Douglas Chapman (Fig. 9) was appointed Dean upon the retirement of Dr. Van Cleve in 1971. After the period of rapid growth of the previous two decades, Dr. Chapman anticipated the 1970s as a period of consolidation. He also envisioned the nascent concern for the environment as well as the developing awareness of the limitations of natural resources.

Chapman oversaw a number of new developments during his tenure as Dean. Among these was increased research in aquaculture. Although the College had a long history in "hatchery techniques," Chapman saw the need for research on fish farming. Aquaculture expanded to include not only fishes, but also mollusk farming.

A new program, called NORFISH, was being developed when Dr. Chapman became Dean. NORFISH was designed to develop quantitative methods to aid in the management of fisheries resources.

Involved in the program were CQS, the College of Fisheries, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Washington Department of Fisheries. Others involved were the UW Departments of Economics, Electrical Engineering, and Civil Engineering. Simulation models developed under NORFISH, and its successor, NORFISH II, were applied to Alaska fisheries. Later developments included fishery information systems for the West Coast commercial fisheries.

The College was involved in the International Biological Program (IBP) beginning in the late 1960s. A portion of this program involved detailed study of various ecosystems. The College was involved in the Coniferous Forest Biome Program, led by the College of Forest Resources. After completion of the IBP in 1974, some studies continued into 1977 under the Western Coniferous Forest Biome study funded by the National Science Foundation.

A renewed interest in collection-based ichthyology was launched in 1978 with the hiring of Dr. Theodore Wells Pietsch (1945—) as Assistant Professor and Curator of Fishes. The existing Fish Collection, used for teaching and research, was revived and expanded (Fig. 10) and a collection-based research program in systematic ichthyology was reestablished. A Fisheries Teaching and Research Building, constructed in 1990 adjacent to the Marine Studies Building, provided new quarters for the Fish Collection as well as class, laboratory, and office space (Fig. 11).

A Marine/Freshwater Biomedical Research Center was established in 1979. Its charge was to encourage cellular and molecular biological research using aquatic organisms to develop models for the study of human diseases. A number of toxicological and pathological studies were undertaken.

During this era, the University of Washington was ranked nationally as one of the top universities in receipt of federal grants and contracts. The School of Fisheries increasingly depended on such extramural funding. Research support in 1976 and 1977 accounted for about 75% of the Fisheries budget.

Dr. Chapman retired as Dean of the College in 1980. He returned to part-time teaching and research in CQS.

During this time, the University was reorganizing its aquatic programs. A College of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences (COFS) was initiated in autumn 1981. The College contained the School of Fisheries, the School of Oceanography, the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Institute for Marine Studies (now School of Marine Affairs) and the Washington Sea Grant Program. Dr. Donald James Baker (1937—) was named Acting Dean of the new College. Dr. Donald Edward Bevan (1921—1996), a student of W.F. Thompson, was appointed Director of the School of Fisheries.

According to Stickney (1989), Dr. Bevan (Fig. 12) inherited a School that contained a faculty of 59, a support staff of 273, and a budget of over $6,200,000. The majority of the budget (about $4,800,000) came from grants and contracts. Some 150 research projects were being conducted. In 1982, 69 B.S., 30 M.S., and 13 Ph.D. degrees were awarded. An extensive series of courses were offered to undergraduate and graduate students (Table 5).

Several new initiatives were begun in the early and mid-1980s. The Wetland Ecosystem Team (WET) was developed to study ecosystem processes of wetlands that sustain fish and wildlife resources. Under the primary direction of staff biologist Charles Arthur Simenstad (1947—), this group served to coordinate wetland research, education, and applied management into a cohesive program. Numerous trophic level studies were conducted in Puget Sound.

The Western Regional Aquaculture Consortium (WRAC) was housed in the School beginning in 1985. The Consortium initially represented five universities: the University of Alaska at Juneau, University of California at Davis, University of Idaho, Oregon State University, and the University of Washington. The purpose of this association was to undertake regional aquaculture research and development, and to undertake demonstration programs on the West Coast. Dr. Kenneth Kendall Chew (1933—) was the founding Director of WRAC. The Consortium was subsequently expanded to include aquaculture research at universities in seven other western states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Center for Streamside Studies had its genesis in 1985—1986 after an interdisciplinary symposium held at the UW on the interactions of forestry and fisheries. The Center was a cooperative venture involving the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, the College of Forest Resources, and the Center for Quantitative Sciences in Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife. Its purpose was to address the production and protection of forest, fish, and water resources of the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Ernest Olavi Salo (1919—1989) became the initial Director of the Center.

The Marine Studies Building was completed and occupied in 1983 (Fig. 13). It housed the Institute for Food Science and Technology as well as the School of Marine Affairs. Later, the building also contained the Marine Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory.

Dr. Bevan retired from the Directorship of the School in 1985. He continued to be active in fisheries policy in his part-time position as Associate Dean of COFS.

In the past 15 years the School has had four directors. Drs. Robert R. Stickney (1941—) served from 1985—1990; Dr. Marsha Lamerle Landolt (1948—) was director from 1991—1996; Kenneth K. Chew was the interim administrator from 1996—1998; and the present leader, Dr. David Allen Armstrong (1948—), assumed his position in 1998. Each has contributed to the growth of the School.

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