Where it all started...

I grew up in sunny San Diego and the Pacific Ocean became my first marine home.  But, during summers, my family and I would vacation in Cape Cod, MA at our family cottage.  I loved spending time on the Atlantic Ocean, and at the time, did not realize I had already begun to compare the two ecosystems.  When I was 8, I sailed on my uncle's tugboat from Seattle, WA to various ports in Alaska, and my love and curiosity for the ocean was solidified. 

I went to the University of California Santa Cruz and double majored in Marine Biology (B.S.) and Environmental Studies (B.A.).  During this time, I realized that marine science was both a passion and a serious career choice.  I volunteered on a series of NOAA led fisheries cruises throughout the California Current and helped fish rockfish for a study examining their reproductive potential for stock assessments, and the impacts and solutions for barotrauma. I spent three months in an education abroad program in northeastern Australia studying marine biology and became fascinated with fish interactions on coral reefs. Also during an REU at the University of Rhode Island, I helped with weekly research fish trawls in Narragansett Bay describing fish abundance throughout the summer.  

Beyond my intrigue for fish, studying fisheries science seemed the right fit since this industry is incredibly important culturally and economically in the United States.  Overfishing is detrimental local and regional economics and marine ecosystems, and adverse effects from climate change are adding additional stressors to fish populations.  My ultimate goal is to address the impacts of climate change on fish populations so fisheries management plans can adapt, allowing sustainable fishing under a changing environment.