Science on the Sound
Each month the MaST Center hosts an educational speaker series that is sponsored by Highline College. Science on the Sound attracts local, regional, and national experts who share their knowledge with the local community, generally focusing on interests of the Puget Sound Region.
Science on the Sound provides a variety of speaker topics so that we can brush upon peoples differing interests.
Discussions are held in the classroom at the MaST Center on the dates listed below.
Speakers give 45 minute presentations.
For more information regarding the Science on the Sound Speaker Series, please contact us.
2019-2020 Science on the Sound Schedule
MaST speaker series is FREE. Discussions begin at 12 p.m.
October 5: Return of the River – A Documentary Film about the Elwha River
Woody Moses, Highline Biology Instructor
November 2: Ocean pH in and Around the Port of Prince Rupert
Paul Covert, Physical Scientist Department, Fisheries Oceans Canada
December 7: Filling a Critical Need in the Pacific Northwest for Marine Wildlife
Casey McClean, Executive Director , Sealife Response, Rehab, and Research (SR3)
January 4: Race to Alaska
Daniel Evans, Race Boss, Race to Alaska
February 1: Floating to the Surface: Jellyfish and Their Emerging Ecological Roles in Puget Sound
Correigh Greene, NOAA Researcher
Haila Schultz, University of Washington, PhD Student
March 7: Annual MaST Center Writers Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Poet and Porfessor Emeritus Highline College
April 4: Educator Motivations for Applying and Working at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Joanne Park, Education and Volunteer Program Coordinator, MaST Center
May 2: Voices for the Sea Turtles: Marine Turtle Conservation in Pacific Mexico
Vanessa Hunt, Associate Professor, Central Washington University
June 6: From Climate Science to Climate Justice
Heather Price, North Seattle College Chemistry Instructor
October 6: Climate Reality Briefing
Gary (Wolf) Lichtenstein, Principal – Lightstone Consulting, LLC
November 3: Orca Recovery Action Plan
Donna Sandstrom, The Whale Trail
December 1: Tigres and Tigers: Big Cat Research In The Equatorial Tropics
Joe Figel, Highline Professor
January 5: Skeletons & Specimens: An Overview of the Preparation Process for Research and Public Display
Bri Gabel, MaST Center Laboratory Technician
February 2: Harbor Porpoises and Harbor Seals
Cindy Elliser, Research Director/Founder Pacific Mammal Research
March 2: Past, Present, and Future of Wildfire Smoke in the Puget Sound Region
Erik Saganić, Air Quality Scientist Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
April 6: MaST Center’s Annual Writers Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Poet and Professor
May 4: Science of the Salish Sea
Paul Covert, Physical Scientist Department Fisheries Oceans Canada
June 1: Ocean Acidification
Meg Chadsey, Ocean Acidification Specialist and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab Liaison Washington Sea Grant
October 7: Ice Science in a Changing Climate
Steven Neshyba, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of Puget Sound
November 4: The problem of large whale entanglement in fishing gear in the Pacific Northwest
Doug Sandilands, Entanglement Response Specialist at SR3
December 2: Accessible Geospatial Technologies for Citizen Science
Britta Ricker, Assistant Professor Urban Studies and Geospatial Technologies UWT
January 6: From Farm to Ocean – Unconscious farming and the future of sustainable agriculture
Bobby Butler, Director of Urban Agriculture Program at Highline College
February 3: Annual MaST Writers Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Poet and Professor Emeritus Highlince College
March 3: Toxics In the Environment
Erika Schreder, Toxic-Free Future
April 7: Nearshore Restoration in Puget Sound
Tish Conway-Cranos, Nearshore Science Manager Habitat Program
May 5: Genetics and Marine Science
Kim Parsons, Research Biologist Marine Mammal Laboratory NOAA, Alaska Fisheries Science Center
June 2: The MaST at 15: From Hardhat Diving to Public Aquarium
Rus Higley, MaST Center Manager and Highline Instructor
October 1: Toxics and Top Predators
Woody Moses, Highline Biology Instructor
November 5: Sustainable Fisheries
Erin Wilson, Fisheries Biologist
December 3: The Whale Trail
Donna Sandstrom, Director of The Whale Trail
January 7: Coral Reef Conservation in Indonesia
Dr. Kaddee Lawrence, Marine Educator
February 4: State of the Salish Sea – A Virtual Tour
Chrys Bertolotto, WSU Extension
March 4: Climate Chaos: Local and International Examples of Our Changing Oceans
Dr. Rick Keil and Miranda Stach, School of Oceanography University of Washington
April 1: Big, Beautiful and Bizarre: Creatures of Puget Sound
Rachel Easton, Harbor Wildwatch
May 6: Annual MaST Writers Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Poet and Professor
June 3: Projected Changes in West Coast Extreme Precipitation Due to Global Warming
Mike Warner, Lecturer/Research Scientist University of Washington Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
October 3: Seabirds of Puget Sound
Woody Moses
November 7: Climate Reality, Solutions, and Actions: We’re ALL in this together!
Susan Tyler and Dr. Leslie Dierauf
December 5: Elwha River Restoration: Life on the river post dam removal
Sarah Morley
January 9: Exploring Underwater with Remote Operated Vehicles – How you too can become and ROV pilot
Fritz Stahr
February 6: Effect of the Blob, El Niño, and other drivers on Puget Sound waters
Jan Newton
March 5: An Overview of Air Quality Issues in the Western U.S.
Dan Jaffe
April 2: Annual Writers’ Workshop
Susan Landgraf
May 7: Squid Dissection
Orlay Johnson
June 4: Conservation and Stewardship in King County
Melissa Lang
No presentations available for 2014-2015.
June 7: Mountaineering in the Cascades
Ryan Strong, Operations Manager Seattle Bouldering Project and Mountain Guide at KAF Adventures
May 3: Small Actions, Big Solutions – How Everyday actions will help save Puget Sound
Laura James, Co-Director Tox-ick.org
April 5: Annual MaST Writers Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Poet/Professor HCC
March 1: Environmental Justice in Our Backyard
Jourdan Keith, Executive Director Urban Wilderness Project
February 1: Kayaking Puget Sound
Dave Ortland, President Washington Kayak Club
January 11: Marine Mammal Strandings in Puget Sound
Jamie Woodward, AmeriCorps, MaST Center
December 7: Discovery of a New Marine Bacterium from Puget Sound
Katharine Lalish, PhD candidate, University of Washington
November 2: Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Mushrooms
Kim Traverse, Puget Sound Mycological Society
March 2: Eyes Over Puget Sound
Dr. Christopher Krembs
January 12: Marine Mammals of Puget Sound
American Cetacean Society – Puget Sound Chapter
October 8: Life by the Drop: The Plankton of Puget Sound
Woody Moses, Highline College Instructor
October 22: Name That Fish!
Roberta Brooks
November 5: Restoring a River
November 9: MaST Center Marine Mammal Stranding Training
Rus Higley, MaST Center Manager
November 19: Pacific Salmonids – Beyond the Big 5
Orlay Johnson, NOAA NWFSC
December 3: Ealiest Exposures: The Path to Safer Chemicals and Healthy Families
WA Toxics
January 7: Community Relationships in Agriculture & Food Security
Edward B. Hill Farm Works Program Manager
February 4: What Can Beached Birds Tell Us About the Health of Puget Sound?
February 18: Randy Whale
March 17: Turning the Tide on Toxics
Heather Trim, People for Puget Sound
April 21: Politics, Policy and the Environment
Dave Upthegrove, State Representative
May 5: Salmon Market Substitution
Dr. Erica Cline, UWT
May 19: I Spy! Spy Hopping!
October 2: Sixgill Shraks in the Inland Waters of the Salish Sea
Seattle Aquarium
November 6: Cephalopod Intelligence
Roland Anderson, Ph.D.
November 20: Crimes Against Nature: Wildlife Smuggling in the Northwest and the US
Craig Welch
April 2: Capturing and Counting Tiny Bits of Plastic Debris in Puget Sound
Julie Masura, M.S. UWT
January 8: The Fishes Stay the Same
Andy Lamb, Author/Naturalist
January 22: Where the Wild and Robotic Things Are
Fritz Stahr, UW, Seaglider Fabrication Center
February 5: Annual MaST Center Writer’s Workshop
Susan Landgraf, Highline College Instructor
February 19: What is Ocean Acidification and is it a Threat to Puget Sound?
Doug Meyers, People for Puget Sound
March 5: What do Women and Whales in the Pacific Northwest Have in Common?
Jourdan Keith
April 2: Capturing and Counting Tiny Bits of Plastic Debris in Puget Sound
Julie Masura, M.S. UWT
April 16: Making Interesting Videos at a Reasonable Cost
Jim McGauhey
May 7: Duwamish River Pollution, Environmental Change and how YOU Can Get Involved
Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition / Technical Advisory Group
May 21: Puget sound Marine Mammals: Are they becoming our toxic waste dumps?
Kaddee Lawrence, Executive Director MaST Center
June 4: Going up in Flames: Restoring Fire-Adapted Ecosystems in Washington
Peter Dunwiddie, UW
November 7: Our Underwater Neighborhood: A Video Tour of Puget Sound
November 21: Footloose Disabled Sailing
December 5:
Doug Meyers, People for Puget Sound
January 28: Surfrider Activism: Water Quality for Watermen and Waterwomen
January 28: How We Can Get Plastics Out of the Sea
March 13: Modeling and Mapping of Shoreline Erosion, Protection Services Provided by Natural Habitats
Greg Guannel
March 24: Meeting our Energy Challenges
Andy Wappler, Puget Sound Energy
May 25: Restoring Puget Sound One Oyster at a Time
Brian Allen, Puget Sound Restoration Fund