Sharks of Washington: Understanding the apex predators

The Edmonds Waterfront Center welcomes Lisa Hillier, a veteran research scientist and senior biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), as the featured speaker in Annie Crawley’s Environmental Speaker Series.

The event is Feb. 5, with doors opening at 6 p.m. The Beacon is a media sponsor. Tickets are $7.50. at tinyurl.com/3rtnbmu4. They may also be available at the door.

Washington’s coastal waters and the greater Salish Sea are home to a surprisingly diverse community of sharks – keystone predators that help maintain the structure, balance, and resilience of marine ecosystems. Yet these species remain largely unseen, misunderstood, and under-studied.

Hillier’s presentation, “Sharks of Washington,” will illuminate the shark populations that inhabit the Pacific Northwest and highlight WDFW’s efforts to monitor, research, and manage these species amid shifting environmental conditions.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Hillier will share emerging scientific findings related to two shark species that have recently expanded their range into the deeper waters of South Puget Sound. These range shifts offer important insight into ocean warming, habitat changes, and evolving ecological dynamics.

Through a combination of fieldwork stories, management perspectives, and the latest research, she will guide the audience into the hidden world of sharks and their critical role in the health of Washington’s marine ecosystems.

Hillier has served with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for more than 20 years, contributing to the management of groundfish, shellfish, and forage fish species.

She represents Washington on the Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team within the Pacific Fishery Management Council and serves on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska Plan Teams.

In addition to her extensive policy and management expertise, Hillier is an active field researcher. She conducts SCUBA, ROV, trawl, and hook-and-line surveys and currently leads multiple shark research initiatives in collaboration with universities and management agencies across both the West and East coasts.

Her work spans data collection, species assessments, and ecological studies aimed at understanding and protecting shark populations throughout Washington waters.