Principal Investigator: Ellen Hines, PhD
My research addresses population and community ecology of threatened and endangered species as related to local conservation efforts and regional scale coastal and marine management science. The emphasis is on the evolution of consistent standards of field methodology and monitoring techniques and on the creation of educational materials that can be applied to community-based conservation planning. Current projects include international research on marine mammal bycatch in Chile.
CO-ADVISOR: Anne Simonis, PhD
Dr. Anne Simonis is an acoustic ecologist, whose research explores marine mammal acoustic behavior, foraging ecology, and human impacts, including ocean noise and fishery interactions. She is an adjunct professor of biology at San Francisco State University and affiliate researcher with the Southwest Acoustic Ecology Lab at NOAA Fisheries. In addition to her research, she is enthusiastic about citizen science, and providing opportunities for students to conduct authentic, independent research - see more about her work at www.annesimonis.com.
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A mix of visiting professors, researchers, past and current students of the Hines lab. In the front row left is Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam and second from right her PhD student, Sandra Teoh from Malaysia. At the far right is our Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Jom Acebes from the Philippines.
Current Students
DJ Alejandro
It’s with great honor to say that I am a Bay Area native growing up next to an ocean. Vivid childhood memories of exploring the tidepools in Half Moon Bay or visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium instilled a passion for marine ecosystems that continues till this day.
I’ve spent a majority of my marine science career studying California’s coastline. Before completing my Bachelor’s degree at CSU East Bay, I rounded out my undergraduate experience by participating in the CSU Marine Biology semester at USC Wrigley's Institute for Environmental Science on Catalina Island. The subsequent years were spent supporting teaching and administrative roles with The Marine Science Institute, an educational non-profit in Redwood City, CA.
For my thesis research, I am studying the instance of microplastics in northern anchovies (Engraulis mordax) collected from the South-East Farallon Islands. In partnership with Point Blue Conservation Science, this project will analyze prey samples collected from a long-term Rhinoceros Auklet (a resident seabird from the island) diet survey to determine the potential risk of consuming anchovies contaminated with microplastic particles. The project includes particle isolation using digestion, quantification using epifluorescence microscopy, and particle analysis using infrared spectrometry. I’m thrilled to be working on this project and excited to investigate an area that has not be inspected for microplastic ingestion before!
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MARIA SALGADO
As a born and raised Californian, I have always enjoyed exploring our different landscapes from mountains, deserts, and ocean. In recent years, I have been lucky enough to explore outside of California. Seeing howler monkeys in Panama, elephants walking curbside in Thailand, snorkeling within the fish communities in Mexico and admiring sea turtles from afar in Hawaii, all increasing my interest in conserving them and the world we share. I received my B.S. in biology at CSU San Bernandino. Throughout my undergrad, I was a student assistant at CSUSB’s biological vivarium, where I helped with research on mice, kangaroo rats, and alligators. After graduating, I obtained employment at USC- Keck medical school as an animal laboratory technician.
Currently, I am in my second year of the Interdisciplinary Marine and Estuarine Sciences program. My thesis project is in collaboration with Point Blue Conservation Science. My research focuses on the relationship between ocean conditions and California sea lions diet on the Farallon Islands. I am interested in how the indirect effects of climate change impact wildlife.
alex bevan
I am a native Californian and have spent most of my life in gold country and Santa Cruz. I earned my BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCSC and went on to work for the university coordinating logistics for field biology classes in Big Sur, Point Reyes, Yosemite, and Baja. I am also a volunteer at Monterey Bay Aquarium and spend most of my time there tracking tagged sea otters in the wild.
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I'm collaborating with an environmental non-profit organization in Belize, Ecomar. My thesis project is to examine drone footage of manatees around St. George's Caye and model their habitat use for marine spatial planning around the island.
rebekah lane
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emporia State University and Master of Science in Education from Fort Hays State University in my home state of Kansas. I taught high school field ecology for two years before moving to the Bay Area to pursue my interests in marine mammal science. I am working with Dr. Ellen Hines and scientists at The Marine Mammal Center to study anthropogenic impacts on marine mammals in the Bay Area. Specifically I'm tracking boats coming into and leaving San Francisco Bay through the Golden Gate Bridge and modeling the risk of collisions with baleen whales.
kathryn high
I am a Bay area native, who grew up spending most of my free time outdoors and volunteering with East Bay Regional Park District with my family as soon as I could walk. Marine biology was one of the only subjects I was interested in from a young age, leading to myself earning a B.S. in Marine Biology from San Jose State University.
I have spent a couple years in the Stranding Network for dead marine mammals, which lead me to California Academy of Sciences. I am lucky to have built a relationship with people at California Academy of Sciences, and will be partnering with them for my thesis investigating spatial and temporal trend analysis of long term (1908-2019) Stranding Network data.
MARINA BOZINOVIC
Growing up in the Bay Area and spending summers in Greece likely fueled my fascination with the ocean and marine life. After earning a B.S. in Aquatic Biology and a minor in Spatial Studies from UC Santa Barbara, I joined the occupational and scientific diving world. I worked for six years as a Dive Officer at the California Academy of Sciences, supporting aquarium diving operations and deep coral reef research using rebreathers.
My next career goal is to integrate the fields of GIS and marine science. In partnership with NOAA Fisheries, my research uses passive acoustic monitoring to characterize the soundscape in the California Current in relation to noise exposure for beaked and sperm whales.
preston duncan
Kelly DeForest
Growing up in Ventura, California, I developed a joy for the outdoors and passion for wildlife. I attended UC Santa Cruz to receive a BS in Environmental Studies/Biology, and afterwards spent several years working seasonal field technician positions throughout California. I eventually landed in Marin County, where I spent three seasons monitoring my study species, the Northern Spotted Owl, in Marin County.
Broadly, I am interested in using GIS to analyze factors that affect breeding success and frequency in this population, and also assess risks they are facing spatially. I aim to bridge the gap between science and land management, and would like to contribute to continued effective conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl in Marin County.
I grew up in Olympia, Washington, where I spent a lot of my childhood swooning over piles of harbor seals and shining flashlights under moonlit docks in search of shiny shrimp eyes. After exploring a few different pathways in community college, I attended the University of Washington where I discovered the wonderful world of map making and received a B.S. in Environmental Science. Post-graduation, I spent a couple of years working at a drone-based multispectral camera startup, and now I work at a forest conservation consulting firm in the Bay Area. I’m also a volunteer beach surveyor for NOAA, where I monitor live and dead marine mammals and birds on sanctuary beaches.
I am thrilled to be conducting my thesis research in Dr. Ellen Hines’ lab and in partnership with Point Blue Conservation Science. For my thesis, I will be investigating the relationships between oceanic climate variables, spatial and temporal distribution of baleen whales, and ship strike risk in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Check back later for more details!
Margaret Whitlock
I was fortunate enough to grow up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, but I spent every vacation at my grandmother’s house perched above the beach near Santa Cruz. Playing at the water’s edge, body surfing, and exploring led me to a fascination with science.
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I pursued a B.A. in Biology and English from Albion College in Michigan, a seemingly odd place to follow my salty dreams. Yet, during those four years, I had the opportunity to sail the Caribbean, become a dive instructor, and research sharks and turtles in Hawaii, providing me with an interdisciplinary education that solidified my passion for the ocean. Even though I’ve been fortunate enough to dive and explore coral reefs, I’m happiest studying the kelp enriched, cold water ocean of the Pacific.
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I am currently studying the effects of sea level rise on northern elephant seal and Pacific harbor seal habitat at Point Reyes National Seashore. I am honored to work with Dr. Hines and her lab.
DAGNY YSAIS
JACKSON VANFLEET BROWN
KATHI GEORGE
I am a first-generation college student from Long Beach, California. I attended community college in Torrance and volunteered at the Marine Mammal Care Center, which is where I realized that I wanted to work around animals. I received my bachelor’s degree from Cal State Monterey Bay in Marine Science.
After that, I worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife assisting in research and educating children. My time as an educator and accepting various animal care and field internships taught me that I wanted to do more for wildlife, and that was when I decided to go back to school and get my graduate degree. I started at San Francisco State University in 2021, where I will be looking at population changes of harbor seals along the central coast of California.
Growing up on the shore of San Francisco Bay, I developed an interest in science and seafaring that led me to explore coastal California and far beyond. Broad exposure to geophysical and ecological monitoring shaped me into a versatile research technician with a variety of skills and interests. For my thesis, I will use drifting recorders to acoustically detect and classify whale species. This work is key to surveying population trends amidst disturbances like offshore wind development.
In 2005, I responded to an entangled humpback whale. The experience embedded in me the direct and indirect impact that humans have on wildlife and their habitats. My work on that response ultimately led me to the cayes of Belize, where I managed a field station for student groups and professional biologists. Upon returning to California, I co-founded California Whale Rescue, a volunteer organization dedicated to whale entanglement response and prevention. I am currently the Director of Field Operations & Response at The Marine Mammal Center and a Level 3 Co-Investigator in NOAA's large whale entanglement response network. My favorite places in the world are underwater and on boats in addition to exploring California's coasts and mountains with my husband and son.
My master's thesis focuses on baleen whale presence in the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries as well as science connection to policy.
Recent Graduates
Bethany Frantz
dennis jongsomjit
tishma patel
After growing up in southern California deserts, I moved to Oregon and was captivated with the foggy coastlines and rainy forests. I earned my B.S. in Biology at Portland State University, where I researched the ecology of macroparasites in amphibians. While at PSU, I was introduced to both science outreach (with the Museum of Natural History) and conservation GIS. In the last few years in the Bay Area, I’ve volunteered with the environmental education non-profit, Junior Wildlife Ranger, and continued assisting on GIS projects, such as mapping species’ ranges for bats in Africa.
For my thesis, I worked with Dr. Hines in collaboration with Chilean researchers at the University of Valparaíso. Using tracking data, I characterized the marine habitat of South American sea lions in northern Chile and doing a spatial risk assessment of bycatch in local fisheries.
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I grew up in a concrete jungle daydreaming about chasing wolves and stalking cheetahs far away from home. I ended up studying Wildlife Conservation Biology at UC Davis where I
earned my Bachelor of Science degree. Instead
of cheetahs I ended up stalking wrentits for a
long-term ecological research study with Point Blue Conservation Science. After several years
of fieldwork throughout California I turned my attention to modeling changing bird distributions
in the context of climate change using GIS tools.
My masters thesis involved describing environmental factors driving winter migration patterns of Adélie penguins within the highly productive Ross Sea, Antarctica. I hope this work will help inform and improve the management of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area.
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I am a GIS specialist in the Climate Change Group at Point Blue Conservation Science.
I am a California native who grew up biking along the Long Beach shoreline, having beach days, and visiting the local aquarium. I attended CSU Monterey Bay for my B.S. in Marine Science and found my love for education and conservation.
My master's thesis focuses on a range-wide assesment on finless porpoises (Neophocaena), from the Persian Gulf through south and southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. I am focusing on threats that are affecting their populations along with any conservation efforts throughout their distribution.
Currently, I am working as the Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator for the Greater Farallones Association and the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries.
anna costanza
"Growing up in land-locked Illinois, I am excited to be on the west coast studying the intersection of Marine Sciences, GIS and small-scale fisheries. I earned a B.A. in Environmental Science and Ecology from Goshen College, Indiana, earned a Certificate II in Geographic Information Systems and Technology from Foothill College and recently graduated from with an MS from SFSU in August 2021.
For my thesis, I conducted a participatory bycatch risk assessment for humpback whales in small scale fisheries in Northern Peru. See a research presentation of my work here. Here is a copy of the journal article I published with my colleagues.
Currently, I am working as a GIS technician at the Midpeninsula Regional Openspace District.
Allison payne
I received my BA in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley, where I wrote my senior thesis on fox squirrel space use. After graduation I began working as a naturalist for local whale watching operations, ultimately leading over 600 educational trips into the San Francisco Bay and Gulf of the Farallones. I am a research associate with The Marine Mammal Center Cetacean Field Research team, as well as a licensed captain and drone pilot. I'm currently working on my PhD in Roxanne Beltran's lab at UC Santa Cruz.
My Master's thesis examined long-term scarring on humpback whales in the Gulf of the Farallones to determine if there were increases in entanglement after a major marine heatwave. I am currently a PhD student in the Beltran lab at UCSC, where I am studying the use of elephant seals as mobile sensor platforms to detect whales in the deep ocean. I am the project coordinator for Building a Better Fieldwork Future, which provides preventative training to reduce harassment in the field. I would love to connect on Twitter, Instagram, or my website, WhaleGirl.Org!
LINDSAY YOUNG
I’m a Bay Area native who grew up biking along the shoreline and dragon boat racing in the estuary. I attended UC Santa Cruz for my B.S. in Marine Biology and M.A. in Education, before teaching high school chemistry.
Now that I’ve returned to field science, I am most interested in how local populations of marine mammals are using San Francisco Bay, especially in this time of climate change. My thesis used stable isotopes with samples from stranded harbor porpoises to examine patterns of nutrition in relation to recent ocean warming events in the eastern Pacific.
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I am currently the Museum Educator and Curriculum Developer at the Oakland Museum of California.
