Team For Early Detection and Prevention of Invasive European Green Crab

The European green crab is a damaging invasive species that has wreaked havoc on ecosystems around the world, and recently they’ve found their way into the Salish Sea. Thanks to Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team, major scientifically based efforts are being made to stop its spread before it starts. For this use of science to improve the health of the Salish Sea, this Earth Day they have been announced as winners of the SeaDoc Society’s 2020 Salish Sea Science Prize, which comes with a $2,000 no-strings-attached cash award.

When introduced into ecosystems outside of its native range, the green crab’s impact has been both ecological and economic. Not only do they disturb native habitat, displace resident species and alter natural food webs, but they have decimated shellfish industries upon which livelihoods depend. Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Crab Team’s work is a reminder that intervention is most effective before the impacts of an invasion even become visible.

Different Killer Whales, Different Teeth (Interactive)

Different Killer Whales, Different Teeth (Interactive)

Three different types of killer whales can be found in the Salish Sea. They don’t mix, even though they look similar to humans and live in the same place. They are genetically distinct, and they don’t breed with one another. They have different calls, different behavioral patterns, and they eat different prey.

2020 Wine & Sea Auction Cancelled 

2020 Wine & Sea Auction Cancelled 

As many of you may have already guessed, we have canceled the 2020 SeaDoc Society Wine & Sea Auction due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This event was originally planned for July 11th on Orcas Island. This annual fundraiser is one of our favorite days of the year because it allows us to gather with you, our supporters, and celebrate our shared accomplishments and make investments in future ones. At this time, however, our collective health is most important, and we look forward to the time when we can come together again.

Where Are You Finding Hope in These Times?

Where Are You Finding Hope in These Times?

Last week our Science Director, Joe Gaydos, shared a message of compassion and hope during this time of social distancing and COVID-19. It can be difficult to think about anything right now besides the pandemic that has is staying in place. In Joe’s message, he suggested the ocean as a place to send your mind in search of natural beauty and inspiration.

We want to know: What are you thinking about to maintain hope during these times? What are you doing each day that might inspire others? Submit your thoughts below and we’ll compile them in our next newsletter. Stay safe!

Salish Sea Wild: The Tufted Puffins of Destruction Island

Salish Sea Wild: The Tufted Puffins of Destruction Island

On a risky mission to remote, rugged Destruction Island, Team SeaDoc tries to solve the mysteries of the Tufted Puffin in the hopes of saving this charismatic seabird from local extinction.

We are releasing this special cut of the episode as the spreading pandemic keeps us all in our homes. We hope you enjoy. Stay safe and stay healthy.