Anne Beaudreau, Associate Professor

Anne (she/her) was raised in Rhode Island and earned an A.B. in Biology with honors from Harvard University. She began her career as a fishery analyst at the New England Fishery Management Council, where she saw firsthand that the necessary ingredients for good decision-making are not only the ‘best available science’, but also relationship-building, communication, and trust. This early experience in fisheries policy informs her work today. Anne went on to earn a Ph.D. in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences from the University of Washington and completed a postdoc at the University of Washington and NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. She held a faculty position at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in Juneau from 2012 to 2020. She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.

Anne and her team conduct collaborative, interdisciplinary research to understand how fisheries social-ecological systems and coastal communities respond and adapt to environmental, regulatory, and social change. We draw approaches and perspectives from diverse knowledge systems and disciplines, including fisheries science, ecology, anthropology, geography, and policy science. Major research foci include: stewardship and community engagement in fishery management and conservation; harvesters’ perceptions of and responses to environmental and regulatory change; resource portfolios and resilience of fisheries systems; and responses of marine and estuarine fishes and ecological communities to environmental drivers.

Curriculum Vitae

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Josh Hymes

Despite living in a landlocked state, Josh loved the ocean and was determined to work with it in the future. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at CU Boulder, Josh attended a global seminar in São Paulo Brazil where he got a chance to study the restoration ecology of the Atlantic Rainforest and its local marine habitats firsthand. His global seminar further reaffirmed his passion for marine protection and while continuing his undergraduate degree, found his other interests in natural resource economics and renewable energy. This led him to take an internship with a floating solar company to get a better handle on the business side of renewable energy. He continues to expand his knowledge in the hopes of preserving, protecting, and restoring marine environments. At SMEA, he is part of a capstone team working with the U.S. Forest Service on a project titled “Communicating subsistence management to broaden pathways for public engagement in Southeast Alaska.”

Marria Peduto

Prior to joining SMEA, Marria earned a BA in Sustainable Food & Marine Systems, International Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultures from Indiana University. She completed a Fulbright research fellowship examining the impacts of coral reef restoration on local livelihoods in Buleleng, Bali, Indonesia. Her previous work has included public diplomacy, outdoor education, and creating a just food system. She is focused on the intersection of people, marine foods, and climate with plans to explore the social dimensions of global fisheries markets amidst a changing environment. At the UW, Marria is working as a research assistant with the Coastal Fisheries Ecology Lab on Bering Sea fishery management.

Marissa Scott

Throughout her undergraduate career, Marissa gathered a variety of marine science experiences. She researched as an REU student at UConn Avery Point & Mystic Aquarium working in a graduate level bivalve physiology lab. While studying abroad in Panama, Marissa participated in a field research project focused on how different coral habitats determine resident fish communities. More recently, Marissa served as an AmeriCorps Aquarium Education Member at Save The Bay in Rhode Island where she was working to communicate marine science information with learners of all ages from the general public and local school groups. She has particular interest in community-based science, the implications of climate change on marine resources, and science communication. At SMEA, Marissa is part of a capstone team working with the U.S. Forest Service on a project titled “Communicating subsistence management to broaden pathways for public engagement in Southeast Alaska.”

Miriam Stearns

Growing up in Juneau, Alaska, Miriam developed a desire to protect marine and terrestrial environments at a young age. Witnessing the dramatic decline of glaciers near her home fueled her passion for understanding environmental systems and the impacts of climate change. Miriam completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington in Environmental Studies, with minors in Data Science and Marine Biology. During her undergraduate studies, she researched the impact of invasive European green crabs on the size and distribution of native coastal fish along Washington’s coast and explored how citizen science can assist in monitoring their invasion. Additionally, she worked on a National Science Foundation project focused on forecasting climate change impacts on fishery stocks in Alaska and the Arctic. Miriam is interested in the effects of climate change on vulnerable ecosystems and populations, and integrating traditional ecological knowledge into conservation and management strategies. At SMEA, she is part of a capstone team working with the U.S. Forest Service on a project titled “Communicating subsistence management to broaden pathways for public engagement in Southeast Alaska.”

POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS & RESEARCH SCIENTISTS

Kristen Green (Postdoctoral Scholar)

Kristen’s research interests focus on Alaska coastal communities and how community members are adapting to climate change and other stressors, particularly around issues of food sovereignty. Kristen completed a PhD in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at Stanford University in 2021 and held a postdoc position at OSU prior to joining SMEA. Her PhD research examines the socio-economic, cultural, and environmental drivers that stimulate stakeholder engagement in Alaskan communities. Prior to beginning her PhD, Kristen worked for six years as biologist and fishery manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game where she designed fisheries management strategies and communicated policies for the commercial groundfish and shellfish fisheries in Southeast Alaska. She has extensive experience collaborating with local communities on issues of small-scale fisheries, marine resource use, and developing harvest policies. She also holds a Master’s in Marine Science with an emphasis in Ichthyology from Moss Landing Marine Labs and a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara. Kristen’s passions are how coastal communities are responding to climate change and other stressors and what factors stimulate resilience and support adaptive capacity in these communities. She lives with her family in Anchorage, Alaska.

Lucas Weaver (Research Scientist)

Luke grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he split time diving into books and exploring the woods and lakes of the Midwest. After graduating from UW-Madison with a degree in English, he spent several years working as a communications professional—with a focus on digital content, user-experience design, and website information architecture—for clients with national reach across the healthcare, finance, and agriculture industries. He then pivoted and returned to his plant-obsessed roots, moving to Portland, Maine where he expanded his interest in small-scale food systems and food access while working on intensive regenerative and organic coastal farms. Luke graduated from SMEA in 2025 and is currently contributing to a project on eDNA policy. Broadly, he is interested in understanding and developing local and regional food systems that emphasize access, sovereignty, justice, and sustainability.

FORMER STUDENTS, POSTDOCS, AND TECHNICIANS

Graduate Student Advisees – University of Washington

Graduate Student Advisees – University of Alaska Fairbanks

Postdoctoral Researchers & Research Scientists

Undergraduate / Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistants

• Emma Saas (Jun-Oct 2020), Whitman College
• Sydney King (May-Sept 2019), University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
• Erica Lucas (Feb-May 2019), University of Alaska Southeast
• Carli Storbeck (Jan-Mar 2018), University of Alaska Southeast (exchange)
• Willa Johnson (Jun-Jul 2018), Whitman College
• Nina Lundstrom (Jun-Nov 2017), Colorado College
• Phallon Tullis-Joyce (May-Jul 2017), University of Miami
• Will Klajbor (May-Jul 2017), University of Maryland, College Park
• Aiden Kamber (May-Jul 2017), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Derek Eby (Oct-Nov 2016), University of Alaska Southeast
• Madison Bargas (May-Jul 2017, Jan-Jun 2018, May-Sept 2019), University of Alaska Southeast
• Harmony Wayner (Jan-May 2017), University of Alaska Southeast
• Katie Brown (Jun-Jul 2016), California State University Monterey Bay
• Helena Delgado-Nordmann (Jul-Sept 2016), University of York
• Zach Johanson (Jun-Aug 2016), University of Alaska Southeast
• Sawyer Link (Mar-Jul 2016), University of Alaska Southeast
• Doug Duncan (May 2014-Jan 2015), University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Ragnhildur (Ragga) Fridriksdottir (Jul-Sept 2014), University of York
• Sara Fouse (Jan-Jun 2013), University of Alaska Southeast
• Amanda Gile (Jun-Aug 2015), University of Alaska Southeast
• Georgina Hunt (Jul-Sept 2015), University of York
• Melissa Rhodes-Reese (Sept 2013-Jun 2014, Jan-May 2015), University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Emily Whitney (Jan-Aug 2013)
• Matt Hemenway (Apr 2012)