CENTRAL COAST WETLANDS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Faculty Member / Department: Vertebrate Ecology
Gitte received an M.A. in Biology from Sonoma State University and Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Her graduate research focused on understanding the reproductive energetics of pinnipeds ranging from a study examining the mechanism behind increased lactation efficiency with age in elephant seals, to investigating how maternal traits and foraging behavior influence energy allocation in Antarctic fur seals. In addition to her thesis research, she pursued other research interests in foraging ecology and diving physiology in a variety of species including California sea lions, Galapagos sea lions, elephant seals, and crabeater seals.
In June of 2013, she completed a postdoctoral research project at Scripps Institution of Oceanography evaluating the role of blood oxygen depletion, heart rate, and oxygen management strategies in the determination of routine foraging dive durations of the California sea lion. She then started a NSF International Research Fellowship at Aarhus University in Denmark combining two of her research interests in a project studying the field energetics and diving physiology of harbor porpoises. She joined the faculty at Moss Landing Marine Labs as an assistant professor in January 2015.
Research Interests:
As a physiological and behavioral ecologist, Dr. Gitte McDonald investigates adaptations that allow animals to survive in extreme environments. Marine mammals and birds provide an ideal study system to investigate these adaptations due to their large size variation, their geographic distribution and the environmental challenges they must cope with including, hypoxia, extreme temperatures, and fasting. Understanding the mechanisms that allow an organism to interact and survive in its environment is crucial for predicting, and potentially mitigating, their response to climate change. Currently, her research focuses on three broad areas: 1) determining the diving capacity of breath-hold divers and understanding the mechanisms underlying these capacities, 2) investigating the physiological responses to, and energetic consequences of, anthropogenic stressors, and 3) determining the energetic requirements of foraging and reproduction to quantify energy allocation, physiological trade-offs, and the organism's role in the ecosystem. She strives to integrate techniques from physiological, evolutionary and behavioral biology to elucidate the mechanisms that define the ecological niche of an organism.
Brooke is a data analyst with a background in marine ecology and water quality monitoring. She received her Bachelor's degree in Marine Science in 2018 and her Master's degree in Environmental Science in 2022, both from CSU Monterey Bay. As a graduate student, she worked on multiple projects including monitoring water quality in the Central Coast Region, modeling fish populations in estuaries, and analyzing changes in kelp forest biomass along the California Coast over time. Brooke is also an avid SCUBA diver and does research diving for various projects and leads dive tours in Monterey Bay.
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Dr. Robison's midwater research program is presently addressing the ecology of gelatinous animals in the deep sea. This group includes ctenophores, medusae, and siphonophores, animals which cannot be investigated accurately with conventional sampling methods, but which play dominant roles in mesopelagic ecology. Related studies include trophic structure, physiology, and the behavior of midwater animals including fishes and squids. Behavioral studies are also investigating the ways that animals use bioluminescence in the deep sea, with both laboratory and in-situ observations.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Department: School of Natural Sciences @ CSUMB
- Professor
Dr. Corey Garza is an associate professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay. Prior to arriving at CSUMB he was a research ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he served as scientific liaison to and chief scientist for the USEPA Long Island Sound Study. He uses GIS modeling and spatial statistics to study the relationship between scale dependence, habitat complexity and patterns of species distribution and abundance in marine communities. Dr. Garza serves as the principal investigator for the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab at CSUMB and is the campus lead for the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems. He also directs the NSF funded, Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School
Dr. Ed Thornton is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he has worked since 1969 and a Research Adjunct Professor at MLML. He earned BS degrees from Willamette and Stanford Universities and MS degrees from Oregon State and the University of Florida, and a PhD from the University of Florida. He is a pioneer in field studies of nearshore processes, being a leader and participant in all the comprehensive nearshore experiments from 1978- 2004. Out of these studies our basic understanding of breaking wave processes, alongshore currents, rip currents, edge waves, shear instabilities, sediment transport and nearshore morphology was greatly increased. He is an active environmentalist with focus on the protection of dunes and beaches. He most recently successfully lead the stopping of sand mining by Cemex in Southern Monterey Bay. He has been recognized for his accomplishments by a number of international, national, and local awards.
He has current funded projects including participation in the Office of Naval Research Ocean Coastal Land-Sea-Air Interaction (CLASI) program during the period 2020-2025. This project seeks to develop and/or modify parameterizations for the coastal wind, momentum and heat flux variability through comprehensive experimental and modeling programs. The observations are obtained by a network of instrumented buoys and coastal, land-based towers. This data is supplemented with remotely-sensed observations from satellite, radar, aircraft and drones along with LES modeling.
Dr. Greg Cailliet, the former Ichthyology professor at MLML was intimately involved in the collection and cataloguing of many specimens of fishes that were placed in the museum. Greg is pictured on the left in the museum as photographed by Jason Bradley. Greg wrote a very thorough review of the museum as a blog for the MLML 50th Anniversary. If you are interested in more details about the history and collections in the MLML museum please take a look at his blog.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Marine Science & Policy / Department: School of Natural Sciences @ CSUMB
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Job Titles:
- Professor of Marine Science
- Professor of Marine Science, Biology / Robotic Gadgetry Lab Director ( Chief EEL Trainer ) Department: School of Natural Sciences @ CSUMB
Dr. Steve Moore is a professor of Marine Science in the School of Natural Sciences at California State University, Monterey Bay. His educational background, teaching, and research projects reflect his interest in applying physics and engineering to the study of animals in their natural habitats. The courses he teaches regularly include Marine Biology, Robotics for Environmental Research, and Ocean Instrumentation Projects. Dr. Moore directs an on-campus research lab called the Ecosystem Electronics Lab (EEL). Undergraduate and masters students in the EEL typically work on field-based marine ecology projects using small ROVs, time-lapse underwater cameras, oxygen dataloggers, and other equipment for observing and recording where marine animals live, what they do, and how they interact with their environment. The majority of the projects focus on benthic (bottom-dwelling) marine invertebrates living in the ocean's "Twilight Zone" depths between about 20 m and 150 meters (500 feet) deep. Much of the equipment used by EEL students to study marine life was designed and built by students in the EEL using skills they developed in Dr. Moore's robotics and/or ocean instrumentation classes.
Erick Partida is a graduate student in the chemical oceanography lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories whose research focus is on the development of an analytical system for aluminum. For CCWG, Erick is studying the adsorption of phosphate by activated carbon. This work is aimed at establishing a chemical framework for the development of a bioreactor designed to remove phosphate from agricultural waste products.
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Jason is supporting CCWG in drafting wetland and watershed monitoring and management plans in the Lower Salinas Valley.
Job Titles:
- Water Resources Scientist
Jenny is a water resources scientist with a background in ecology, wetland restoration and assessment, and water quality monitoring. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology in 2014 from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and her Master's degree in Environmental Science and Management, specializing in water resources management, from the Bren School of Science & Management at UC Santa Barbara in 2020. For her Master's project, she helped design a decision support tool to aid groundwater managers in California's Central Valley in identifying the most suitable sites for managed aquifer recharge projects that have the potential to provide additional benefits to communities and ecosystems. Jenny began working for CCWG in 2015 as a Watershed Stewards Program member assessing watershed health using CRAM and RipRAM, and continued working as a research assistant constructing and studying treatment wetlands and woodchip bioreactors. After leaving to earn her Master's degree she rejoined CCWG in 2021 as the Lower Salinas Valley Watershed Coordinator. In her current role she is responsible for coordinating the implementation of multiple benefit watershed projects through facilitating interagency coordination and partnership development with regional stakeholders including surface and groundwater managers, agricultural entities, and community-based groups. Jenny has also been rock climbing for over 15 years, and when not trying to create healthier watersheds, she can often be found on the side of a rock in the mountains or desert.
Job Titles:
- Water Quality Research Assistant
Jess is an environmental scientist with a background in freshwater science and flow monitoring. She graduated from CSU Monterey Bay in the fall of 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Technology and Policy with a minor in Statistics. During undergrad (and for some time after) Jess worked in the Watershed Ecology and Environments Lab under Dr. John Olson identified Bryophytes (Mosses) for 3 and a half years as well as going out and doing Dry Streams and Flow Duration Surveys each summer. She joined CCWG in the summer of 2021 managing the field sampling and analysis for various projects and conducting maintenance and check-ins on our different restoration sites.
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
After completing a Bachelor's of Science in Marine Biology and a Master's of Science in Marine Science, I made my way to benthic infauna of California via some stops in seagrasses of North Carolina and Florida and tidal creek communities of South Carolina. I'm interested in disturbance ecology, from erosion and habitat loss in benthic infaunal communities to iceberg scour in Antarctic sponge ecosystems. I also work in restoration, where my tasks range from research and permit writing to planting and monitoring coastal wetland and terrestrial flora. When I'm not analyzing data I can often be found knitting or weaving with naturally dyed fibers.
Job Titles:
- Research Associate / Department: Chemical Oceanography
Biography:
Katlin is a chemical oceanographer who studies mercury biogeochemistry in marine environments using chemistry and genomic techniques. She has participated in three U.S. GEOTRACES expeditions in the North Atlantic, eastern tropical South Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, as well as various sampling campaigns in the northwest Atlantic Ocean.
Currently, she is working on a project funded by the National Geographic Society to investigate how microplastic pollution in San Francisco Bay and Lake Erie are impacting the mercury cycle.
Katlin has a strong interest in outreach and scientific communication, she has blogged for the Huffington Post and co-authored a children's book To the Top of the World: One Scientist's Expedition to the North Pole.
Research Interests:
Mercury biogeochemistry in marine environments
Methylation pathways of inorganic mercury in seawater
Mercury cycling genes in marine environments
Microplastic pollution as a vector for contaminants
Temporal variations of methylmercury production and uptake into food webs
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Ecologist
Kevin O'Connor is an ecologist specializing in wetland restoration, monitoring and assessment, and is the Program Manager for CCWG. He received his Bachelors degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz in 2004 and his Masters degree in Biology from San Diego State University in 2007 where he investigated the effects of kelp forest disturbance on kelp associated fishes on Santa Catalina Island. Kevin joined CCWG in December 2007 and is currently involved with wetland and upland restoration in the Moro Cojo Slough, the development of a rapid assessment method (CRAM) for seasonally tidal estuaries and depressional systems, and participation with the California Wetlands Monitoring Workgroup.
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) administers the Master of Science in marine science program for California State Universities in northern and central California, and is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in both education and research. San José State University oversees MLML, and is the primary funding source, administering all contracts and grants, and through which all faculty and researchers are affiliated. An outfitted marine operations department, active research diving program and state of the art equipment allow for cutting edge research in a wide variety of disciplines including: marine ecology; the biology of marine plants, invertebrates, fishes, turtles, birds and mammals; oceanography and marine geology; chemistry and biogeochemistry. MLML is known for a hands-on, field-oriented approach which places our students, faculty, researchers and staff at the frontiers of marine science worldwide where discoveries are being made. MLML provides the skills and training so students become successful scientists, teachers and resource managers serving societal needs involving marine issues.
The lab is situated in an excellent location for the study of the marine world. The Monterey Submarine Canyon, the largest such feature on the west coast of North America, begins within a few hundred meters of the Moss Landing harbor and the MLML research fleet. To the east of MLML is the Elkhorn Slough, the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay, and an important site for shorebirds and fishes. To the north and south are sand dunes, sandy beaches, and extensive kelp forest habitats along the rocky shoreline. Some of the most productive kelp forests and intertidal areas can be found in this region. MLML also is located between two large upwelling centers, which provide nutrients that stimulate an incredible amount of productivity but also provide a wealth of opportunities to study coastal oceanic processes.
MLML is a thriving institution of education and research working to help advance marine science, serve society, and transform public discourse and policy towards sustainable human interaction with the world.
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) is a complex institution, providing curriculum and a M.S. degree in Marine Science for students attending seven California State Universities (CSU). There are SJSU tenure-track faculty, independent researchers, and technicians conducting research projects throughout the globe. Funding comes from San José State University (SJSU), the CSU, the other consortium campuses, the SJSU Research Foundation, and donors via the SJSU Tower Foundation. These annual reports provide an overview of the goals and accomplishments of MLML during the academic year, and summarize the breadth of activities.
Ross Clark has 20 years of experience drafting and implementing California's Nonpoint Source Control Program both as a university researcher and as state agency staff. He is currently charged with developing regional programs to improve the restoration and management of state wetland resources and implementing programs to reduce nutrient loading to Central Coast surface waters. Ross manages a team of field scientists supporting the development and implementation of the State's wetland monitoring program and the integration of wetland restoration activities into regional and State water quality and land use planning efforts. Since 2008 he has also been tasked with developing the City of Santa Cruz strategic plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identify key threats from, and appropriate responses to climate change and sea level rise.
Job Titles:
- Research Coordinator
- Environmental Scientist
Sarah Stoner-Duncan is an environmental scientist with a background in wetland ecology and restoration, conservation biology, and environmental education. She has been working at CCWG since 2011 and in her current role is a Project Manager for several upland and wetland restoration projects. She also participates in monitoring and assessment activities, and provides GIS, graphic design, and grant writing support to the CCWG team. Previously, she spent several years working in the San Francisco Bay as part of a project studying the effects of mercury contamination on waterbirds. She has also worked on conservation projects in Mauritius and Guatemala. Sarah received her BA in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz in 2004 and her MS in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England in 2010, where she studied Conservation Biology and Environmental Education and how these two disciplines can intersect to meet the goals of each. Besides wetland ecology, Sarah is interested in community based conservation, curriculum development, and graphic design. She enjoys living by the ocean, visiting the mountains, and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor of Ichthyology / Education
Job Titles:
- Professor of Ecology and Evolution / Department: Biological Sciences @ SJSU
Dr. Shaffer was born and raised in San Diego, California (yes, a long-suffering Padres fan). He earned a B.Sc. in Biology (1993) from San Diego State University while working as an aviculturist at Sea World and animal keeper for the US Navy's marine mammal training program. Dr. Shaffer earned an M.Sc. in Marine Science (1996) and Ph.D. in Biology (2000) in the lab of Dr. Daniel Costa at the University of California Santa Cruz. After working several years as a research scientist in the Institute of Marine Sciences at UCSC, and a year as faculty at California State University San Bernardino, Dr. Shaffer joined the faculty at San Jose State University (2009 - present) where he is currently a Professor of Biology in the Ecology & Evolution and Marine Biology program areas.
Although he was formally trained in physiological ecology, Dr. Shaffer's research interests are broadly ecological. He and his students primarily focus on understanding habitat use, foraging ecology, and breeding biology of seabirds in California and the tropical Pacific Ocean. He has conducted over 40 field campaigns to sites in Antarctica, French sub-Antarctic islands, New Zealand, Alaska, Svalbard, Mexico, Northwest and main Hawaiian Islands, and many sites along the California coast.
Research Interests:
Ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates
Ecological energetics and patterns of energy allocation
Biologging science and remote sensing in marine ecology
Avian incubation patterns
Data analytics using MATLAB
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member
Steven is a marine scientist with a background in biological and physical oceanography. He received his Bachelor's degree in Biology (marine emphasis) from Humboldt State University in 2012, and his Master's degree in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Labs in 2019. Steven has worked on a wide range of research projects including ecosystem modeling, aquaculture, water quality processing, and ballast treatment systems. These experiences led Steven to have a broad knowledge of analytical instrumentation and how it can be applied to study complex ecosystems.
Job Titles:
- Previous CCWG Staff Member