The Salish Sea Institute
Adapted from the Salish Sea Institute website.
The Salish Sea Institute, placed on the edge of the Salish Sea in Coast Salish territories and near the international border between the US and Canada, is working to share knowledge across disciplines and borders. Created by Western Washington University (WWU), the Institute works towards the University’s goal “to advance a deeper understanding of engagement with place”, and specifically aims to raise awareness of and protection for the Salish Sea.
I see our work as connecting people to this amazing place - there’s so many reasons to love the Salish Sea and it’s our responsibility to know more about it, to share this knowledge and protect it.
~ Ginny Broadhurst, Director of the Salish Sea Institute
A minor in Salish Sea Studies was created by the Salish Sea Institute to teach students about the Salish Sea’s history, ecology, culture, and management complexities. The Institute convenes workshops and meetings and produces reports to share science and management strategies among the community of people off campus who work to protect the Salish Sea. Institute staff continue to learn from knowledge-holders, ask questions, and seek solutions to move towards a more equitable system of learning about and collectively caring for the Salish Sea.
The Salish Sea Institute initiated a Fellows Program in March 2022. Even people from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds, and places of work were engaged to carry out projects focused on transboundary topics. A few notable Fellows projects include:
Bob Turner’s Humpback Comeback short film
Dr Rob William (of the Ocean Initiative)’s white paper How Much Noise is Too Much for Southern Resident Killer Whales
Dr Regina Jefferies’ paper on the governance challenges associated with Nooksack River flooding
The Salish Sea Institute also publishes material related to the Salish Sea, including a landmark Report titled ‘The State of the Salish Sea’ - the first assessment of the entire Salish Sea since 1994.
For more information on the Salish Sea Institute and to read the State of the Salish Sea Report visit the Salish Sea Institute website.
