Community Science Symposium

Join us for a day celebrating student scientists at the first-ever Community Science Symposium! Come see student participants from the Seattle Aquarium and Salish Sea Expeditions as they reflect on, analyze and present findings from their research projects focused on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and surrounding ecosystems.  

This event offers a great opportunity for the community, educators, scientists, sailors and peers to celebrate the hard work of these students—and hear what they’ve learned about our natural world, and how we interact with and impact it through our activities and choices.

Keynote speaker: Jim Wharton

Seattle Aquarium's Director of Conservation Engagement and Learning

Jim Wharton is the director of conservation engagement and learning at the Seattle Aquarium, where he works with a dynamic team committed to the Aquarium’s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment. Jim joined the Aquarium in 2012 from Mote Marine Laboratory where he served as vice president of education. He holds a B.S. from the University of Michigan and an M.S. from Oregon State University, and is currently completing a Ph.D. in educational measurement at the University of South Florida. Jim is a member of the steering committee of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, the conservation education committee of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), and serves as the public engagement project coordinator for AZA SAFE’s shark and ray conservation action plan.