IMS Research Associates and Fellows

With the exception of SWFSC and USGS research affiliates, IMS appoints a limited number of courtesy appointments (Research Fellow and Research Associate). Courtesy appointments are honorary titles appointed to non-UCSC affiliated scholars and scientists of distinguished standing that are interested in continuing their research, scholarship and creative activities in an academic environment. These titles are non-salaried, carry no university duties, imply no university support, and have no direct employment with UCSC.

 

Alejandro Acevedo Guitierrez, Research Associate/Professor in Biology and Science Education, Western Washington University: Understanding the role of marine mammals in their environment and their interactions with humans. The majority of this research has been conducted on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Salish Sea.

Eric Anderson, Research Associate/Research Molecular Geneticist Fisheries Collaborative Program: Statistical and computational methods for inference from genetic data. Methods directly relevant to management and conservation of fish species. Work is directed toward the use of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for fisheries management.

Ryan Anderson, Research Associate/Assistant Professor Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University: His current research focuses on conservation, sustainability, and development along the California coast (in Mexico and the US). This includes research about coastal erosion and sea level rise adaptation in California, and ongoing work on conservation, development, and governance in Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. 

Erick Bjorkstedt, Research Associate/Fisheries Collaborative Program: Using empirical, theoretical, and statistical approaches to understand biological and physical processes that influence population structure, population dynamics, and recruitment success of marine fishes and invertebrates; the evolution of life histories in dynamic marine environments; and ecosystem dynamics of marine systems.

Claudio Campagna, Research Associate/Adjunct Professor of EEB, Conservation Biologist Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Scientific research and conservation work on elephant seals, sea lions and whales.

Guy Cochrane, Research Associate/Research Geophysicist with USGS PCMSC:

Peter Cook, Research Associate

E.J. Dick, Research Asscoiate/Fisheries Collaborative Program

Amy East, Research Associate/Research Geologist with USGS PCMSC: Applied sedimentology and geomorphology; sediment transport and stratigraphic evolution in modern and ancient systems. Use of the stratigraphic record in tectonic and climatic signal interpretation. Application of field studies to ecosystem restoration and management.

Heidi Fish, Research Fellow/Research Fishery Biologist, Fisheries Ecology Division, SWFSC, NOAA Fisheries: Salmon life history and stream survey methods.

Ann Gibbs, Research Associate/Geologist with USGS PCMSC: Coastal and nearshore mapping and change analysis utilizing a variety of data types including photography, videography, lidar, total station, and historical hydrographic and topographic data. Evaluating historical shoreline change and projected coastal change and hazards in northern Alaska.

Libby Gilbert-Horvath, Research Fellow/Fisheries Collaborative Program

Mike Goebel, Research Associate

Allison Gong, Research Associate/Adjunct Biology Instructor at Cabrillo College: Temperate marine invertebrates, especially life cycles and larval development.

Eric Grossman, Research Associate/Geologist with USGS PCMSC: Llate Quaternary sea-level history, coral reef evolution and geology, benthic habitats and ecology, continental shelf sedimentation and stratigraphy.

Gerald Hatcher, Research Fellow/Ocean Engineer with USGS PCMSC: Underwater imaging system design, autonomous instrument control and data logging, electronics and software development.

Nick Holmes, Research Associate

Bruce Jaffe, Research Associate: Coastal geologic and physical processes, ranging from surf-zone sediment transport and hydrodynamics to interpretation and modeling of paleotsunami deposits.

Cordell Johnson, Research Fellow/Physical Scientistist with USGS PCMSC: design, implementation, and supervision of novel multi-disciplinary field experiments conducted in studies of physical oceanography, submarine groundwater discharge, and sedimentology.

Rosemary Kosaka, Research Fellow/Economist Fisheries Collaborative Program

Janet Leonard, Research Associate: Identify mating behaviors of several local species of gastropods.

Steve Lonhart, Research Associate/SIMoN Senior Scientist: Kelp forest ecology, invasion biology, biogeography and marine invertebrates.

Joseph Merz, Research Associate/Assistant Adjunct Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology: Relationships between aquatic species and their environments and the effects of anthropogenic influences on those relationships.

Michael Murray, Research Associate/DVM Monterey Bay Aquarium

Michael O'Farrell, Research Associate/Research Fishery Biologist Fisheries Collaborative Program: The science of natural resource management.

Guy Oliver, Research Associate: Investigate the behavior, ecology and physiology of Northern elephant seals, California sea lions, Steller sea lions and harbor seals at Año Nuevo and throughout their ranges.

Nancy Prouty, Research Associate/Research Oceanographer with USGS PCMSC: Development and application of unique and robust geochemical proxies derived from shallow and deep-sea corals to enhance our understanding across space and time of compounding effects of climate variability and land-use change.

Joanne Reiter, Research Associate: Principal researcher with the UCSC northern elephant seal project.

Keith Sakuma, Research Associate/Member of the Groundfish Analysis Team with SWFSC, NOAA Fisheries: Annual pelagic juvenile rockfish and ecosystem assessment midwater trawl survey.

Scott Shaffer, Research Associate/Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at SJSU: Physiological Ecology of vertebrate animals, especially birds and mammals.

James Smith, Research Associate/Fisheries Collaborative Program; Evaluating the impacts of climate variability and change on fishing communities and key US-managed fisheries in the California Current System and on developing climate-ready, ecosystem-based fisheries management strategies to increase resilience of communities and fisheries in the region to changing conditions.

Brandon Southall, Research Associate: President and Chief Scientist for Southall Environmental Associates (SEA)

Brian Spence, Research Associate/Fisheries Collaborative Program: The interactions between anadromous salmonids and their environments across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales.

Curt Storlazzi, Research Associate/Research Geologist with USGS PCMSC: The influence of physical processes on coral and bedrock reef habitats and ecosystems.

Justin Suca, Research Associate/Fisheries Collaborative Program

Renee Takesue, Research Associate/Research Geologist with USGS PCMSC: Land-to-sea runoff of sediment and contaminants driven by both natural processes and human activities and their effects on coastal communities.

Julie Thayer, Research Associate/Marine Ecologist Farallon Institute: Conducting research on ecolog of predators and forage species in the California Current Ecosystem, including climate variability and resulting oceanographic effects and approaches to ecosystem-based management.

Jonathan Warrick, Research Associate, Research Geologist with USGS PCMSC: Rivers and physical changes that occcur to coastal systems. Investigates watersheds and their erosional and sediment transport processes and the geomorphic, oceanographic and ecological effects of reiver-based materials that are discharged to the sea. 

Thomas Williams, Research Fellow/Research Fishery Biologist Fisheries Collaborative Program: The ecology of Pacific salmon and trout and how populations track changes in the environment.