September 4, 2025
By Jack Winterhalter, Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow
Before I joined the Port of Seattle almost a year ago, I would have been hard-pressed to answer the question: What does the Port do? Imports and exports of course, and maybe something fish-related if I had to guess. Now, I’d be challenged to tell you what the Port doesn’t do. As a fellow in the Maritime Environment and Sustainability (ME&S) department, I’ve explored the vast diversity of projects and operations that Port staff are involved in. And I can confidently say that a year is not nearly enough time to see it all.
An unconventional start
The Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship provides recent graduates with first-hand professional experience by matching fellows with host agencies, nonprofits, and tribes working on marine and coastal policy issues. After matching with the Port, I was eager to jump in and start supporting decarbonization efforts, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, and habitat restoration projects. There was just one problem — on August 24, 2024, a few weeks before I started my fellowship, the Port experienced a major cyberattack. That meant no email, no computer, and no Microsoft Teams account when I started. But no worries, I had plenty of physical copies of documents to read and no shortage of people to meet and sites to visit. After an unconventional onboarding process, I started to dive into the job. One thing that quickly became clear to me was the breadth of the Port’s environmental work. Building electrification, underwater noise monitoring, habitat restoration, contaminated soil remediation, and stormwater management are just a sampling of project areas tackled by the ME&S department. Add in the work of the aviation environmental teams, and you’ve got quite a comprehensive environmental program unlike what you might see at other ports.
During my fellowship, I supported both the sustainability and habitat teams in ME&S, which meant I worked on a wide range of projects. Some days I’d be researching the newest developments in sustainable maritime fuels and others I’d be stomping through mud while monitoring Port shorelines for signs of erosion. While it may seem like I was working in two disparate worlds, these initiatives all advance the same goal: for the Port of Seattle to be the greenest port in North America. A bold commitment to strive towards for sure, but one that is backed up by the initiatives and programs that staff are implementing. A couple of the innovative and forward-looking projects I worked on included piloting a herring spawning enhancement test and developing recommendations for how the Port can incorporate lifecycle emissions into its greenhouse gas inventory. Naturally, there’s only so much one person can accomplish in a year, but the opportunity to contribute to projects that will help inform future work in emissions reductions and environmental restoration was quite gratifying.
Memorable experiences and learning opportunities
Another perk of the Hershman Fellowship program is the availability of supplemental funds for professional development. These funds can be used to attend conferences, register for training programs, and pursue other educational and networking opportunities. One of the highlights of my professional development was traveling to San Diego for the National Working Waterfronts Network conference in February. Apart from the obvious benefits of escaping to Southern California during the depths of Seattle winter, the conference was a fantastic opportunity to mingle with experts on all things coastal — from Port electrification to shellfish aquaculture. Conferences like this were a great way to learn about other perspectives, exchange knowledge, and build connections. And, it was always encouraging to see the commitment and dedication to this field of work by people from all over the country.
Not only was my fellowship at the Port a great opportunity to develop professional skills, open career pathways, and expand my knowledge of the maritime sector, but it also included many memorable experiences. Some notable examples include shooing sea lions off the dock at Shilshole Bay Marina, splashing around in Smith Cove at low tide, and biking to different Port facilities during the third annual “Tour de Terminals.” Needless to say, these experiences would not have been as memorable without the fantastic people I had the pleasure of meeting along the way. The ME&S staff are an incredible group of people to work with, and I am extremely grateful that they warmly welcomed me onto their team. This welcoming atmosphere reflects the Port’s broader commitment to early-career professionals, which has made my fellowship here possible in the first place. I can confidently say that my year at the Port has prepared me well for whatever comes next.
Check out some of the other blogs I wrote in the last year:
- Green Methanol: A Deep Dive into the Alternative Marine Fuel
- Green Hydrogen: The Role of the Port in an Emerging Industry
- Emissions Verification — a Milestone in Port Sustainability
- Spotlight on Local Plant and Animal Life at Port Facilities
- Helping Herring: Supporting Spawning in Elliott Bay
- Life at Low Tide ― Intertidal Organisms at Smith Cove
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