Progress 06/01/24 to 05/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:This project is designed to serve Indigenous undergraduate students by creating culturally relevant pathways into aquaculture and natural resource sciences, while strengthening opportunities to participate in the federal workforce. Our primary focus is undergraduate students who participate in a multi-week summer internship. Year Two Focus In year two, we expanded our target audience. During the first year, we focused primarily on students from the immediate community of Northwest Indian College, mainly for logistical reasons as the program got started. In the second year, recruitment was extended to any student who identifies as Indigenous and is interested in STEM careers or research. We used social media, STEM listservs, and targeted emails to community and academic networks, successfully recruiting 16 students for the 2025 summer program. In future years, recruitment will expand even further through SACNAS, FALCON, and AISES conferences, which bring together Native students from across the country who are pursuing research and STEM. Each year, the REU program will grow to include students from additional institutions, with peer mentors from UC Santa Cruz helping to build cross-institutional connections between Native-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institutions. Workforce and Industry Engagement Our target audience also includes industry, academic, and federal workforce employers--with a special focus on shellfish aquaculture. To engage with these partners, project staff have participated in Washington State Aquaculture meetings, Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) events, and state-level management discussions. We also collaborate closely with Lummi Natural Resources, the Lummi Shellfish Hatchery, and Jamestown S'Klallam shellfish projects, ensuring that student work is tied to Tribal priorities and grounded in real-world aquaculture challenges. Student Impacts: Living Examples of Our Target Audience At the heart of this project are the students themselves--and their journeys often extend beyond what we imagined. Two examples illustrate the diverse ways students shape their own pathways to serve themselves and their communities. Pachynne Ignacio, who participated in the 2024 summer program, continued on as an academic-year intern. She built on the field and laboratory skills she gained during the internship, participated in the USDA NextGen programming in Washington, D.C., and graduated before returning home to her tribe. Today, she works as a water quality technician, applying her training and hands-on experience to protect community resources. Karlee Cooper, an NWIC graduate from 2019, returned this year to work at the Salish Sea Research Center as a technician while preparing her dental school application. During the 2025 summer internship, she will serve as a lead mentor, sharing her local and family knowledge with students as they investigated the impacts of water quality on shellfish. These stories highlight how Indigenous students bring their unique strengths into the program and carry those skills forward into careers that support both personal goals and community well-being. Looking Ahead As the program continues to grow, students will increasingly present their research directly to the aquaculture community and to their peers, further strengthening connections between Tribal, academic, and industry partners. By centering Indigenous students while also engaging the broader aquaculture workforce, we are building a program that fosters both cultural relevance and career readiness. Changes/Problems:One of the biggest changes this year was the decision to return to an 8-week internship commitment for Year 2. While the modular format piloted in Year 1 offered flexibility, it reduced student continuity and engagement. Students who left the program often did not return, which made it difficult to build strong cohorts and complicated project planning. The 8-week model will provide deeper immersion, stronger peer bonding, and a clearer structure for both students and mentors. We also experienced challenges due to the federal funding freeze (February-April 2025). Without access to those funds, we were unable to hire a dedicated internship coordinator, complete evaluation activities, or support planned travel for students to visit industry partners and UC Santa Cruz. In response, the three project leads stepped in to share the responsibilities of the internship coordinator, ensuring that student support and programming continued without interruption. This flexibility kept the program strong in spite of the shortfall. To partially make up for the missed travel experience, Co-PD Raphael Kudela (UC Santa Cruz) spent five full days onsite with the students during the summer internship. His participation allowed students to directly engage with a Research-1 scientist and experience UCSC-level mentorship, even without the planned site visit. This adaptation helped sustain the intended cross-institutional collaboration and gave students meaningful exposure to federal and academic career pathways. While these challenges impacted some original plans, they also underscored the resilience of the project team and the importance of early planning. The lessons learned will directly strengthen Year 2 and Year 3 programming, when a full-time coordinator and stable travel funds will allow for the intended student exchange with UC Santa Cruz and expanded partnerships with industry sites. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As part of Objective 2, "Giving Back to the Community," student interns in 2024 engaged in outreach by leading microscope presentations for 7th grade science classes at Lummi Nation School. This activity allowed interns to practice science communication while inspiring the next generation of Tribal students to see themselves in STEM. Six students completed the 2024 summer internship, receiving training in marine aquaculture, field and laboratory techniques, seafood safety, and community-based research. These experiences built both technical expertise and professional development skills, preparing them for future roles in natural resource management, aquaculture, and higher education. Individual students have also advanced through national and international opportunities. For example, Steffan Kinley--who began as a postbaccalaureate student in the NextGen program and now serves as a technician with the project--represented the program at the Agricultural G7 Summit in Italy, where he contributed to global conversations on agriculture, aquaculture, and climate resiliency. In addition, the PI, Melissa Peacock, and Co-PI, John Rombold, attended the USDA PI meeting in Washington, D.C. in September 2024. This meeting provided critical professional development by connecting project leadership with other USDA-funded investigators, sharing best practices, and strengthening networks that will support student opportunities in future years. Together, these activities highlight how the project supports training and professional development across multiple levels--students, technicians, and leadership--while reinforcing the importance of Indigenous-led science within both community and global contexts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We've elevated the visibility of our program across Tribal nations, academic networks, federal forums, and local media--ensuring that both students and community voices are at the center of the story. Interns and their work have been featured in the Cascadia Daily News, which highlighted the Salish Sea Research Center's role in community-based marine science and the challenges coastal nations face in protecting food sovereignty. As Ralph Solomon, head of the Lummi Commercial Shellfishery, reflected: "It used to be, 'Tide's out, table's set.' But now I have to wait for them to test. Before, I could just go out [clamming] when I needed to eat, but now you just can't do that every time." This powerful perspective underscores the urgency of our students' research and how it connects cultural practices with modern science. Recruitment and program visibility for 2025 have also expanded through Indigenous networking groups, academic internship exchanges, social media, and word of mouth--bringing the internship to the attention of students nationwide. Program results and activities have been shared through presentations at both regional and national meetings. Coastal Indigenous communities are learning about the program through student-led projects and social media outreach, while campus peers often discover the internship through peer-to-peer networks. We've also engaged federal and industry partners directly--sharing student research and program impact at events such as the Washington State Shellfish Aquaculture meeting--helping to position Indigenous students and their science at the forefront of policy and workforce development. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The upcoming reporting period marks an exciting milestone: the launch of our Year 2 summer REU program on June 23, 2025. Sixteen Indigenous students from nine colleges across the United States will join us for an intensive, fully supported 8-week internship. Students will be provided housing, transportation, dining, and travel to and from their home communities, ensuring equitable access and participation. Our team has built a dynamic curriculum that combines cutting-edge science, hands-on fieldwork, and Indigenous knowledge. Leadership will be provided by Misty Peacock (PI), John Rombold, and Anthony Lapsansky, with visiting researchers and community elders--including Raphael Kudela (UC Santa Cruz), Dave Oreiro (Lummi Nation), John Paul (Lummi Nation), William Cochlan (San Francisco State University), and Vera Trainer (University of Washington)--bringing diverse expertise and mentorship. A strong support team of technicians and alumni, including Karlee Cooper, Steffan Kinley, Natane Miles, Megan Schulz, and Kira Walters, will further enrich the experience by connecting students with both cultural and scientific perspectives. Learning from our first year, the 2025 program will feature four structured projects designed to immerse students in different facets of aquaculture, ecology, and natural resources, followed by a capstone student-led group project: Weeks 1-2: SEA-PHAGES - building lab skills in microbiology, sterile technique, and environmental DNA. Week 3: Shellfish and seafood safety - examining harmful algal blooms, toxins, and aquaculture impacts. Week 4: eDNA and forage fish - conducting boat-based fieldwork to detect Longfin smelt, a species of deep cultural importance in the Salish Sea. Week 5: Dragonflies as indicators - using insects as bioindicators to assess freshwater stream health. Weeks 6-8: Student-designed group projects culminating in poster presentations and a final symposium. Behind the scenes, we are also strengthening the program's foundation by hiring a full-time internship coordinator. While a federal funding pause earlier this year limited our ability to fill this role, complete our evaluation cycle, or organize a student exchange with UC Santa Cruz, these challenges provided valuable lessons in planning and adaptability. Moving forward, we are confident that with a dedicated coordinator in place, the 2026 program will include not only stronger evaluation processes but also the long-anticipated student exchange to UC Santa Cruz--giving our interns first-hand exposure to a Research-1 institution and broadening their academic and professional networks. The program will not end in summer. In Fall 2025, students will present their work on national stages at conferences including AISES, SACNAS, and FALCON--sharing their research with peers, academics, and federal partners. During this time, the PI and Co-PI will also meet with the evaluation team to assess Year 2 outcomes and refine future programming. Looking ahead to Winter and Spring 2026, the team will prepare for Year 3, continuing to expand recruitment, strengthen partnerships, and refine curriculum. With each year, the program grows not only in size but in impact, building a cohort of Indigenous scientists who are ready to shape the future of aquaculture, natural resources, and climate resiliency.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
What was accomplished under these goals? During this reporting period, NWIC and UCSC significantly expanded project visibility, hired and trained staff, built lasting connections with federal, Tribal, and industry partners, and successfully launched the first year of our summer internship program. These accomplishments represent critical progress toward building pathways for Indigenous students in aquaculture and natural resources. Goal 1: Train Indigenous scientists and leaders and provide paid internships for Indigenous students interested in aquaculture or natural resources Objective 1: Recruit Indigenous undergraduates for 8-week summer internships In Summer 2024, we successfully recruited and supported six Indigenous undergraduates for our first internship cohort. Recognizing that Indigenous students often face family and cultural obligations during the summer, we broke away from the traditional "all or nothing" internship model. Instead of requiring a rigid 8-week commitment, we designed the program as eight 1-week modules. This innovative approach allowed students to participate when they were available while still gaining intensive training. It also opened the door for guest faculty, staff, and external experts--who might not have been able to commit to 8 full weeks--to lead specialized sessions. The result was a program that was both flexible and deeply engaging. Student interest was strong, with more than 15 applications for 6 slots, including students from nearby Western Washington University who heard about the opportunity through word of mouth. To broaden learning opportunities, we brought in four new experts, adding modules in GIS and storytelling, biomechanics of marine animals, ocean acidification, and phytoplankton identification. Looking toward Year 2, we have redesigned the internship program to strengthen cohort-building. While the 1-week modular format provided flexibility, it proved difficult to maintain long-term engagement. For Year 2, students will still experience week-long modules but will commit to the full 8 weeks, allowing for deeper collaboration, more effective planning, and sustained mentorship. The program has already attracted more than 40 applicants for 16 slots--the largest internship cohort in the history of Northwest Indian College. Objective 2: Introduce students to community-driven research that integrates Indigenous Knowledge and food/data sovereignty The 2024 internship delivered a rich suite of research modules: Week 1: Marine Research Week 2: Shellfish Research Week 3: GIS and Spatial Mapping Week 4: Biomechanics Week 5: Federal Workforce and Aquaculture Week 6: Phytoplankton, Microscopes, and Marine Algae Weeks 7-8: Genomics and Other 'Omics Tools Each week paired technical training with cultural and community relevance. For example, in the biomechanics module, students investigated how invasive European Green Crab damage young shellfish beds--a direct threat to subsistence and commercial shellfish harvests for Coast Salish peoples. Students learned to identify the species, measure claw strength, and assess impacts on clam beds, bridging western science with urgent Tribal concerns about food sovereignty. Objective 3: Connect students with industry and federal workforce opportunities Over the past year, we significantly strengthened partnerships with Tribal, industry, state, and federal stakeholders. Three staff members attended the Washington State Shellfish Conference in February 2024, establishing vital connections with aquaculture professionals and introducing the NextGen program to industry leaders. Student interns then had opportunities to apply what they learned with real-world partners. They rotated through the diverse jobs required to sustain the shellfish industry at the Lummi Shellfish Aquaculture station and worked with visiting scientist Nour Ayache to investigate toxin impacts on shellfish larvae, using samples provided by Taylor Shellfish and the Jamestown S'Klallam hatchery. We also expanded opportunities with Washington Department of Health biotoxin staff, and students participated in a project that became a feature story in the Cascadia Daily News. As the article noted, "If a person gets this toxin at high levels ... eventually they'll lose the ability to breathe because the diaphragm becomes paralyzed. But if they're given oxygen [fast enough], they can survive." Students themselves expressed how meaningful this work is to their families and communities. As intern Delanae Estesreflected, "I've been shellfishing my entire life. Collecting for biotoxins helps my family eat safe seafood." Her perspective highlights how the program directly links student training to food security and Tribal sovereignty. Planning is also underway for future visits to the USDA-ARS site in Newport, Oregon, further connecting students to federal science. The program also provided professional development for project staff and near-peer mentors. For example, Megan Schulz, who supported program development, completed her first year of graduate study at the University of Washington and continues part-time work on the project, offering undergraduates valuable guidance from a graduate-level mentor. Both Megan and technician Steffan Kinley attended NextGen programming in Washington, D.C., along with three student interns. Steffan also represented the project on an international stage at the Agricultural G7 Summit in Italy.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Peacock, M. Rombold, J., Kudela, R. Building a pipeline to train and recruit Indigenous students in coastal resilience and seafood safety. USDA-NIFA NextGen PD event, Washington DC, September 2024
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College
Peacock, M. Research focused on food safety and data sovereignty in the marine environment. Puget Sound Partnership Meeting. Tacoma, Washington, December 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Peacock, M. NIFA-USDA Research focused on food safety and data sovereignty in the marine environment. Northwest Indian College, October 2024.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Long, B. Whatcom, Skagit coastal communities show resilience amid expanding biotoxin closures. Cascadia Daily News. August 7th 2024. https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2024/aug/07/whatcom-skagit-coastal-communities-show-resilience-amid-expanding-biotoxin-closures/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Long, B.
Hailey, M. What are marine biotoxins and what do they have to do with beach closures? Cascadia Daily News. August 7th 2024. https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2024/aug/07/what-are-marine-biotoxins-and-what-do-they-have-to-do-with-beach-closures/
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Peacock, M. SSRC focus on food safety and data sovereignty in the marine environment. Northwest Indian College departmental update. Bellingham, Washington. September 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Peacock, M. Biotoxins and Food Security in the Pacific Northwest. Haskell Summer Internship Program. Invited Speaker. Virtual. May 28th 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Kudela, R. Panelist, Ocean Science Trust Ask an Expert series: Briefing on Harmful Algal Blooms Along the California Coast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxTVo4Urwpg
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Kudela, R. Puget Sound Vital Sign Project, Science Advisory Team Meeting. May 22, 2025.
|
Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:This project was designed to help Indigenous undergraduate students at land-grant institutions engage in a culturally relevant scientific field that advances their opportunities' to participate in the federal aquaculture and natural resource workforce. This first year of the project we are focused on supporting environmental science students at Northwest Indian College. In subsequent years we anticipated that we will recruit students at SACNAS, FALCON, and/or AISES conferences, which are targeted to engage Native American undergraduate students interested in research. We will expand our audience beyond the primary institution each year of our summer REU program. We are also including peer-mentors in our REU program, which are often enrolled at UC Santa Cruz, a Hispanic Serving Institution. Other target audiences are industry, academic, and federal workforce employers in aquaculture, specifically shellfish aquaculture. To engage with those audience members staff on this project have attended Washington State Aquaculture meetings, Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems events, and other local and state aquaculture research and management meetings. We also have a close connection with Lummi Natural Resources and the Lummi Shellfish Hatchery and are participating with Jamestown S'Klallam shellfish hatchery projects. In later years of this project, we hope that our Indigenous students will be able to present their research to the general aquaculture community as well as their peers. As we build our program up, our academic year interns are our focus audience for individualized projects related to the federal workforce. For example, Steffan Kinley has had the opportunity to attend NextGen student programing at the USDA building in Washington DC. This was Steffan's first trip to Washington DC where he was able to learn from students, discuss his role in aquaculture, as a practicing fisherman, and discuss the impacts that farmed fish have on native resources. From that opportunity Steffan has engage in programming outside of the anticipated project opportunities. He has been and able to discuss his community and aspirations as a NextGen Indigenous leader with staff and directors at NIFA. This includes Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, and Director Shorty Lawrence at the USDA office of Tribal Affairs and Relations. While not a primary target of this project, Steffan Kinley's engagement shows the mutability of the target audience as this project is engaging with real students. Within 6 months, Steffan has been able to discuss aquaculture and climate resiliency to his family and community with multiple federal officers and large groups of diverse peoples. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three academic year student interns have participated in NIFA/USDA NextGen events in Washington DC, along with PI Peacock. Students had the opportunity to engage with other NextGen students at the UCSC also had a visit from NextGen staff who had the opportunity to learn about the program focused on climate resilience and aquaculture. Staff and researchers participating in the summer REU program (in June 2024) also had the opportunity to meet with potential industry, state, and federal partners at the Washington State Shellfish Conference in Shelton, WA, Feb. 2024. As part of our Objective 2: Give back to the community by participating in K-12 Summer Science camps, for this upcoming summer, we will be meeting with the community by participating in an intern presentation of tidelands to preschoolers, and have a tentative date to work with Lummi Nation students during summer day camps, with the details of that project to be decided closer to August 2024. While this is one of our objetives for the research requirements of the grant, the skills that are used to be able to translate university level research to community and K-12 children is a workforce training opportunity. We build this into the summer internship program based on the cultural values that our students hold to give back to their communities. @font-face { panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic- mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face { panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic- mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; ; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast- mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi- mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}p {mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; ; mso-fareast-}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast- mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi- mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?There have been multiple press articles about the award, both in the Bellingham, WA and Santa Cruz, CA targeted areas. Students have been told about the summer program through multiple means, including email, website, social media, and posters with a dedicated QR code on NWIC campus to apply. This project has been disseminated to the NWIC board as well as the UCSC administration in dedicated events. The project has also been announced to various potential industry, federal, tribal, and state partners. We have had the opportunity to announce the NextGen program at NWIC at all staff and all student events, and had a table set up at the spring fair to let students know about the summer internship. We have spent the last year developing dissemination materials that will be provided at various conferences. These are anticipated to be Indigenous student conferences, such as Falcon, AIHEC, AISES, and SACNAS. Materials feature the NextGen program and have information to apply for the summer 2025 internship. We also have an industry participation partnership dissemination packet that we will provide to potential industry partners in Washington state and California to determine what connections can be made with aquaculture partnerships. @font-face { panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic- mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face { panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic- mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; ; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast- mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi- mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}p {mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; ; mso-fareast-}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii- mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast- mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi- mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi- mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our summer REU program (Y1) is just starting, and will be fully running Jun24th - August 15th 2024. We are prepared to evaluate this program with a pre-program, mid-program, and post-program survey that is being developed with Indigenous partners. Our students will participate in 8-weeks of aquaculture science, with opportunities to present their work at one of three Indigenous undergraduate conferences in the fall quarter (SACNAS, FALCON, and AISES). We have advertised for an outreach coordinator who will take over the summer internship program, and are interviewing for that position currently. We will strengthen partnerships with industry, tribal, federal, and state aquaculture researchers. Co-I Kudela is also visiting NWIC in late July for a PI meeting and engagement with interns. One graduate student, Megan Schulz, is attending the graduate student/postdoctoral NextGen opportunity in Washington DC on June 11th, 2024. We also anticipate inviting other Indigenous students from land-grant universities, specifically targeting tribal 1994-institutions to participate in next year's internship program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
NWIC and UCSC have been increasing project awareness, hired staff, made connections with federal and industry experts, and implemented the summer internship program. Objectives that take place in later periods are excluded to save space. Goal 1: Train Indigenous scientists and leaders and provide paid internships for Indigenous students interested in aquaculture or natural resources Obj1: Recruit Indigenous jr. and sr. undergrads in environmental science for 8-week summer internships Internships are incredibly popular for Indigenous students, but many are advertised as all or nothing - an opportunity to learn, and engage, but a restrictive requirement to participate for the entirety of 8 (or 10) weeks. While this reporting period is before the start of our summer internship, we have designed the program with this in mind. Historically 100% NWIC Indigenous interns have had a scheduling conflict during that 8-week period. Many of those conflicts are cultural or related to family care and obligations. The summer months are times when school-age children are home, when canoe journeys are happening, and when students who have worked incredibly hard during the academic year may need intentional time to breathe. In consultation with the cultural dept. have pivoted and changed our 8-week summer internship program to eight 1-week modules. The start is June 24th, 2024. Our hope is that this will impact our students in a positive way, by allowing them to sign-up only when they are available. This has helped us engage our support staff and faculty in 1-week learning opportunities - allowing us to have experts in each module who, like many of the students, could not commit to an 8-week internship. Students are not penalized for missing a day (or week) of internship but will be mentored and guided to be present and participatory in the weeks they will attend. The internships are still currently being advertised, so there is not a final count, though we have had over 40 inquiries for the 15 spots available. This includes two Indigenous students who do not attend NWIC but are attending nearby Western Washington University (WWU) and heard about the program by word-of mouth. We have also been able to hire 4 additional experts with experience in GIS and storytelling, biomechanics of marine animals, ocean acidification, and phytoplankton identification. Obj2: Introduce students to summer research, focused on community-identified projects, inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge, and food and data sovereignty Summer 2024 list of modules: Week 1: Marine Research Week 2: Shellfish Research Week 3: GIS and spatial mapping Week 4: Biomechanics Week 5: Federal Workforce and Aquaculture Week 6: Phytoplankton, microscopes, and marine algae! Week 7-8: Genomics and other 'omnics tools For brevity, the weeks are named after the topic, but included in the sign-ups are exciting details. For example, Week 4: Biomechanics is a deep dive into how invasive European Green Crab use superior claw strength to damage young shellfish. This is an issue for our Indigenous students and community, as aquaculture of shellfish is both a commercial and subsistence necessity. Three interns have expressed interest in this module, not only for the science, but also because they, their families, and their communities are impacted directly by loss of subsistence and commercial shellfish harvests. Our anticipated outcomes from this week will be for interns to learn to identify this invasive species, measure claw strength, and investigate the impacts that will have on clam beds. To build a pipeline for our Indigenous students to enter the federal workforce, we are planning engaging community science topics, that have direct impacts and applied scientific outcomes for the students. Woven into the threads of this research are opportunities to meet with Indigenous and industry aquaculture scientists, academic experts, and state and federal managers who work together to identify and engage in large-scale ecological and economic issues related to NIFA-USDA FANH focus areas. Obj3: Introduce students to industry and federal workforce opportunities with shellfish harvesters and aquaculture programs. Partnerships are built at the speed of trust, and in the past year we have made connections with industry, tribal, and federal workforce partners. Washington's aquaculture industries are uniquely managed, through a patchwork of tribal, state, and industry partners. While management outcomes and outputs for each may be different, background understanding of the industry and research is necessary. To facilitate this, we have representatives from tribal, industry, state, and federal partners confirmed to teach students this summer or offer opportunities for active visits. In July we will have student interns participating with shellfish aquaculture industry on San Juan Island, by learning each of the jobs that are necessary for oyster aquaculture. Students will also meet with researchers at Pacific Northwest National Labs, and we are in contact for a visit to the NIFA ARS site in Newport, Oregon during the academic year. To engage these partners, 3 staff attended the Washington State Shellfish conference in Feb 2024 where all parties are brought to the table. This produced incredibly important industry contacts and introduced the NextGen program to industry and state partners. Megan Schulz, connected with academics at the University of Washington (UW) will be a graduate student in that program in the Fall of 2024. While attending school she will continue to be 50% time on this project, and our undergraduate interns will have the benefit of a graduate mentor. Goal 3: Create awareness and pathways for students to learn from industry, state, and USDA/NIFA partners in aquaculture Obj1: Identify graduate students, research faculty, and industry partnerships that will facilitate completion of student internships Megan Schulz is an incoming graduate student at the UW for fall 2024, and a current technician at the SSRC. She will be working on her graduate thesis, as well as mentoring student undergraduates in the internship program. Having a graduate student who will have access to the interns year-round will be exciting to mentor them as they apply for their graduate school journey. Many students from NWIC choose to go to either nearby Western Washington University (in Bellingham, WA) or University of Washington (Seattle, WA) as NWIC does not provide graduate degrees. We have already secured a Western Washington University graduate student who is a Lummi Natural Resources technician to be a graduate student mentor in Summer 2025. We have made additional partnerships with industries, for example, with Wescott Bay oyster farm on the island of San Juan in Island County, WA. Our student interns this summer will visit the farm and learn about aquaculture industry. We have also made connections with two tribal aquaculture facilities and our students will be meeting with them this summer for tours (Lummi hatchery and Skookum hatchery). Additionally, we have contacted USDA ARS facility in Newport, Oregon. While we don't have a specific date, we are hoping to bring our students to visit that facility as well. Lastly, we have a partnership with PNNL, where are students will be visiting the national lab this summer to learn about genomics in marine science. We also have made connections with the Washington Department of Health shellfish lab, and our students will be participating in DOH shellfish safety projects. Goal 4: Build resilience by looking towards the future Obj1: Develop an asynchronous course providing an overview of environmental science opportunities We have begun developing relationships to enhance this course. For example, Co-I Kudela has a semi-formal link with NOAA CoastWatch, and they are enthusiastic on working with us to produce a short course training component on using satellite data for ecological projects.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Peacock, M. and Kudela, R. Building a pipeline for training and recruiting Indigenous students in coastal resilience and seafood safety. NWIC Board of Trustees. April, 2024
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Schwartz, R. Bidens No. 2 in agriculture promotes aquacultures next generation at Northwest Indian College. Cascadia Daily News. Feb 9 2024. https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2024/feb/09/bidens-no-2-in-agriculture-promotes-aquacultures-next-generation-at-northwest-indian-college/
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