Alumni Graduate Students
Brian CohnStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Kerry Nickols, Coastal Ecology & Oceanography Research Interests: He is interested in studying kelp forest ecosystems and how they will respond to climatic change, particularly increases in CO2 and sea surface temperatures. Additionally, he would like to investigate whether kelp forests can buffer against and/or ameliorate the effects of increasing ocean CO2 levels, and the scale to which they are able to do so. |
Jennifer FieldsStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Nyssa Silbiger, Quantitative Marine Ecology Research Interests: She is broadly interested in the interconnectedness of biogeochemistry, species interaction, and ecosystem function. Jenn’s thesis examines the effect of foundation species loss of macroalgae and mussels on ecosystem function within the Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem. To do this, Jenn will measure changes in biogeochemistry and species interaction in situ in manipulated tide pools. |
Amanda ChiachiStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Nyssa Silbiger, Quantitative Marine Ecology Research Interests: Amanda is interested in understanding the intersection between climate change and the aquaculture industry. Her research at CSUN strives to better understand how the abalone industry can potentially create resilient invertebrate populations and sustainable infrastructure. |
Hailee CloverStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Peter Edmunds, Polyp Lab Research Interests: She is interested in studying the effects of increasing anthropogenic impacts on benthic interactions and interspecific competition on coral reefs. She will be conducting her research in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, and St. John, US Virgin Islands. |
Jack GirardStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Peter Edmunds, Polyp Lab Research Interests: He is interested in octocoral ecology on coral reefs. Specifically looking at how the structure and assemblages of octocorals affects community dynamics in the reef ecosystem. |
Megan WilliamsStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Pete Edmunds, Polyp Lab Research Interests: Megan is interested in alternative stable states and phase shifts occurring on coral reefs, with a particular interest in interspecific competition. She will be conducting her research in St. John USVI and Mo'orea, French Polynesia. |
Kelly Wong
Status: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Pete Edmunds, Polyp Lab Kelly's Research Interests: I am interested in coral ecophysiology following disturbances and the interspecific associations that maintain community dynamics in tropical reef ecosystems. I will be studying in Moorea, French Polynesia, and St. John, US Virgin Islands. |
Nina BeanStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Pete Edmunds, Polyp Research Interests: She is interested in understanding the drivers of pelagic larval duration in corals and its effect on early life stage physiology. She will be conducting her research in St. John USVI and Mo'orea, French Polynesia. |
Emily LadinStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Larry Allen, Ichthyology |
Jess GlanzStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: She is interested in the interactions between primary producers and their epibiont communities to understand how these interactions affect host physiology under human-induced stressors such as ocean acidification. I will be studying this in Mo'orea, French Polynesia using tropical crustose coralline algae. |
Jayslen SerranoStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: She is interested in studying the effects of ocean acidification on algal CO2 concentrating mechanisms to better understand the physiological mechanisms of algal species. She will be doing her research in Moorea, French Polynesia. |
Ashtyn IsaakStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: Ashtyn studies a species of crustose coralline algae called Porolithon onkodes which is an important photosynthesizing framework builder on coral reefs found across a range of depths. She aims to determine how coral reefs of different depths may respond to the changing conditions in the ocean. She performs her work in Moorea, French Polynesia. |
Ben ChubakStatus: Current Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Mark Steele, Fish Ecology Research Interests: He is interested in evaluating how changes to kelp forest habitat and differences among kelp forests impact reproductive output and maternal provisioning of temperate reef fish, specifically California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher). |
George JarvisStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Mark Steele, Fish Ecology Research Interests: He is broadly interested in population dynamics, and how small-scale demographic studies on model organisms can help us understand important ecological processes. George's thesis focuses on fish fitness, and how predation risk can impact the fitness and behavior of bluebanded gobies (Lythrypnus dalli). |
Alexis EstradaStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Mark Steele, Fish Ecology Research Interests: Her research interests are centered around understanding how marine populations respond to and recover from human-mediated impacts such as overfishing and habitat degredation. Alexis’ thesis examines potential factors influencing recovery of green abalone at Santa Catalina Island which was once a major important commercial and recreational fishery in California. |
Lansing PerngStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: She is studying the potential of non-calcified algae to create alkaline pH microenvironments as a possible mitigating factor to ocean acidification. Her experiments are conducted in Moorea, French Polynesia, where she explores the possibility of coralline algae finding refuge under macroalgal canopies. |
Bridget ShaykaStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: She studies the effects of ocean acidification and nutrient addition on tropical crustose coralline algae. She does mesocosm water chemistry manipulation studies to understand the physiological responses of the algae. She does her research in Moorea, French Polynesia. |
Erika NavaStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Mark Steele, Fish Ecology Research Interests: She is interested in developing methods to improve and evaluate Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s). She plans to compare fish movement and foraging behavior within and outside MPA’s. |
Brian PenaStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Larry Allen, Ichthyology Research Interests: He studies differences of growth rates and size structures on the slow-growing vermilion rockfish, Sebastes miniatus, along California. He collects vermilions from Monterey down to Long Beach. When he isn’t fishing for vermilions, he’s fishing for yellowtails. |
Calvin WonStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Larry Allen, Ichthyology Research Interests: His current research interests are focused primarily on broad-scale spatial variability in fish spawning aggregation behavior. He is currently working on his thesis, where he is using active acoustic technology to explore the spatial tendencies of spawning Barred Sand Bass in relation to environmental factors. In a broader perspective, spatial variability of fishes has a tremendous effect on fishery-dependent stock assessments. |
Ashley PotterStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Pete Edmunds, Polyp Lab Research Interests: She is broadly interested in understanding the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on the ecology and physiology of both scleractinian and non-scleractinian invertebrates on coral reefs in Mo'orea, French Polynesia and St. john USVI. |
Kathryn ScafidiStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Mark Steele, Fish Ecology Research Interests: She is interested in looking at how some local fishes are interacting with the invasive alga, Sargassum horneri, specifically how their foraging, growth, and reproduction are affected. |
Danielle BeckerStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Nyssa Silbiger, Quantitative Marine Ecology Research Interests: Her research interests are centered on how local and global anthropogenic stressors are impacting coral reef resilience. More specifically, her research will explore how anthropogenic eutrophication impacts thermal sensitivity and coral physiology to understand real-world responses of corals to current and future ocean conditions. Her research will be conducted in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. |
Jack CorsoStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Peter Edmonds, Polyp Lab Research Interests: Jack's Research looked at how healthy populations of reef-building corals are able to survive in marginal environments. His work focuses on the mechanisms that are driving these corals to persist under extreme conditions. |
Emily WilsonStatus: Alumni Graduate Student Lab: Dr. Kerry Nickols, Coastal Ecology & Oceanography Research Interests: Emily's research focuses on characterizing zooplankton assemblages in native eelgrass and oyster habitats in Newport Bay, California. Social Media: Instagram & Twitter - @emwilson243 |
Jessica PeriaStatus: Alumni Graduate Student Lab: Dr. Mark A, Steele, Fish Ecology Lab Research Interests: Her research interests are centered on Giant Black Sea Bass Identification |
Kiran ReedStatus: Alumni Graduate Student Lab: Dr. Mark A, Steele, Fish Ecology Lab Research Interests: Her research interests are centered on the non-consumptive effects of Giant Black Sea Bass |
Elizabeth Burns
Status: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Larry Allen, Ichthyology Lab Research Interests: Her primary interests are in the apex predator of the giant kelp forest, the critically endangered giant sea bass. She focused on the recording of their spawning events in the field. |
Kaela TylerStatus: Alumni Graduate Student
Lab: Dr. Robert Carpenter, Phycology Research Interests: Her work focuses on investigating the interactive effects of multiple variable stressors on the physiology of crustose coralline algae. |