WSU Appoints Interim Director of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Stephen Bollens, professor in the School of Biological Sciences and director of Science Programs at Washington State University Vancouver, was recently appointed Interim Director of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES). SEES is a new WSU system-wide school whose administrative headquarters and leadership are based in Vancouver, and its faculty, students and staff distributed throughout the WSU campus-wide system. This is a rather unique arrangement within the Washington State University system.

Environmental education and research are a major strength of Washington State University. Research projects in which faculty from SEES are engaged may have a positive impact both on the environment and the economy of the state of Washington. One such research project involves securing and sustaining the supply of oysters in Willapa Bay (near Long Beach). Oyster populations are vital to the economy of three counties in the state, and Willapa Bay produces one in every four oysters farmed in the United States.

There are several types of common pests and predators that can damage oysters or the tide flats in which they reside. Ghost and mud shrimp, through their digging and water pumping activities, honeycomb the bottom and subsequently transfer subsurface materials to the surface which suffocate and kill oysters in the area.  Efforts have been made to reclaim the oysters’ “turf” by either controlling or destroying the shrimp with physical or chemical methods. The chemical Carbaryl has been used with success, but is thought by some to cause negative environmental side effects.

Researchers in SEES at WSU Vancouver are exploring alternatives to Carbaryl, including biological control by natural predators, to help mitigate the negative effects of ghost and mud shrimp on oysters. “Little is known about the life cycle of ghost shrimp,” stated WSU Vancouver Chancellor Harold Dengerink. “This research is important to the economy and the environment in the state of Washington.”

Other research studies in which the school is currently involved include the Vancouver Lake project, which examines the factors causing the formation of toxic algae in Vancouver Lake, a widely used recreational area for Vancouver residents.

WSU Vancouver offers 14 bachelor’s and nine master’s degrees in more than 35 fields of study. The campus is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205. WSU Vancouver’s Web site address is https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu.