As an Assistant Research Professor at Arizona State University, Katie is a marine ecologist reconstructing long-term change in coastal ecosystems to motivate and inform their conservation. Her current research is focused on improving the health of coral reefs by pinpointing the social and ecological mechanisms of recent declines and identifying market-based strategies that can improve the sustainability of coral reef fisheries. Katie's work is interdisciplinary, spanning the fields of marine ecology, marine policy, paleobiology, and environmental economics.

Ross was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and has always had an abiding love for the waterways of the Salish Sea. Originally a theatre technician, Ross returned to school later in life for his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (2011), a Masters at the University of British Columbia in Zoology (2013), and a PhD currently in-progress at the University of Oregon. He has worked as a dive technician for the Hakai Institute and as the central technician for the Smiths

Luis is a senior biology and music double major at Amherst College, graduating in December of 2022. He plans to pursue a doctorate in marine science and hopes to do research on coastal ecosystems. He is especially interested in working with sea otters. His work focuses on using computing to conduct ecological analysis. He loves animals and hopes his career as a biologist will give me the opportunity to work with them closely.

Carmen started work with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and MarineGEO in June 2018. She works on several long-term studies in the Chesapeake Bay region in collaboration with the Fisheries Conservation lab and can usually be found somewhere on the water or under it. In the lab, she currently focuses on epifaunal invertebrate identification for an NSF project on eelgrass wasting disease in eastern Pacific coastlines. 

Katie earned her Master of Environmental Management degree (focused on Coastal Environmental Management) from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in 2019. Before graduating, she worked in environmental education teaching about marine ecosystems on both coasts of the United States. Those experiences greatly influenced her decision to pursue her graduate research analyzing public perceptions of sharks and their implications on wildlife conservation.

Kirsten graduated from Colby College in 2020 with a major in Environmental Science and a concentration in Aquatic Science. She is interested in the idea of resilient communities and exploring how biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing intersect and respond to climate change.  

During her internship with MarineGEO, Kirsten helped curate and organize the SeagrassNet database. SeagrassNet is a global ecological monitoring program started in 2001 which investigates and documents the status of seagrass resources and the threats to this ecosystem.