Environment

Chemistry PhD alum Jonathan Cox spent most of 2025 in Kyrgyzstan, helping farmers improve their soil—and their crops—through soil testing. 

The rockhead poacher, which lurks in the shallow intertidal of the northeastern Pacific Ocean, is one freaky looking fish. Adam Summers, professor of biology and of aquatic and fishery sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Carnivorans, from mongooses to bears, evolved diverse body shapes in response to two major global cooling events, according to a study of 850 skeletons. Chris Law, a principal research scientist of biology at the UW and an affiliate curator at the UW Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, is quoted.

The sharp, elongated bills of green hermit hummingbirds arent just fine-tuned for feeding; they also allow males to joust like knights over mates. Alejandro Rico-Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is quoted.

New research says birth rates for gray whales are still low, likely because of climate change affecting their food sources. However, melting sea ice has created new feeding opportunities, and scientists are hopeful the whales can adapt, allowing populations to rebound. Sue Moore, affiliate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

A space-based wildlife tracking system that could revolutionize the study of animal migrations and behavior is set to get back online with SpaceX's recent launch. Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Hummingbirds often seem gentle from a distance. A closer look tells a different story. Life in the forest pushes each bird to compete, react fast, and make sharp choices. Alejandro Rico Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is quoted.

Ten years ago the world met in France to agree to the landmark Paris Agreement a global commitment signed by almost 300 nations to ward off catastrophic climate change. Adrian Raftery, professor emeritus of statistics and of sociology, is quoted.

The spotted ratfish is a deep-ocean cartilaginous fish, part of the Chimaera genus that diverged from sharks about400 million years ago.Theyre commonly caughtaccidentallyby fishers in the Puget Sound. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW's Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.

In the wake of One Ocean Week Seattle, participating University of Washington researchers share highlights, connecting the weeks events to ongoing efforts to understand and protect marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

Although cicadas are known to sing in unison, a new study shows the striking behavior of cicadas interacting with each other when a few cicadas sing, the others join. Saumya Gupta, a postdoctoral researcher of biology at the UW, is quoted.

A decade ago, nearly every country in the world adopted the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Adrian Raftery, professor emeritus of statistics and of sociology, is interviewed.

University of Washington researchers analyzed data collected in the decade following the Paris Agreement, an international treaty signed in 2015 to limit warming by cutting emissions. The treaty has helped nations reduce the amount of carbon released per dollar, but emissions are still too high due to global economic growth.

The math of even the simplest ocean waves is notoriously uncooperative. A team of Italian mathematicians has made major advances toward understanding it. Bernard Deconinck, professor of applied mathematics and adjunct professor of mathematics at the UW, is mentioned.

The Pacific spiny lumpsucker is a clumsy, surprisingly charming fish. At first glance, one might assume this fish, usually only a few inches long, has a hard time in the wild. Its not the fastest or the strongest creature in Puget Sound, but its developed tools that help it navigate the murky depths of the ocean. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.