Story of The SSRC Logo
The SSRC logo began with a sketch by Thayne Yazzie of Northwest Indian College. The drawing included an orca whale and various phytoplankton, zooplankton, and shellfish.
With influences from local indigenous art and design, Thayne was determined to create a logo that represented the values, cultural influences, and diversity found at Northwest Indian College.
Because research at the Salish Sea Research Center is always changing and evolving, Thayne believed the logo should be representative of the Salish Sea ecosystem in it's entirety. Thus, various revisions and new drawings were created to reflect on the animals and species found specific to the Salish Sea region.
To the left, a variety of animals and concepts are represented. Included in the final design are: the jellyfish, phytoplankton, zooplankton, porpoise, longfin smelt (or salmon), krill, dungeness crab, shellfish, and an anchor.
The anchor is included in the logo as it represents human's technological impact on the natural environment.
The killer whale was revised to be sleeker and more streamlined in its overall shape. The final design of the killer whale includes a human hand which represents the responsibility of human spirit in the overall health of the ecosystem.
In the illustrations below, the inter-tidal zone is added to represent the connection between land and water. Additionally, the inter-tidal zone is important habitat for shellfish and other marine animals that are important to the surrounding communities.
