SU Biology students conducting field work on the Duwamish River

Students returning to in-person field labs in the Biology Department this fall are continuing years of work by fellow students to build long-term data on ecological patterns across Seattle.

Exploring study sites like Seward Park, Alki Beach, the Duwamish River, and SU Campus, students learn to use scientific tools and methods to collect relevant field data.

Field labs in many Biology classes enable students to initiate research on the effects of urban development, pesticides, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.

Students’ efforts generate data to be shared with multiple community partners, from local to federal, to assist with monitoring environmental changes in the Pacific Northwest.

Ecology class data indicates higher biodiversity on SU Campus over the past decade: