Salish Sea Institute Fellowship

The Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University invites applications from scholars, journalists, researchers, knowledge holders and others to join an international cohort of Salish Sea Fellows. 
 
Fellows pursue diverse, innovative projects relevant to the protection and recovery of the Salish Sea.  Past Fellows have performed research and written white papers on topics such as underwater noise; climate change; the management of whales; evidence-based hope; and the history of basking sharks in the Salish Sea as part of the Institute’s Emerging Issues series https://cedar.wwu.edu/salish_issues/. Fellows have also organized workshops, developed novel maps and created videos, and published in peer reviewed journals. 

Each of these projects has helped a large audience of people to learn more about the Salish Sea, its history, and challenges and solutions for long term protection. The work of former Fellows has advanced transboundary interdisciplinary collaboration and inspired greater stewardship throughout the region. Fellows have come from the non-profit and academic sectors and from positions of independent research. Collectively, they’ve expanded our ability to share science and management solutions across the Salish Sea region. 

Learn more about our first two cohorts of Fellows:  
https://salishsea.wwu.edu/announcing-our-first-fellows-cohort
https://salishsea.wwu.edu/announcing-our-second-fellows-cohort

Learn why you should consider becoming a Salish Sea Institute Fellow

by Ava Nicholas

Kelly Bushnell, Ph.D., was selected to be a member of the second cohort of Salish Sea Fellows. Her project was a research report centered on the gaps in knowledge surrounding basking sharks in the Salish Sea. Her project culminated in the 11th paper in our Emerging Issues series: Basking Sharks in the Salish Sea and Greater Northeast Pacific 

Hear directly from Kelly about her experience with our program.

How is your work unique?
“My perspective is super multidisciplinary. So what I'm always hoping is that by bringing together the stories and the art and the imaginative texts that make people really connect to something, that that will also bring the science of conservation alive for them more.”

How has the Salish Sea Institute supported your work?
“The Salish Sea Institute funded this research, which I’m so grateful for; I probably wouldn't have been able to take it on. So anytime I get to speak to undergrads who are outside of my classes, it’s really exciting. Especially somewhere like Western, where you have a really sympathetic audience, and people are really excited to learn about the environment.”

Why didn’t you begin this project before becoming a Fellow?
“So I live and work in Seattle, but I’m diving and working all around the Salish Sea. So when the Salish Sea Institute and Western had started working on the basking shark working group, that's when I was like, I gotta get involved here. These are my people. And I'd been thinking about wanting to do a project on them for a long time, but without some dedicated time and funding, it just wasn’t going to happen. Especially because the work I do is really archival, so I spend a lot of time in libraries and museums, and it just takes a lot of time. So to take a whole semester off from teaching and really be able to focus on that, there was no way I could have done it without Salish Sea Institute.”

How is the Institute unique?
“The Salish Sea is so unique in so many ways. We have this deep, rich, super productive inland sea, connected by this really narrow waterway out to the pelagic realm. And the amount of exchange that we have with marine life coming in and out is really unlike anywhere else that I've ever worked. Also, so much of what we think about with the ocean is cross-boundary. And there aren't a lot of places like that, like intellectual hubs, that are not only thinking across disciplines, but really across international borders.”
 

A second look into the Salish Sea Institute Fellowship

Chloe Robinson, Ph.D., was selected to be a member of the second cohort of Salish Sea Fellows. Their research culminated in a paper published in our Emerging Issues series: Whales Without Borders which explains the disparities in laws and policies attempting to reduce threats to Southern Resident killer whales and humpback whales between British Columbia and Washington State.

Hear from Chloe about their experience with our program.

What made you apply to the Salish Sea Fellowship Program?
“I was really keen to explore the realm of policy and regulations, as my background is mostly in science and research. I felt there was a gap between the on-water research I was doing and how this is leveraged into something tangible to help whales. I saw this fellowship as an opportunity to broaden my understanding of environmental regulations and the nuances around transboundary protective measures. I wanted to come out of the fellowship with a solid basis to support my everyday work at Ocean Wise.”

How has the Salish Sea Institute supported your research?
“Without the fellowship, I wouldn’t have been able to publish the results of my research or create the engaging infographics that so beautifully summarize the key findings of the work to the public. In addition to the funding, the Institute supported my learning journey by connecting me with key representatives in Washington State and providing support for producing the Emerging Issues article.”

How is the Salish Sea Fellowship Program unique?
“What I loved most about the fellowship program was the flexibility to conduct the research at my own pace. It fitted incredibly well into my existing workload at Ocean Wise, and the remote option for meetings and check-ins really helped to support me to still maintain a good work-life balance. It was a fantastic blend of supportive mentorship from the institute as well as the freedom to manage your own timeline.”

What would you say to someone considering applying to the program?
“I would recommend setting yourself milestones as part of your project to help keep on track with your project – the only counter to flexibility is that you have to be self-accountable for staying on track, and this really helped me. I would also say that the Institute has a lot of important connections and useful people who can help to enhance your experience and support some really impressive outcomes. Lastly, I would say it is good to align any project ideas with your main career path/main line of work, as this really helps to make sure you have enough time and interest to see the project through.”

What do you love most about the Salish Sea, and where do you find hope in current environmental efforts?
“Whales, for sure. Hands down. I literally moved to Vancouver Island from the UK to be close to whales, and they remain my favourite part of the Salish Sea. Despite living in a time when transboundary directions could not be more different, I find hope in all those people who keep their hearts and minds open to working together for the sake of protecting the Salish Sea. Specifically, I draw hope from the tenacity of conservationists who fight daily to protect Southern Resident killer whales, even in the face of immense political and societal pressure.”