University of Washington Seattle

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BIOLOGICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Kristan Blackhart, graduate, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences

Biologists and environmental scientists explore what it means to be alive and part of a living, changing planet. Passionate observers of the natural world, they explore life cycles and systems, bodies and biospheres, ecology and evolution. They research and investigate subjects as tightly focused as a single neuron and as broad as the ocean floor. They study the effect humans have on the planet and discover ways to co-exist responsibly with other creatures.

As a student of the biological and environmental sciences at Washington, you could examine marine life from aboard a fully equipped research vessel or learn about erosion control in a 4,200-acre forest. You could study animal behavior, calculate population genetics, and track the spread of disease. You could experience sustainable farming or transform concrete lots into green urban retreats. Whatever your discipline, hands-on experience and research projects abound at the University’s laboratories, design studios, and field stations.

Student Profile

“I didn’t come to the UW expecting to travel halfway around the world, much less discover a new species of fish, but I did both! During the summer before my senior year I joined a team of Russian, Japanese, and American scientists working on a tiny island in the Far East. My job was to inventory the marine shore fishes, and I loved it. The fieldwork really brought my classroom learning to life, and every day seemed to present a new challenge. One day I came upon a fish I couldn’t identify. I recognized the fish was from the genus Microcottus and knew that a new species from that genus had been discovered in 1999. I showed the fish to the Japanese scientist I was working with and to my UW professor, Dr. Pietsch. We identified it as being different from the other new Microcottus species and realized we were looking at a new species of fish. It was a pretty amazing.”