Presented by Dr. Jude Apple, Estuarine Ecologist and Research Coordinator, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in nearby Bayview, WA is part of a national network of reserves that are dedicated to research, monitoring, stewardship and management of coastal ecosystems and their associated watersheds. As Research Coordinator at Padilla Bay, Dr. Jude Apple provides oversight and guidance for research efforts and collaborations to address local, regional and national priorities regarding coastal ecosystem science and management. This talk will focus on work we are doing to quantify the capacity of coastal wetlands in the PNW (e.g. eelgrass, salt marsh) to sequester and store carbon (i.e. “blue carbon”)—and the potential mitigating effect eelgrass have on ocean pH and ocean acidification. The talk will also highlight work we are doing to examine the effect of climate change on water resources in the Skagit basin and hopefully open a discussion about shared priorities and potential opportunities for collaboration between Padilla Bay and WSU.