Nikol Damato
@nikoldamato.bsky.social
PhD candidate @ University of Washington | social scientist | science-policy interface | human dimensions of marine mammal conservation 🐋
Pinned
Nikol Damato
@nikoldamato.bsky.social
· Dec 1
Hi everyone, figured I could provide a little #MarSocSci intro! I’m a PhD student @ UW studying science-policy interface for Southern Resident killer whale conservation, currently focusing on research prioritization under conditions of uncertainty, conflict, & urgency. Excited to connect w/ folks!
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Big congratulations to anyone finishing a degree right now. It's a hard thing at any point in time, and you're doing it in the midst of some serious chaos. I hope you give yourself a big ol' pat on the back for being resilient af and then take a well deserved vacation!
June 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Big congratulations to anyone finishing a degree right now. It's a hard thing at any point in time, and you're doing it in the midst of some serious chaos. I hope you give yourself a big ol' pat on the back for being resilient af and then take a well deserved vacation!
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Thank you to those of you who took our social media survey last month! Starting June 1st, we will be testing sharing sightings on Circle, an online community platform, in addition to Facebook.
To learn more and join us on Circle, click here: orca-network.circle.so/join?invitat...
To learn more and join us on Circle, click here: orca-network.circle.so/join?invitat...
Orca Network
Login to Orca Network community via email or SSO today.
orca-network.circle.so
June 1, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Thank you to those of you who took our social media survey last month! Starting June 1st, we will be testing sharing sightings on Circle, an online community platform, in addition to Facebook.
To learn more and join us on Circle, click here: orca-network.circle.so/join?invitat...
To learn more and join us on Circle, click here: orca-network.circle.so/join?invitat...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
I will forever be haunted by this footage.
Trawling has only been filmed underwater a few times in documentary history, and never with such clarity.
What’s so heart-rending about these shots is watching how the animals don’t just get swept up — they swim for their lives.
🌎🦑🧪
Trawling has only been filmed underwater a few times in documentary history, and never with such clarity.
What’s so heart-rending about these shots is watching how the animals don’t just get swept up — they swim for their lives.
🌎🦑🧪
May 9, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I will forever be haunted by this footage.
Trawling has only been filmed underwater a few times in documentary history, and never with such clarity.
What’s so heart-rending about these shots is watching how the animals don’t just get swept up — they swim for their lives.
🌎🦑🧪
Trawling has only been filmed underwater a few times in documentary history, and never with such clarity.
What’s so heart-rending about these shots is watching how the animals don’t just get swept up — they swim for their lives.
🌎🦑🧪
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Our first encounter with the newest calf in the SRKW population J63 is up! We also documented all members of both J pod and K pod, as well as the other young calf J62!
#killerwhale #srkwpopulation #whaleresearch #centerforwhaleresearch
#killerwhale #srkwpopulation #whaleresearch #centerforwhaleresearch
April 11, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Our first encounter with the newest calf in the SRKW population J63 is up! We also documented all members of both J pod and K pod, as well as the other young calf J62!
#killerwhale #srkwpopulation #whaleresearch #centerforwhaleresearch
#killerwhale #srkwpopulation #whaleresearch #centerforwhaleresearch
Reposted by Nikol Damato
We have some incredibly exciting news to share! J Pod has a new calf! Designated J63, we observed this little one traveling with J40. This will be her first known calf! While we have no immediate health concerns at the moment, we’ll continue to update when we can.
April 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM
We have some incredibly exciting news to share! J Pod has a new calf! Designated J63, we observed this little one traveling with J40. This will be her first known calf! While we have no immediate health concerns at the moment, we’ll continue to update when we can.
Reposted by Nikol Damato
The Center for Whale Research (CWR) is seeking part-time, seasonal education staff to join our team and assist with the daily operations of our ORCA SURVEY Outreach & Education Center in beautiful, vibrant Friday Harbor, San Juan Island for Summer 2025! Link for more info below!
March 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The Center for Whale Research (CWR) is seeking part-time, seasonal education staff to join our team and assist with the daily operations of our ORCA SURVEY Outreach & Education Center in beautiful, vibrant Friday Harbor, San Juan Island for Summer 2025! Link for more info below!
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Did you hear that K-Pod was seen in Monterey, California earlier this month? Well, they booked it back north, because this morning they were seen going north through Active Pass! 🤯
Ks averaged about 90 miles a day to make it from California back to the Salish Sea in just 11 days.
#whalesky #orca
Ks averaged about 90 miles a day to make it from California back to the Salish Sea in just 11 days.
#whalesky #orca
March 22, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Science friends!
Many of you, alarmed by grant funding cuts that make expensive field ecology research difficult or impossible, have been thinking about what to do instead. Great idea.
Some of you have been saying "I'll just do some social science surveys," without learning how. Bad idea! 🧵🧪
Many of you, alarmed by grant funding cuts that make expensive field ecology research difficult or impossible, have been thinking about what to do instead. Great idea.
Some of you have been saying "I'll just do some social science surveys," without learning how. Bad idea! 🧵🧪
March 18, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Science friends!
Many of you, alarmed by grant funding cuts that make expensive field ecology research difficult or impossible, have been thinking about what to do instead. Great idea.
Some of you have been saying "I'll just do some social science surveys," without learning how. Bad idea! 🧵🧪
Many of you, alarmed by grant funding cuts that make expensive field ecology research difficult or impossible, have been thinking about what to do instead. Great idea.
Some of you have been saying "I'll just do some social science surveys," without learning how. Bad idea! 🧵🧪
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Given serious socio-ecological issues globally, effective #KnowledgeExchange btw environmental science & policy is urgently needed. Gardiner et al. found 9 barriers & 11 enablers, notably boundary spanners, in the Antarctic #SciencePolicyInterface @chriscvitanovic.bsky.social doi.org/10.1002/eet....
March 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Given serious socio-ecological issues globally, effective #KnowledgeExchange btw environmental science & policy is urgently needed. Gardiner et al. found 9 barriers & 11 enablers, notably boundary spanners, in the Antarctic #SciencePolicyInterface @chriscvitanovic.bsky.social doi.org/10.1002/eet....
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Calling all Puget Sound social scientists! We warmly invite you to propose your paper for a new special issue in Coastal Management. Join me & a friendly group of colleagues in detailing how the social sciences are serving our region. Deadline is March 15th! See:
sites.evergreen.edu/mesweekly/pu...
sites.evergreen.edu/mesweekly/pu...
March 11, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Calling all Puget Sound social scientists! We warmly invite you to propose your paper for a new special issue in Coastal Management. Join me & a friendly group of colleagues in detailing how the social sciences are serving our region. Deadline is March 15th! See:
sites.evergreen.edu/mesweekly/pu...
sites.evergreen.edu/mesweekly/pu...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Our March Madness Saddle Patch Showdown is here! Your votes will decide who gets crowned the right side saddle patch champion in this just-for-fun tournament.
First up is J16 vs. L72 and J42 vs. K20!
Cast your votes in both contests here by clicking the "Start Voting" button:
tinyurl.com/mmobi25
First up is J16 vs. L72 and J42 vs. K20!
Cast your votes in both contests here by clicking the "Start Voting" button:
tinyurl.com/mmobi25
March 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Our March Madness Saddle Patch Showdown is here! Your votes will decide who gets crowned the right side saddle patch champion in this just-for-fun tournament.
First up is J16 vs. L72 and J42 vs. K20!
Cast your votes in both contests here by clicking the "Start Voting" button:
tinyurl.com/mmobi25
First up is J16 vs. L72 and J42 vs. K20!
Cast your votes in both contests here by clicking the "Start Voting" button:
tinyurl.com/mmobi25
Reposted by Nikol Damato
I wake each day motivated to move science into action—to pull it from quiet journal pages & set it loose in the world. But science is more than utility. It’s part of being human. It's like art—raw and reaching. The hunger for truth, for knowing, is beautiful—proof of what we are & what we can become
March 8, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I wake each day motivated to move science into action—to pull it from quiet journal pages & set it loose in the world. But science is more than utility. It’s part of being human. It's like art—raw and reaching. The hunger for truth, for knowing, is beautiful—proof of what we are & what we can become
J62 is female! Such great news for SRKWs!
We got out with J Pod for our 6th encounter of the year! We were able to confirm that J62 is female and document all 26 members! We were also able to confirm that J35 is no longer carrying the carcass of J61. Check out the encounter and more photos at the link below.
February 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
J62 is female! Such great news for SRKWs!
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Typing up my silly little whale manuscript as if the federal government isn’t actively going off the rails
February 13, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Typing up my silly little whale manuscript as if the federal government isn’t actively going off the rails
Reposted by Nikol Damato
New paper on "OCEAN EQUITY: From assessment to action to improve social equity in ocean governance"
Link: www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
"The level of equity embodied in most ocean policies, management practices, programs, initiatives, and funding portfolios is unknown."
Link: www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
"The level of equity embodied in most ocean policies, management practices, programs, initiatives, and funding portfolios is unknown."
February 3, 2025 at 5:52 PM
New paper on "OCEAN EQUITY: From assessment to action to improve social equity in ocean governance"
Link: www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
"The level of equity embodied in most ocean policies, management practices, programs, initiatives, and funding portfolios is unknown."
Link: www.frontiersin.org/journals/mar...
"The level of equity embodied in most ocean policies, management practices, programs, initiatives, and funding portfolios is unknown."
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Despite the need for #KnowledgeExchange btw #researchers & #DecisionMakers to address many social-ecological issues, examples of effective exchange are few. @chriscvitanovic.bsky.social et al. reviewed literature on #KnowledgeBrokers & found their work is often invisible doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
February 1, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Despite the need for #KnowledgeExchange btw #researchers & #DecisionMakers to address many social-ecological issues, examples of effective exchange are few. @chriscvitanovic.bsky.social et al. reviewed literature on #KnowledgeBrokers & found their work is often invisible doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Interest & will for more #EvidenceBased policies have grown in the last 2 decades. Guntzburger & Hadengue completed a thematic review of #SciencePolicyInterface literature (1964-2023), which shows environmental, agricultural & biological sciences predominate doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
January 30, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Interest & will for more #EvidenceBased policies have grown in the last 2 decades. Guntzburger & Hadengue completed a thematic review of #SciencePolicyInterface literature (1964-2023), which shows environmental, agricultural & biological sciences predominate doi.org/10.1016/j.en...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
🪝New paper! We reviewed recent advances in marine science-policy knowledge exchange ⚓️
🌊More diverse strategies are used
🌊Progress in outcomes & enablers
🌊Critical research needs: marinstreaming, choice of strategy, value addition, use of AI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🌊More diverse strategies are used
🌊Progress in outcomes & enablers
🌊Critical research needs: marinstreaming, choice of strategy, value addition, use of AI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 15, 2024 at 12:27 PM
🪝New paper! We reviewed recent advances in marine science-policy knowledge exchange ⚓️
🌊More diverse strategies are used
🌊Progress in outcomes & enablers
🌊Critical research needs: marinstreaming, choice of strategy, value addition, use of AI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🌊More diverse strategies are used
🌊Progress in outcomes & enablers
🌊Critical research needs: marinstreaming, choice of strategy, value addition, use of AI
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Have you ever wondered what enables successful knowledge exchange at the interface of environmental science, policy & management? To address this question, we undertook a global review of the published literature, which is now available online & open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Taking knowledge exchange to practice: A scoping review of practical case studies to identify enablers of success in environmental management
A gap exists in the literature on how to implement theories of knowledge exchange (KE) into practice within an environmental management context. To support the improved practice of KE, we conducted a...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 27, 2024 at 12:04 AM
Have you ever wondered what enables successful knowledge exchange at the interface of environmental science, policy & management? To address this question, we undertook a global review of the published literature, which is now available online & open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Our most recent encounter with SRKWs was tricky due to challenging weather conditions but we were able to document members of J Pod, including the newest calf J62, as well as members of the L4 matriline. Read the full report and see more photos from Encounter 5 - Jan 23 2025 at the link below.
January 28, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Our most recent encounter with SRKWs was tricky due to challenging weather conditions but we were able to document members of J Pod, including the newest calf J62, as well as members of the L4 matriline. Read the full report and see more photos from Encounter 5 - Jan 23 2025 at the link below.
Reposted by Nikol Damato
As expected, the Trump team is already deleting climate info from government websites. In anticipation, our team at Urban Ocean Lab created a permanent archive of 100+ key resources and published a permanent archive: www.urbanoceanlab.org/resource-hub 👩🏽💻
January 24, 2025 at 9:12 PM
As expected, the Trump team is already deleting climate info from government websites. In anticipation, our team at Urban Ocean Lab created a permanent archive of 100+ key resources and published a permanent archive: www.urbanoceanlab.org/resource-hub 👩🏽💻
Reposted by Nikol Damato
One day after the White House environmental justice website went dark, please join me in welcoming the father of environmental justice to Bluesky. Yes, sociologist @drrobertbullard.bsky.social literally defined the concept in his 1990 book, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality.
Dr. Robert D. Bullard (@drrobertbullard.bsky.social)
Scholar, author of 18 books, co-chair of @NBEJN1, @EJHBCU Climate Change Consortium, Director of @BullardCenter and father of environmental justice. #HBCU
drrobertbullard.bsky.social
January 23, 2025 at 4:30 AM
One day after the White House environmental justice website went dark, please join me in welcoming the father of environmental justice to Bluesky. Yes, sociologist @drrobertbullard.bsky.social literally defined the concept in his 1990 book, Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality.
Reposted by Nikol Damato
Our global study on the state of trust in scientists is now out in Nature Human Behaviour! 🥳
With a team of 241 researchers, we surveyed 71,922 people in 68 countries, providing the largest dataset on trust in scientists post-pandemic 👇🧵https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
With a team of 241 researchers, we surveyed 71,922 people in 68 countries, providing the largest dataset on trust in scientists post-pandemic 👇🧵https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
January 20, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Our global study on the state of trust in scientists is now out in Nature Human Behaviour! 🥳
With a team of 241 researchers, we surveyed 71,922 people in 68 countries, providing the largest dataset on trust in scientists post-pandemic 👇🧵https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
With a team of 241 researchers, we surveyed 71,922 people in 68 countries, providing the largest dataset on trust in scientists post-pandemic 👇🧵https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
Just delivered a guest lecture for an undergraduate natural resource conflict management course on decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, conflict, and urgency — always an important topic, but now more than ever 🌊 #ConSocSci #MarSocSci #EnvSocSci #PhD
January 16, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Just delivered a guest lecture for an undergraduate natural resource conflict management course on decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, conflict, and urgency — always an important topic, but now more than ever 🌊 #ConSocSci #MarSocSci #EnvSocSci #PhD