Anacortes Lecture Series
We're thrilled to announce the 2025-26 Anacortes Lecture Series!
Scroll to learn more about our fantastic guest speakers and their fascinating topics.
Reservations will open two weeks before each lecture. Reservations for the November 14th lecture will open at 9:00am on Friday, October 31st. Check back then to reserve your seats.
November 14th Lecture: Salish Sea Wild! Fighting Doom & Gloom With Science & Humor With SeaDoc Filmmaker Bob Friel
In such a challenging time for science and the environment, public engagement and support have never been more critical. SeaDoc Society videographer Bob Friel will talk about how the Salish Sea Wild! video series laces serious conservation science with a heavy dose of humor.
January 16th Lecture: The Secret Lives of Harbor Porpoises With Pacific Mammal Research Co-Founder Dr. Cindy Elliser
Harbor porpoises are one of the most abundant marine mammal species in the Salish Sea, however there is much we don’t know about this often elusive species. Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) has spent over 10 years conducting behavioral and photo-identification research on harbor porpoises to learn about their behavior, ecology, movement patterns, etc.
February 20th Lecture: The March Point Heronry - A Bird's Eye View With Skagit Land Trust's Stacy Dahl & Anne Winkes
Stacy and Anne will take us into the March Point heronry, giving us a behind the scenes look at life for a Blue Heron throughout the 2025 breeding and nesting season, sharing expected and unexpected behaviors, with an intimate focus on three of the nests experiencing success and failure, as the adults work to rear young to fledging.
March 13th Lecture: A Healthy Salish Sea Starts With Kelp With Seattle Aquarium ROV Researcher Dr. Zachary Randell
Dr. Zachary Randell leads the Coastal Climate Resilience (CCR) research program at the Seattle Aquarium, leveraging small, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), equipped with cameras, sensors, and open-source AI tools, to conduct high‑resolution video and photo surveys of kelp forests and other benthic habitats in shallow coastal waters (5–40 m depth).
A Look Back On Last Year's Lectures
Thank you for helping us make last year’s Lecture Series a success! Click below to take a look at our last year’s amazing guest speakers. From learning about Giant Pacific Octopuses to the volcanoes of Washington State, we learned so much for our phenomenal expert lecturers.
History Of The Lecture Series
The original lecture series was started in 2005 as a class project by a small group of Washington State University (WSU) Beach Watcher students. Recognizing that the public had a keen interest in the local marine environment and the natural world, the Beach Watcher students were determined to connect this knowledge-hungry public with regional experts on a variety of environmentally oriented topics. And the rest is history!
Lecture Series Volunteers
Looking for a way to get involved and give back to the community? Become a Friends of the Salish Sea volunteer as hospitality guide for the lecture series! Help make the lecture series a success by assisting with set up, welcoming in guests, and cleaning up after the event.