33rd Annual Sound Waters University

The Sound Waters University mascot, the soaring osprey, represents the majesty and splendor of this region, a place they’ve inhabited for 11 million years. They nest inland, but live by hovering over waterways to fish. Therefore, the osprey also represents life traced through the Salish Sea – an interwoven connection between terrestrial and marine life.

Shore to Seafloor: Celebrating the Beauty and Biodiversity of the Salish Sea

At this event, we set aside time to celebrate the stunning beauty of marine life and the ecosystem that sustains it.  We are all stewards of this priceless place, and we endeavor to protect and preserve it. Let’s pause and focus on precisely what we’re protecting and preserving. From the luminescence of zooplankton to the painterly coloration of an opalescent nudibranch, the balletic movements of an octopus, the scarlet feet of the Pigeon Guillemot and the playful breaching of an orca, the Salish Sea is a kaleidoscope of splendor.  It’s almost  impossible to imagine that an eelgrass meadow draws in more carbon than a forest, that the bull kelp highway shelters salmon from heat and predation, or that the lyrical Plumose anemone is a voracious carnivore.

Their story informs our story, and that knowledge makes us better guardians of the Salish Sea. Like sentinels awaiting our attention, the marine life surrounding us awaits our embrace. 

This year, we are grateful to welcome Amy Gulick and Dr. Anne Shaffer as our Keynote Speakers.

Keynote addresses and the elective class presentations focus on:

Discounts & Scholarships

• Requests will be processed on a case-by-case basis

Discounts & Scholarships Available

• Students, Teachers, Active Military, Veterans, and AmeriCorps: 50% off your general admission while supplies last. To receive a special discount code while supplies last, email your photo ID, ID #, school, and/or place of work to registerswu@soundwaterstewards.org.
• Full or partial scholarships are available to help offset the general admission ticket. We understand financial situations are different for everyone. Please reach out and let us know if you would like to attend.