Current Research Blogs
Dawson's Blog
Dawson Little, graduate student
1 March 2026
Hi y'all,
February was a month that balanced forward momentum with patience, as the project continued progressing through its molecular phase while also bringing a few unexpected developments along the way. Much of the work this month focused on finishing remaining lab tasks, coordinating next analytical steps, and continuing to navigate the realities of research timelines that do not always move as quickly as we hope.
One of my main priorities this month has been wrapping up the final molecular extractions here on the reservation so samples can be sent back to the lab in Bellingham for the next stage of analysis. After months of preparation and processing, pushing toward the completion of this phase has felt both demanding and rewarding. Each finished batch represents another step closer to generating the data needed to answer the core questions driving this project.
On the metabarcoding side, the project has experienced some continued delays as workflows are refined and optimized. While setbacks like this can be frustrating, they are also a normal part of developing reliable molecular methods, and we are staying vigilant and focused on making sure the analyses move forward in a way that produces strong, defensible results. At the same time, MMEL lab member Ellie Taylor has made impressive progress refining primers for identifying river otter sex from scat samples, which represents an exciting advancement that will add an important layer of ecological insight to the study.
February also brought several encouraging professional opportunities. I’m excited to have been invited to present this research next month at the annual meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association in Portland, Oregon. Preparing for that presentation has provided a valuable opportunity to step back and think about how the project fits into broader conversations around estuarine ecology and invasive species research. In addition, a reporter from NPR visited the reservation this month regarding tribal whaling, and she mentioned she saw the recent Western Washington University article on the river otter project. We spent time discussing the research and its broader context, which was a meaningful reminder of the growing interest in understanding how native species respond to ecological change.
Writing was also a major focus this month, and I’ve made significant headway refining my written thesis. Spending more time revising and strengthening existing sections has helped clarify how the different components of the project fit together, and the document is beginning to feel more cohesive and representative of the work completed so far. Continuing to build momentum on writing alongside lab progress has been both grounding and motivating as the project moves closer to analysis.
Overall, February felt like a month defined by persistence. While not every step moved as quickly as planned, meaningful progress was made across multiple fronts, from lab work and methodological development to outreach and upcoming presentations. With spring approaching, the project continues moving closer to the analytical phase, and I’m looking forward to seeing many of these efforts begin to come together in the months ahead.
Best,
Dawson
Ellie's Blog
Ellie Taylor undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Hi everyone,
I can't believe we're already approaching the end of winter quarter! February has been yet another month full of troubleshooting, redesigning, and more scat extractions.
Earlier this month, we began noticing significant inconsistencies in our qPCR data using the SRY primer set for sex identification. I initially ran some analyses, hoping there was an issue with the thermal cycling conditions, but it seems there was a mismatch between the sequence and our primers. Since the SRY gene is our make-specific marker, reliable amplification is essential for accurate sex assignment with this project. So, we decided to take a few steps back and redesign the SRY primer.
While waiting for the new primer to come in, I've been able to solely focus on scaling reactions with the ZFX primer set. I've started using the multichannel pipettor and have been experimenting with different strategies for distributing master mix efficiently while minimizing reagent waste. I've also been learning new techniques since I'm now working with full 96-well plates, rather than just testing a few samples at a time.
Although redesigning the SRY primer at this stage wasn't part of the original plan, it ultimately strengthens the project. Taking the time to ensure that both primer sets are performing reliably will make downstream sex assignments far more robust. I'm hopefully that next month will bring successful validation of the new SRY primer and allow us to pair those results confidently with the ZFX data.
It looks like the next couple of months will be busy, but I'm excited to start generating more data and move closer to analyzing and communicating our findings.
Cheers,
Ellie
Anna's Blog
Anna Gilboard, undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Hi everyone!
February felt like a turning point month for my capstone project. After spending so much time cleaning and organizing the harbor seal pup stranding dataset, I finally started shifting into deeper analysis, which is both exciting and slightly terrifying.
I began working on spatial analysis, experimenting with hotspot mapping in ArcGIS. Seeing strandings plotted geographically adds a whole new dimension to the project. Certain beaches appear repeatedly in the dataset, and I’m starting to ask more critical questions: are these locations important habitat areas, areas with higher human activity, or both?
Another big step this month was beginning to connect the data to possible anthropogenic drivers. I have been trying to move beyond simply describing patterns and instead think about why they might exist. I’ve started reading literature on human disturbance, vessel traffic, and coastal recreation to better frame those questions.
Outside of my own research, I had the opportunity to run a lab meeting discussion on Indigenous perspectives in conservation. That conversation really reframed how I think about “management” and what conservation success actually looks like. It’s been interesting to hold that perspective in mind while analyzing seal stranding data; numbers are important, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Overall, February felt like the month when the project started becoming less about spreadsheets and more about interpretation. There’s still a lot to figure out, but I’m excited to see where the next phase of analysis leads.
More soon! -Anna
Mallory's Blog
Mallory Stonier, undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Hello everyone,
Happy March! I am extremely excited for Spring and all that it will bring. With courses and finals ramping up, I’ve been consistently busy and am looking forward to a much-needed week of rest once finals are over. I know that it will be important to start off energized for Spring quarter, because Camryn and I will be presenting our research, training observers, and collecting our second year of smolt data! To prepare, we have been analyzing our data, preparing a presentation, and of course, continuing to work out the small details to set ourselves up for a good season. I am enjoying this part of the process; it can be challenging but so very rewarding.
I also got to work with Victoria Vinecke on eDNA samples this month, which was super cool and a lot of fun to learn a new protocol with her. In helping with her project, I feel like I am learning something new each time and it is definitely one of my favorite days of the week. At Whatcom Creek, I have yet to see a seal since the salmon run ended in December, but I am hopeful. I’m sure that I will see more once Smolt observations begin, especially out at log pond. This month I have also continued to volunteer with the WHS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and with baby season approaching I’m looking forward to having busier volunteer shifts and meeting the new interns and staff.
Last week, I was grateful to be able to travel to Olympia twice with the WAWU student union to lobby for the OSE bill (SHB 1570) that they have been working hard to get passed for the last three years. I am watching for updates and hopeful that our operational student employees will gain bargaining rights, especially since they have worked closely with WWU administration. I was able to go for a second time to a science fair with UW students presenting their research. While it’s not likely for higher education funding to be improved in this legislative session, it was inspiring to speak to so many other scientists about current stressors and concerns and feel a sense of community. We often cover the topic in lab meetings that it is essential that science remains universal, so maintaining a network and connecting with other researchers felt grounding.
Looking forward, I am studying hard for finals, helping with interviews, and turning in many applications over the next few weeks. Afterwards, I am excited to meet new lab members and continue working on Smolt project tasks.
Til next tide,
Mallory
Chloe's Blog
Chloe Bentley, undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Hello everyone, it's great to be here!
This month has been busy preparing for spring recruiting. It has been a long but exciting process of getting things ready and doing outreach to our amazing peers here at WWU. We have received fantastic applications and are looking forward to interviews and eventually meeting new lab members!
Siena and I are still looking at our data and just met with Alexis at The Whale Museum. We are on track for spring quarter and prepping for scholar's week and our chapters conference. Siena and I were going to Friday Harbour tomorrow, but we found out that all of the ferries were cancelled....we will shoot for another time in the Spring! We are looking forward to heading out there in the future and looking at the sites.
School in generally has been busy and we are already almost done! So crazy!
Not too many updates this time around, but still an eventful month and I am looking forward in letting you all know how March is!
Seals and Salmon,
Chloe
Siena's Blog
Siena Gorohoff, undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Hi! This month flew by, I’ve been super busy with the recruitment process for the lab, working on the stranding project, observations, and loads of other stuff outside of the lab. Recruitment has been going really well; it was really exciting to get to go to intro biology classes and talk to students about what we do in the lab. I got a few really good questions from one of the classes I visited. It felt really cool to be able to answer them because I remember when I was in a similar position to them and thinking about applying for this lab a few years ago.
The weather today for observation was so lovely, it was sunny and even kind of warm and some flowers are starting to bloom near the creek, so it really feels like spring is getting started. We even saw a few seals today which were the first seals I saw this quarter, so it seems like they’re ready for spring at the creek too.
Classes have been crazy but taking Biostats has been great because I feel like I’ve been working on a lot of really good skills that I will be able to apply to the stranding project. We’ve been able to get out data into ArcGIS and seeing the data displayed has been really exciting. I’m really looking forward to putting all the pieces of the project together and working on a poster next quarter. It's been such a long process so it’s really cool to see things coming together.
I’m so excited for spring, warmer weather and later sunset is always amazing and hopefully seeing more seals in the creek.
See you next month,
Siena
Zoe's Blog
Zoe Hosford, graduate student
1 March 2026
February was very much a “live inside the data” kind of month for me.
I did not start any brand-new flashy analyses. Instead, I spent most of the month tightening, cleaning, stress testing, and generally making sure everything under the hood of my models is solid. It was less exciting on the surface and very productive behind the scenes.
A big chunk of my time went into revisiting my negative binomial models and making sure every assumption, parameter, and interpretation actually holds up. I re-ran dispersion checks, compared model fits, restructured some code that had slowly become chaotic after too many iterations, and made my workflow cleaner and more reproducible. There is something incredibly humbling about realizing that code you wrote three months ago made sense at the time but now needs to be rewritten entirely.
I also spent a lot of time thinking about what I actually mean when I say a haul out site “diverges” from its stock level trend. That sounds straightforward until you try to operationalize it. Is divergence purely about slope? Is it magnitude? Timing? Direction? I worked on refining how I extract site level slopes and compare them more cleanly to stock trajectories. I built out additional checks to make sure that what looks like divergence is not just noise or short-term fluctuation. February was very much about sharpening that definition, so it reflects real ecological signal.
On the visualization side, I rebuilt several figures. I reworked some of my maps so the haul-out sites are clearer spatially, adjusted point layers, cleaned up legends, and simplified color schemes. I also restructured a few trend plots, so they are easier to read at a glance. The more I revise slides, the more I realize that if a figure feels confusing, it is usually because my thinking needs tightening, not just the aesthetics.
I also spent time outlining what a potential second pass analysis could look like. Right now, my focus is on long term slopes, but I started sketching out ideas for how we might incorporate nonlinear structure or timing differences later if needed. Nothing is finalized yet, but I wanted to think ahead about where the analysis could go.
Outside of pure modeling work, I attended my prospective student weekend at Clemson University this month. It was energizing to be in conversations centered on quantitative marine ecology, lab culture, and long-term research development. I had the chance to talk in more depth about how I approach modeling ecological systems, how I think about predator prey dynamics, and how I like to balance statistical rigor with biological interpretation. Being in a room where people genuinely enjoy talking about hierarchical models, data structure, and big picture ecological questions was both motivating and affirming.
One of the most helpful parts of the weekend was explaining my current project from the ground up to people who are not immersed in it daily. Walking through my modeling decisions, the reasoning behind using a negative binomial framework, and how I am thinking about divergence forced me to simplify and clarify my own narrative. It is funny how quickly you realize where your explanation gets fuzzy. Those moments were really useful because they showed me exactly which parts of my framing still need tightening.
It was also valuable to hear how others think about building research programs, mentoring undergraduates, and designing projects that are both quantitatively strong and conservation relevant. I came back feeling re energized and more confident in the direction my work is heading. Sometimes stepping outside of your usual workspace is the best way to see your own project more clearly.
Teaching continued as usual, and honestly that has been a grounding constant. Explaining food webs and population dynamics to undergraduates while spending my days buried in hierarchical models has been a nice reminder that the fundamentals still matter.
Overall, February felt technical and steady. It was a month of refining foundations. No dramatic breakthroughs, but a lot of careful strengthening. I feel much more confident in the backbone of my analysis heading into March, which is exactly what I wanted.
Until Next Time,
Zoe
Camryn's Blog
Camryn Sumrok, undergraduate student
1 March 2026
Greetings!
2026 has gone by in the blink of an eye so far! Winter quarter is in full swing, and Salmonid Fish Habitat and Ecology continues to deepen my appreciation for the complexity of salmon life histories. We have been talking a lot about habitat bottlenecks, restoration strategies, and how small-scale changes in stream structure can have huge impacts on juvenile survival. It’s been really powerful to connect what I am learning in class directly to the Smolt Project and to our work here in Whatcom County. Lab leadership has been prepping for the Spring quarter, and I am ecstatic for the recruitment process to continue. Spring graduation is growing closer, and I am both thrilled and nervous to begin the next chapter of my life.
In MMEL, things are picking up speed. Data input for the Smolt Project is officially complete! We have one of our research assistants (Cody Anderson) checking all of our data for us, which we are very thankful for (Thanks Cody!). Our focus recently has been on editing/adding to our manuscript draft. We have also been discussing the next steps for analysis and are beginning coding with R. It will be very interesting to see what trends we can identify in the data when it is plotted in front of us.
The recruitment application deadline just passed, so it’s time for interviews! It has been really exciting to see interest in new students. I remember how nervous and excited I felt joining the lab 2 years ago, and I am really looking forward to welcoming new members and helping them find their place in this work.
Whatcom Creek observations have continued through the cold and the rain. I have only seen 3 seals, but that’s just another winter at Whatcom Creek! Even on days with no seals, there is still plenty to see at the creek. Aggregations of geese, gulls, and ducks make great entertainment for our research assistants. Occasionally, we are blessed with seeing Eeyore, our resident heron. These slower months make me appreciate how seasonal our work is. Spring will definitely bring more activity, and I am feeling hopeful about what’s ahead.
As we move toward spring, I am feeling grateful for field days, lab mates, cold hands, muddy waders, and for the chance to keep learning about the world around me.
Until next time!
Seals and Salmon,
Camryn