Julianna shares how bull kelp is deeply woven into her People’s identity, teachings, and lived experiences - a relative that carries memory, culture, and belonging within the Salish Sea. As bull kelp faces decline across the Pacific Northwest, she calls for Indigenous-led kelp forest stewardship that is rooted in reciprocity, relationship-building, and Tribal rights, including the recognition of bull kelp as a Washington State marine forest.

Julianna Sullivan: Julianna’s career in marine science started with the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Natural Resources Department. She started working as a field technician for the Point No Point Treaty Council while earning her Bachelor of Arts at Evergreen State College. Since then, she has worked as a marine biologist for the Tribe, a dream of hers since she was a nine-year-old girl. Julianna worked for the Tribe’s Habitat, Research, and Monitoring Program, growing shellfish for the Tribe and conducting research that drives ecosystem restoration and conservation actions within the Tribe’s traditional hunting and fishing areas. She is now the Tribe’s Kelp Enhancement Program Manager. In 2022, she earned her Master of Legal Studies Degree in Indigenous Peoples Law at the University of Oklahoma.In addition to her formal education, Julianna has learned from her family how to exercise her treaty rights through subsistence harvesting and by participating in commercial fisheries such as crabbing, shrimping, and most recently geoduck diving.

Nereocystis by Makena Rush