COSEE-West partners with scientists to convey current ocean-related science to teachers, students, and the public. This effort is primarily carried out through face to face lectures and workshops and online workshops, but it is not limited to these means of outreach. Many of the lectures and associate materials are archived for future use.
COSEE West Concept Mapping Workshop for Scientists and Science Graduate Students
Workshop Dates/Times:
Friday, April 1 12pm- 5:30pm
Monday, April 4: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, April 5: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Workshop will be held at University of Southern California
Biographical links:
- Peggy Fong, UCLA, Community ecology of coastal lagoons, estuaries, and coral reefs
- Jed Fuhrman USC Marine microbial ecology and human pathogens in marine environments
- Chris Lowe, CSU Long Beach Physiological and behavioral ecology of elasmobranchs and other gamefishes
- Aradhna Tripati, UCLA, Carbon cycle/climate interactions and paleoclimate geological oceanography
- Sergio Sanudo-Wilhelmy USC Environmental biogeochemistry, phytoplankton dynamics
- Application for the Concept Mapping workshop
"Tell Me A Story" (27:01)
WNYC's Radio Lab podcast
Robert Krulwich gave the commencement speech at California Institute of Technology in 2008. In this podcast, he introduces his speech this way: "I wanted to make a case for talking about science to folks who may not be all that well versed or even all that interested in scienc-y things because talking about this stuff, I argued, has very powerful consequences, so take a listen."
An excerpt from Robert Krulwich's speech: "Talking about science, telling stories to regular folks is not a trivial thing. Scientists need to tell stories to non-scientists because science stories, and you know this, have to compete with other stories about how the universe works and how the universe came to be. And some of those other stories - bible stories, movie stories, myths - can be very beautiful and very compelling, but to protect science and scientists - this is not a gentle competition - so you've got to get in there and tell yours, your version of how things are and why things came to be."
A few resources that may be of assistance with communicating science to the public:
Am I Making Myself Clear?: A Scientist's Guide to Talking to the Public
by Cornelia Dean
Harvard University Press, 2009
ISBN-10: 0674036352
ISBN-13: 978-0674036352
Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style
by Randy Olson
Island Press, 2009
ISBN-10: 1597265632
ISBN-13: 978-1597265638
Communicating and Leaning About Global Climate Change
An abbreviated Guide for Teaching Climate Change, from Project 2061 at AAAS
To order these, visit this website.
Improving How Scientists Communicate about Climate Change (PDF)
by Susan Joy Hasson
Eos, Vol. 49, No. 11, 11 March 2008
Talking Science: The Elusive Art of the Science Talk (18:34 min)
From the "Shifting Baselines" Film Library, presented by USC Wrigley
Institute of Environmental Studies and USC Annenberg School for Communication
Since 2002, these are the scientists who have worked with COSEE-West in providing outreach education.
Speakers
A
Dr. Peter ADAM
Northwest Missouri State University
29 March 2008, Marine Mammal Workshop, “Natural History and Evolution of Pinnipeds: Sea Lions, Seals & Walruses” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Although pinnipeds are often considered to be generalist feeders on fish and squid, many living species are specially adapted for filtering prey from the water or for suction feeding on bivalves. Pinnipeds also show considerable diversity in how they swim, with sea lions propelling themselves primarily with the front fins and seals with the hind fins. Peter examines the evolution of feeding and locomotion in pinnipeds using phylogenies (evolutionary trees), functional anatomy, and a survey of fossil species.
BIO:
Peter is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has been examining the evolution of feeding and locomotion in pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and
walrus) and other marine mammals.
Dr. Satie AIRAME
University of California, Santa Barbara
16 March - 3 April 2009, Marine Protected Areas and the Marine Life Protection Act online workshop, “The Science of Marine Protected Areas” Lecture
21 October 2008, “The Science of Marine Protected Areas” Lecture
5 March 2005, “Channel Islands” Workshop
ABSTRACT:
Passed into California state law in 1999, the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) requires a statewide system of marine protected areas be created to protect, among other things, marine life, habitat, and ecosystems. The initial planning stages of the MLPA process are ongoing in Southern California from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to the California border with Mexico, including offshore islands. Ocean science plays an important role in planning marine protected areas. Satie will present a free public lecture about marine protected areas and the most current scientific understanding about their effects on ocean ecosystems. For additional information about the MLPA Initiative, visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.
BIO:
Since 2002, Satie served as a marine policy coordinator for PISCO (Partnership for
Interdisciplinary Studies of Coast Oceans) at the Marine Science Institute at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Together with other PISCO scientists, Satie is a convening lead author of a series of educational booklets and a film, “The Science of Marine Reserves.” From
1999 to 2004, Satie was a scientific advisor for the Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary. As an advisor, Satie helped marine scientists gather and analyze information needed for the design, monitoring and evaluation of marine protected areas at the Channel
Islands. Recently, Satie joined the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative team to support their science advisors during the ongoing process to design a network of marine protected areas in southern California.
B
Phil BARNES
Aerospace engineer
28 October 2006, Seabirds & Satellites: Science & Language Arts workshop, “How Flies the Albatross: Understanding Dynamic Soaring”
ABSTRACT:
Learn from aerospace engineer Phil Barnes how the Wandering Albatross remains aloft without flapping its wings as it travels several times per year around the globe. This multi-disciplinary presentation, with something for everyone, applies math and science to understand the amazing phenomenon of dynamic soaring. He hopes that his presentation, which closes with computer simulations of the albatross in flight, will stir greater interest in halting the slide to extinction of this wonderful bird.
BIO:
Phil has a Master’s degree in Aero Engineering, and has been with Northrop-Grumman Corporation for over 25 years.
Maddalena BEARZI 
Ocean Conservation Society
15 May 2003, “Untying the Dynamics of Dolphin Social Life” online lecture
BIO:
Maddalena received her Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles. She is the founder and President of the Ocean Conservation Society, conducting marine mammal research; obtaining funding for marine related projects by seeking grants, and contributions; increasing public awareness of problems facing marine ecosystems through development and dissemination of educational materials, lectures, reports, etc; providing student programs and on-the-water internships. She also works as a consultant for Ocean Technology and Environmental Consulting where she advises on different aspects of ocean science and marine research and provides consulting for scientific writing.
Julie BURSEK
Education Coordinator, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
8 June 2008, The LiMPETS Coastal Monitoring Program Workshop, “LiMPETS: Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
In this workshop you will learn how to collect rocky intertidal and beach data and become part of the LiMPETS network of more than 35,000 California teachers & students. Learn about the organisms living in local rocky intertidal and beach environments by examining live individuals.
BIO:
Julie is the Education Coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's southern office in Channel Islands Harbor, working to develop education programs, products and partnerships that increase awareness about the sanctuary's cultural and living resources. Prior to her work with the National Marine Sanctuary Program, she spent over 12 years conducting scientific investigations of the offshore, shallow subtidal and intertidal systems of the southern California Bight including the Channel Islands. Her professional experience includes the development and implementation of floating laboratory educational and research programs. Julie holds a bachelor's degree in Aquatic Biology from University of California at Santa Barbara and a Master's degree in Biology from California State University Fullerton.
C
Dr. Douglas CAPONE
University of Southern California
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop, “Planet of the Prokaryotes or On the Importance of Being Little” Lecture
31 March 2008, Informal Science Center Retreat, “Planet of the Prokaryotes, or the importance of being little” Lecture
BIO:
Doug received his Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences of the University of Miami (Fl) in 1978. He joined the faculty of the Marine Sciences Research Center of Stony Brook University (NY) in 1979 and the Center for Environmental Science of the University of Maryland in 1987. Since 1999, he has held the Wrigley Chair of Environmental Biology at the University of Southern California and is currently Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences. He has participated in over 30 major oceanographic expeditions to the tropical Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific Oceans including to the Great Barrier Reef, over 10 as chief scientist. Doug is a leading expert on the marine N cycle. In particular, he has shown nitrogen fixation to be a key biogeochemical process in several marine ecosystems. His work has revealed how nitrogen fixation may be a major determinant of the capacity of tropical oceans to take up atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Dr. Dave CARON
University of Southern California
4-19 March 2006, “Harmful Algal Blooms: Causes, Effects and the Status of Research to Understand Them” Online Workshop, Lecture
ABSTRACT:
The topic of this talk is on harmful algal blooms, both locally here in the Southern California Bight area and also nationally. What causes them?
10 March 2004, Oceans and Human Health, Lecture
BIO:
After earning his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Techonology and Woods Hole Oceanopraphic Institute (WHOI) in a joint program in Biological Oceanography in 1984, Dave has done field research at field stations in Bermuda, Jamaica, Barbados, Catalina, Island and the Caribbean and participated in 24 major research cruises, becoming a senior scientist at WHOI. He is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Southern California. Research interests include marine and freshwater microbial ecology, with emphasis on the trophic relationships between protists (microalgae and protozoa) and other planktonic and benthic microorganisms. Recent research programs have focused on the distribution, feeding ecology, respiration and nutrient regeneration of bacterivorous and herbivorous protozoa, the ecology of harmful algae, the physiology of Antarctic protists, feeding and growth of phagotrophic (mixotrophic) microalgae, and the development of molecular biological approaches for studying the ecology of free-living microorganisms.
Dr. Frank CARSEY 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
13 April 2005, Scientists are recording extensive climate change in Earth's polar regions-Why should anyone living in California care? “Ice Science & Satellites: a Natural Partnership”, Lecture
BIO/ABSTRACT:
Frank received his Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA in 1971. Since then he has focused on the study of Earth and planetary ice. His interests lie in the integration of new technology into projects to make challenging science happen. Most of his professional work has involved sea ice and ice sheets as components of Earth's climate system, and he is now involved in looking into similar questions on Mars and Europa. Frank coauthored the finest-resolution map of Antarctica made to date.
Dr. Ivona CETINIC
University of Maine
10-14 August 2009, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System
(SCCOOS): Ocean at your fingertips” Lecture
11-15 August 2008, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS): Ocean at your fingertips” Lecture
BIO:
Ivona is a Post Doctorate scholar at the Darling Marine Center, University of Maine. She received her Ph.D. from University of Southern California. Her research interests include phytoplankton ecology, taxonomy, coupling of biological & physical processes, and ocean optics.
Dr. Yi CHAO
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
3-23 November 2008, Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change online workshop, “Changing climate and the California coastal ocean” Lecture
3 February 2007, “Climate Change and Ocean Currents”, Lecture
January 2007, Changing Climate and the California Coastal Ocean, “Changing climate and the California coastal ocean”, Lecture
BIO:
Yi is a Principal Scientist for the Earth and Space Science Division at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL), Pasadena, California. His research interests include climate change, computer model simulations, ocean observing and prediction. Yi is the Project Scientist of the Aquarius satellite mission that will be launched in 2009 to measure the sea surface salinity from space. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences of UCLA, and a member of the newly established Joint JPL-UCLA Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering. Yi has a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from Princeton University. He received NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2005 and Dr. Charles K. Witham Environmental Stewardship Award in 2004.
Dr. James CHILDRESS
University of California, Santa Barbara
29 November 2006, “The Future Is Uncertain, & the End is Always Near: Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Animals & Communities” Lecture
BIO:
Jim received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1968, with a research project on physiological adaptations of pelagic animals to oxygen minimum layers in the deep sea. Since then he has been on the faculty at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he continues his research into the physiology of deep-living pelagic animals. In 2005 he received the Cody Award in Ocean Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He has carried out studies in the Eastern Pacific from the Galapagos to British Columbia, in the Western Pacific near Tonga and in the Gulf of Mexico, and has made more than 60 dives in deep submersibles. In 1976 he was involved in the discovery of mussels in the Gulf of Mexico with symbionts that metabolize natural gas, and this mussel species as well as 2 shrimps and 1 jellyfish are named after him. Jim participated in filming the IMAX film “Aliens of the Deep,” and when he is not underwater, he is an avid backpacker and sports car driver as well as an occasional writer of poetry.
Dr. Carolynn CULVER
UC Cooperative Extension, Sea Grant Extension Program
28 February 2009, Fish, Fishing, and Fisheries workshop, “Is that local fish on your dish?” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Carrie will discuss commercial fisheries of California, with a focus on the Santa Barbara Channel Region. She will highlight the diversity of local fishing methods and fisheries, as well as the factors affecting seafood availability. She will also provide information on classroom materials that educate students about the local ocean.
BIO:
Carrie received her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and a M.A. in Aquatic and Population Biology, both from UCSB where she was also a research biologist and lecturer prior to her current position as the Sea Grant Extension Marine Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. She conducts directed research and education in fisheries, aquatic invasive species and aquaculture. Current research areas include collaborative research and data collection programs for managing fisheries, management of aquatic invasive species (both freshwater and marine), and marine literacy and stewardship. Her prior research and professional experience includes shellfish culture for food and marine natural products, ecology of invertebrates of the offshore oil platforms, the first successful eradication of a marine pest and biology of the local spider crab.
D
Dr. Paul DAYTON
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
23 September 2006, Bringing Nature to Students workshop, “A Sense of Place, Biophilia, and the Importance of Education” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Paul’s hope is to create "a legacy of awareness and care for ecosystems whether marine or terrestrial," but he has been frustrated about the limited success of his conservation efforts. This talk will focus on what Paul sees as a massive shift in public interest away from a sense of place in both nature and culture, and on the urgent need to bring natural history studies back into education.
BIO:
Paul is a marine ecologist with wide-ranging interests in conservation. His research, for which he has received many scientific awards over the past 20 years, has focused on coastal, estuarine and Antarctic habitats.
Dr. John DORSEY
Loyola Marymount University
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, "The Ballona Wetlands: Where the Watershed Meets the Bay" Lecture
19 November 2004, Hands-On Learning in the Ballona Wetlands, Online multimedia
BIO:
John is an Associate Professor and Chair at Loyola Marymount University. He received his Masters from California State University, Long Beach and his Ph.D. from University of Melbourne, Australia. His research focus is on Marine Biology and Pollution Ecology.
Dr. Sabrina DRILL
University of California Cooperative Extension
25 February 2009, “Conserving Fish from the Mountains to the Sea” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Sabrina presents recent research on freshwater fisheries in watersheds in the Los Angeles. She discusses the ecology of and conservation efforts for steelhead trout from streams in the Santa Monica Mountains, and a study investigating the fishes and fishing community in the Los Angeles River near downtown LA.
BIO:
Sabrina is the Natural Resources Advisor for UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. She conducts directed research and education in watershed management, restoration of aquatic habitats, and regional conservation planning. Current research areas include conservation of aquatic habitats, aquatic invasive species, management of mosquitoes in aquatic restoration projects, land use planning and habitat conservation, and the relationship between urban landscaping, invasive species, and fire management. She is also co-authoring a curriculum about Southern California environments for English language learners. Her prior research experience includes work on the ecology of streams and wetlands in the northeastern US, conservation genetics of endangered fishes, and community based fisheries management and conservation in East African lakes. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography and a M.S. in Biology, both from UCLA.
F
Dr. James FAWCETT
University of Southern California Sea Grant
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop, (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy “A Brief History of Marina del Rey” Lecture
BIO:
James directs the marine science and policy outreach component of the USC Sea Grant Program as well as serving as the marine transportation/seaport specialist. In both roles he serves as a link between campus researchers, the marine transportation industry, government and the public on seaport operations and management, movement of marine freight and the environmental impact of this industry on southern California and the nation. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from California State University, Northridge and Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in urban and regional planning from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Peggy FONG
University of California, Los Angeles
21 January 2009, “Phase Shifts, Alternative Stable States, and the Loss of Ecosystem Function in Southern California Lagoons” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Coastal estuaries of southern California are diverse, productive systems that provide many important ecosystem functions and services; However, an estimated 90% have been lost to development and the remaining are at risk from severe degradation. Excessive nutrient input from urban development in southern California watersheds has caused a series of shifts in the primary producer communities of our estuaries. Seagrass dominated estuaries are now dominated by massive, harmful blooms of opportunistic green macroalgae. These macroalgal blooms are stabilized by several positive feedback loops in the ecosystem. Experimental evidence strongly suggests that additional increases in nutrient supply (bottom up forcing) may result in a future shift to an estuarine community of toxic cyanobacteria with negative effects cascading up several levels of the food web. As a result of these phase shifts, important ecosystem functions of trophic support and nutrient retention have been lost, increasing "downstream" risks to our other coastal communities. In order to conserve and restore our vital coastal ecosystems, we must work to reduce nutrient inputs from our highly developed watersheds.
BIO:
Peggy is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is co-Principal Investigator for UCLA of the NSF grant for COSEE-West. Peggy attained her Ph.D in Ecology from San Diego State University and after completing her post-Doctoral studies at the University of Miami where she studied the affects of Hurricane disturbance on coral reefs, she moved back to southern California where she has been living and working ever since. Her local research includes nutrient dynamics and macroalgal blooms in southern California estuaries and she also works in tropical systems on coral reefs.
Tom FORD
Santa Monica BayKeeper
3 June 2006, Kelp Forests and Coastal Ecosystems workshop, “Santa Monica Bay needs your help” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
A historical perspective on kelp forests and human activities related to kelp forests off the coast of southern California. What can we expect of kelp restoration? What is the future of our kelp forests?
BIO:
Following four years of involvement with the Santa Monica Baykeeper as a volunteer diver and Beachkeeper volunteer, Tom became the Director of the Kelp Restoration and Monitoring Project in July 2002. Graduating with a B.A. in Biology Tom went to work as a First Mate, Aquarist and Educator at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk Connecticut in 1994. Tom found his way to Los Angeles in 1998 when he became the Curator of the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center. Tom's commitment to the preservation and study of the Santa Monica Bay landed him at UCLA where he earned his Masters Degree in Marine Ecology. When Tom's not diving he can be found surfing, or hiking and biking in the mountains of California.
Dr. Ichiro FUKUMORI
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
10-14 August 2009, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “Ocean Circulation and Climate” Lecture
BIO:
Ichiro received a B.S. in geophysics form the University of Tokyo, Japan in 1983 and went on to complete his Ph.D. in physical oceanography in a joint program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1989. Since 1992 he has been at JPL as Group Supervisor of the Ocean Circulation Group and Principal Scientist of the Ocean Sciences Group. His interests include analysis of ocean general circulation using observations and models to understand processes controlling the ocean's mean state and temporal variability, the study of climate variability, its impact on and the role of ocean circulation, data assimilation to estimate the complete time-variable, three-dimensional circulation of the ocean and the development and advancement of methods in ocean data assimilation and numerical ocean modeling.
G
Dr. Tom GARRISON
Orange Coast College
14 May 2005, “Shifting Sands - From Mineralogy to Coastal Processes”, Lecture
BIO:
Tom received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and is currently a professor of marine science at Orange Coast College, where he was named "Outstanding U. S. Marine Educator" by the National Marine Technology Society, was a winner of the prestigious Salgo-Noren Foundations Award for Excellence in College Teaching; and in 1992, 1993, and 1997, a recipient of the University of Texas NISOD Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to teaching and learning. He also serves at the University of Southern California as Adjunct Professor of Higher Education. His textbooks in Oceanography are the best selling and most used such texts in the world. He serves as a grants judge for the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Tom travels extensively, and most recently served as a guest lecturer at Hong Kong University and the University of Auckland (New Zealand).
Dr. William GILLY
Stanford University
27 January 2010, “Humbolt Squid” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Professor Gilly's current research program on squid concentrates on the behavior, physiology, and ecology of Dosidicus gigas, the jumbo or Humboldt squid. Fieldwork in the Gulf of California and off California employs electronic tagging and acoustic methods in order to track vertical and horizontal movements and to estimate biomass. Laboratory studies at Hopkins Marine Station and onboard research vessels focus on hypoxia tolerance and on control of chromatophores, the organs in the skin that allow squid to change color so rapidly. Oceanographic measurements are used to characterize temperature and oxygen levels in relation to vertical movements. Graduate students in Professor Gilly’s lab are studying the early life history of Humboldt squid and the cause of their seasonal migrations to Monterey, California.
BIO:
Bill received a BSE (Electrical Engineering, 1972) from Princeton and a Ph.D. (Physiology and Biophysics, 1978) from Washington University. He had additional training at Yale University, University of Pennsylvania and the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. He has contributed to our basic understanding of electrical excitability in nerve and muscle cells in a wide range of organisms ranging from brittle-stars to mammals. Much of this work employed the giant axon system of the squid as an experimental model system for molecular and biophysical approaches. Additional studies with living squid revealed unexpected complexities in how the giant axon system controls escape responses, and how mechanisms governing that control are modified during development and by environmental factors.
Dr. Mark GOLD
Heal the Bay
28 November 2007, “Public Health Issues in Coastal Waters” Lecture
13 March 2004, Oceans and Human Health workshop, “The Impacts of Ocean Pollution on Human Health” Lecture
BIO:
Mark has led the environmental group, Heal the Bay, for more than two decades. Mark has worked on research, legislation and policy issues related to impacts of ocean pollution on human health risks.
Lauri GREEN
University of California, Los Angeles
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, "Photosynthesis in Plants and Algae" and “Shorebirds, macroalgal impact on their foraging”
BIO:
Lauri is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA studying macroalgal impacts on estuarine food webs. She examines how blooms of ephemeral macroalgae alter infaunal abundance and diversity, sediment biogeochemistry and shorebird foraging behavior. Her aspirations are to work at a Research Institute and University where she can combine research with her passion for education. During her free time she enjoys hiking, mountain biking and whitewater rafting.
Allison GREENE
University of Southern California
24 April 2004, Polar Seas workshop, “Under the ice in Antarctica: Understanding how life exists in an extreme environment" Lecture
H
Dr. William HAMNER
Professor Emeritus University of California, Los Angeles
3-23 November 2008, Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change online workshop, “Some biological oceanographic consequences of changing climate and global sea level rise” Lecture
23-27 June 2008, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (6th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, "Plate Tectonics & Earth's Structure", "Shaping Earth's Surface", "Earth's Oceans & Atmosphere", "Marine Ecology", and "Earth & Life History" Lectures
12 March 2008, “Exploration & Evolution: Discoveries in the Lakes of Palau & the Deep Basin of the Celebes Sea” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
The depths of the ocean are largely unknown - only 5 % of our planet’s “Inner Space” has been explored! Learn about new tools and techniques that ocean scientists use to find previously unknown creatures and to better understand the hidden ocean realm.
24 March 2007, Antarctica: Life in a Polar Sea workshop, “Polar Ecology: Similarities and Differences Between the Antarctic and the Arctic” Lecture
25 January 2006, “Modern technology and recent research in midwater”. Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Exploration of midwater of the open sea and new discoveries in the deep sea have been facilitated by adaptation of modern technologies to ocean research. Humans are uniquely unsuited to exploration of the deep seas because the deep sea is under great pressure and because it is always very cold and very dark. However, new ships, new submersibles, new remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), new data loggers, and new visualization techniques have made the deep sea more accessible to ocean scientists and engineers. I will describe some of these new tools and some recent discoveries that have resulted from their use. I will discuss our plans for future explorations of the deep sea in the Antarctic, the tropics, the Mozambique Channel and the deep basins of Indonesia.
13 October 2004, “Discovering the Mysteries of Whales” Lecture, given by Dr. Hamner, written by Dr. HEYNING
5 April 2004, “The coral reef paradox” online workshop.
ABSTRACT:
The coral reef paradox basically envisions coral atolls as isolated centers of incredibly high biodiversity and density of organisms in an open ocean. And the open ocean is viewed as being empty of life. It’s an oasis in the desert.
BIO:
Bill is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA and Adjunct Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. His primary research interest is in the behavior of oceanic animals and his emphasis is on observing them alive and undisturbed in their own environment. In addition to publishing his research in scientific journals, Bill has published 4 articles about his work in National Geographic Magazine and his study of jellyfish in the marine lakes of Palau, Micronesia, is featured in the IMAX movie, “The Living Sea.”
Dr. Dennis HEDGECOCK
University of Southern California
26 April 2006, Genetics / Aquaculture: What can we learn from the lowly oyster? “Biocomplexity on a Halfshell: Using Oysters to Understand Complex Life Cycles in the Oceans” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Dennis has developed new varieties of hybrid Pacific oysters, which grow faster than wild stocks. With support from the National Science Foundation, he and his colleague Dr. Donal Manahan now use state-of-the-art tools to investigate the genetic and metabolic basis of rapid and sustained growth in these hybrids. They also use the oyster as a model to understand the complex life cycles of other marine species.
BIO:
Dennis joined USC College as the first “Paxson H. Offield Professor of Fisheries Ecology” in 2003, after a nearly 30-year career at UC Davis. While he has studied various marine animals, he is best known for his work on Pacific oysters, Pacific salmon and, most recently, white seabass. His work takes on particular importance as we face the limits of what food the oceans can provide to growing human populations.
Dr. Karla HEIDELBERG
University of Southern California
28 February 2007, “Coral Reefs: Trouble in Paradise” Lecture
ABSTRACT: Karla’s current research uses metagenomic approaches to study interactions of microbial communities as they relate to environmental change and to interactions with higher organisms. She hopes that new approaches like these will be useful as we try to learn more about the health and function of coral reef ecosystems.
BIO:
Karla received her Ph.D. and then held a Post Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Maryland. She conducted research on coral feeding and health in many locations around the world and participated in 3 saturation missions in the NOAA Underwater Habitat off Key Largo, FL. Subsequently, as a science advisor to the U.S. Dept. of State's Office of Oceans Affairs, Dr. Heidelberg worked on international Treaties and Agreements to protect coral reef ecosystems, control land-based sources of pollution and prevent the spread of marine invasive species. Following this, at the J. Craig Venter Institute, she coordinated the Sorcerer II Expedition, an around-the-world expedition to evaluate marine microbial biodiversity using metagenomics (a new field that uses molecular techniques to evaluate the genetic complement of entire communities of organisms in order to learn more about biodiversity).
Michael HENRY
University of California, Santa Barbara
2 December 2006, Hydrothermal Vent Communities in the Deep Sea workshop, “The Impact of Sulfide on Hydrothermal Vent Animals: Problems, Opportunities, and Relevance to Other Habitats” Lecture
BIO:
Michael is a Ph.D. candidate in physiology and deep-sea biology at the University of
California, Santa Barbara, studying under Dr. James Childress. His dissertation research focuses on the sulfide detoxification abilities of crabs from hydrothermal vents and coastal estuaries. He teaches a variety of undergraduate labs during the academic year, and he is working with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary to help develop its sanctuary management plan.
Dr. John HEYNING
(formerly of Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County)
11 November 2004, Learning with Whales workshop, “Learning with Whales” Lecture
13 October 2004, “Discovering the Mysteries of Whales” Lecture, given by Dr. Hamner
BIO:
John’s specialty was ziphiids, beaked whales, which make up about a quarter of the whale population, and their evolution. He also showed that the common dolphin, long believed to be one species, was actually two. He was a marine biologist with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and helped build one of the world’s largest collections of marine mammal specimens (over 4000 specimens). He authored monographs and the book Masters of the Ocean Realm: Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises
Dr. Gregor HODGSON
Executive Director, Reef Check Foundation
3 March 2007, Coral Reef Ecosystems workshop, “Will coral reefs be around for our grandchildren to enjoy? Coral reef conservation, monitoring and management” Lecture
BIO:
Gregor is the Executive Director of Reef Check and is a coral reef ecologist, who received his bachelors in 1979 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. From 1980-1982, he volunteered with the US Peace Corps in the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Cebu City, Philippines, and earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1989 from the University of Hawaii. Subsequently, Gregor worked in Hong Kong where he served as the Environmental Sciences Manager for Binnie Black & Veatch, carrying out environmental impact assessments and baseline ecological surveys of coastal and marine areas. He designed and led integrated coastal management projects in China and Vietnam and also taught at two Hong Kong universities. From 2000 to 2004, Gregor was a visiting professor at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and taught Environmental Science, International Coastal Management and Marine Conservation. He now works full time on marine conservation through Reef Check.
Benjamin HOLT
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
11-15 August 2008, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “Satellite studies of the Southern California Bight” Lecture
BIO:
Ben received a B.A. in Human Biology and Anthropology from Stanford University in 1972 and an M.S. in Physical Oceanography in Dept. of Geology from the University of Southern California 1988. He investigates the state of polar sea ice to identify possible changes due to climate change, through derivation of geophysical measurements using microwave remote sensing.
Dr. Mike HORN
California State University Fullerton
12 January 2005, “Seabirds Living on the Edge” Lecture
BIO:
Mike is a Professor of Biology and received his Ph.D. from Harvard University. His research includes the ecology and physiology of fish-plant interactions in coastal seas and tropical rain forests; seabird feeding ecology and landscape-scale conservation biology.
Dr. Dave HUTCHINS
University of Southern California
Informal Educators Interpretives Workshop
BIO:
Dave’s research interests concern marine phytoplankton biology and nutrient and carbon cycling. In general, these projects often involve first building hypotheses based on experimental work with algal cultures in the laboratory. These hypotheses are then tested in experiments with natural communities of plankton onboard research vessels at sea. His recent and current projects include extensive investigations into the role of iron and other trace metals as biologically limiting nutrients in the ocean, and factors that affect the establishment of destructive blooms of harmful and toxic algae. New projects in regions like the Bering Sea, the North Atlantic, and the seas around Antarctica are examining the impacts of anthropogenic global change (e.g. rising CO2, acidity and temperature) on the structure and diversity of phytoplankton communities, and on the ocean nutrient cycling pathways and food webs that they support. Another ongoing project is examining the implications of increasing atmospheric CO2 for nitrogen-fixing organisms in the tropical and subtropical oceans. This new work is at the forefront of increasingly urgent efforts among the international oceanography community to understand the consequences of human fossil fuel emissions for ocean biology and chemistry, and in turn predict the potential feedbacks from these changing ocean processes to atmospheric CO2 and global climate.
Dr. David HYRENBACH
Hawai`i Pacific University
25 October 2006, “Wings without Borders: Tracking Albatrosses Around the Globe” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
David characterizes the movements and habitats of large vertebrates (particularly albatrosses and shearwaters), and studies the physical mechanisms that define predictable areas of enhanced biological activity in oceanic systems. His objective is to incorporate an understanding of natural history and oceanography into conservation strategies for highly migratory species and their habitats, including Marine Protected Area designs.
BIO:
David obtained his Ph.D. in biological oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2001. In May 2005, he migrated west and was a visiting researcher in the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. At UW David studies climate change in the Bering Sea, and participates in several satellite tracking projects and vessel-based surveys of marine birds and mammals from oceanographic ships. Currently David is an adjunct Professor at Duke University and assistant Professor at Hawai’i Pacific University.
J
Dr. David JACOBS
University of California, Los Angeles
April 2008 Moorea online research workshop "Reef Growth and History", lecture
April 2010 Moorea online research workshop "Reef Growth and History", lecture
BIO:
The Jacobs lab takes a synthetic approach to reconstructing evolutionary history. Studies combine information from the fossil record, or large-scale physical process, with molecular approaches. Our recent studies of molecular rates assess why molecular and fossil data appear to be in conflict about the timing of the Cambrian radiation. Other studies in the lab use molecular aspects of development to address issues of the origin of skeletons, a critical issue in the Cambrian radiation, and we are recovering and studying the expression of sense-organ development genes in basal animals such as jellyfish and sponges to better understand the evolution of our senses - a critical issue in the evolution of our animal nature. Other work in the lab examines how global-scale changes in physical process control the evolution of biodiversity. For example, in a recent synthesis we combine molecular phylogenies and fossil data to document that the diverse marine fauna of the California coast is not a product of present conditions, but a relict of a spike in upwelling and productivity that lasted from 12 to 5 million years ago. Other projects in this area involve the evolution of the deep-sea and hot-vent faunas and detailed work on speciation process, and the discovery of cryptic species only resolvable by molecular means, in the estuaries of California and the Gulf of California.
Dr. Burton JONES
University of Southern California
10-14 August 2009, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS): Ocean at your fingertips” Lecture
BIO:
Burt is a Professor (Research) in the Marine Environmental Biology section of the Biology Department at the University of Southern California. His research interests include bio-optical oceanography, physical-biological interactions, coastal processes, and coastal ocean observing systems. He received his B.S. in biological engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in biological oceanography from Duke University. After a post-doctoral fellowship at Bigelow Laboratory he joined the research faculty at University of Southern California. He has been involved in studying the dynamics of physical/bio-optical interactions in a variety of environments that include coastal California, the Arabian Sea, Japan/East Sea, and the Adriatic Sea. Recently, as part of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) and research in harmful algal bloom monitoring, Burt has been involved in implementing a coastal observing system that includes both fixed sites and autonomous vehicles. This includes participation in the development of an intelligent network of fixed and mobile nodes capable of adaptive mapping and sampling strategies. He is involved regionally in the development of collaborations between academic research and regional monitoring agencies, and is co-chair of the Executive Steering Committee of SCCOOS.
K
Dr. Nina KARNOVSKY
Pomona College
28 May 2009, “Asking the Auks about Climate Change in the Arctic” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Since 2001, Nina has studied the effects of global warming on the marine food web of the Greenland Sea. She studies how Arctic seabirds (auks) respond to warmer ocean temperatures. While at-sea, she and her undergraduate students make oceanographic measurements. While on land, they determine how the foraaging and reproductive behavior of seabirds are influenced by those oceanographic conditions.
BIO:
Nina is an assistant professor of Biology at Pomona College. She has been conducting research on the responses of Arctic and Antarctic top predators to climate change since 1992. Nina received a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from UC Irvine and has a Master's of Science degree from Montana State University.
Dr. Brian KOT
2007 SMPA's Whale of a Weekend event
Informal Educators Interpretives Workshop
Dr. Patrick KRUG
California State University, Los Angeles
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, "Evolution" Lecture
20 November 2004, Coastal Ecosystems and Watersheds workshop, "Shallow Surf Riders: Where are the larvae of marine organisms in estuarine waters?" Lecture
BIO:
Pat is an Associate Professor at California State University, Los Angeles. He received his B.A. in 1992 in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in 1998 in Marine Biology from UC San Diego (Scripps Institution of Oceanography). He seeks to understand how dispersal and habitat colonization by planktonic larvae links populations, and to identify factors that limit gene flow, set range limits, and promote speciation in the sea. A combination of molecular and chemical techniques, field studies, and laboratory experiments are employed. He is currently studying population connectivity between estuaries along the northeast Pacific coast, and among islands in the Caribbean.
L
Dr. Steven LEE
(formerly of University of California, Los Angeles)
8 June 2008, The LiMPETS Coastal Monitoring Program, “LiMPETS: Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Learn how to collect rocky intertidal and beach data and become part of the LiMPETS network of more than 35,000 California teachers & students. Learn about why monitoring is important and what has been learned from “MARINe,” the long-term California coastal monitoring program for which Steve is the Coordinator.
Dr. Anita LEINWEBER
University of California, Los Angeles
10-14 August 2009, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “Time-series measurements in Santa Monica Bay, CA” Lecture
11-15 August 2008, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “Time-series measurements in Santa Monica Bay, CA” Lecture
1 December 2007, Ocean Observing Systems in the Classroom workshop, “” Lecture
Dr. Judith LEMUS
University of Hawaii
25 March 2006, Hurricanes workshop, “Hurricanes & Other Extreme Weather” Lecture
28 January 2006, Midwater ecosystems workshop, “Life in the midwater realm” Lecture
BIO:
Judy is an Assistant Professor, Specialist at Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, where she designs and administrates program initiatives in coral reef research and education. She was a research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Southern California and prior to that was the Director of Education at Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, where she directed and managed all pre-college and teacher (K-12) education programming as well as directed NSF COSEE-West program.
Dr. Lisa LEVIN
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
8 February 2006, “Mysteries in the Mud: Coping with Stress in the Deep” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Lisa studies community response to stresses caused by natural hypoxia (very low oxygen levels) on continental margins, sulfides at methane seeps, and organic enrichment in wetlands. She also pursues information about the significance of invertebrate life histories for population dynamics, connectivity, and recovery from disturbance.
BIO:
Lisa is a Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. She received her Ph.D. degree from Scripps, followed by a Post Doctoral Fellowship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Lisa joined the faculty at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and then returned to Scripps as a faculty member in 1992. She has never stopped playing in the mud, conducting research on the ecology of invertebrate communities in muddy sediments from the deep sea to intertidal salt marshes. Her studies have taken her all over the world to study the sea floor, and she says, “Travel to remote parts of the ocean, friends around the world, and daily discoveries make oceanography the most wonderful career I can imagine.”
Dr. Christopher LOWE
California State University, Long Beach
16 March - 3 April 2009, Marine Protected Areas and the Marine Life Protection Act online workshop, “The MLPA is coming to Southern California!” Lecture
18 October 2008, Marine Protected Areas workshop, “The MLPA is coming to Southern California!” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Right now in southern California, hundreds of people are taking part in the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative process to design a series of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off our coast from Point Conception to the Mexico border, which may include waters around offshore islands. This process has been completed in two other sections of central California’s coastal waters. Why do we need MPAs? What are they for? How are they supposed to work? Where will they be and how is that decided? Who will decide that? How will it affect my favorite fishing hole, SCUBA diving spot, and my uncle who is a commercial fisherman? Dr. Lowe will try to answer these questions and talk about some of his research on the home range of fishes, how they utilize different habitats and why this is important to know when deciding where to put MPAs and how large to make them.
BIO:
Chris received his B.A. in marine biology at Barrington College, his M.S. in biology at Cal. State Univ. Long Beach, and Ph.D. in Zoology at the Univ. of Hawaii. In 1998, he was hired as a professor of marine biology at Cal. State Univ. Long Beach where he runs the CSULB Shark Lab. Over the last 20 years he has used and developed acoustic telemetry techniques to study the movements, behavior, and physiology of sharks, stingrays and gamefishes. Much of his recent research has focused on quantifying the ecological importance of offshore petroleum platforms, the effects of catch and release practices on gamefishes, and techniques to optimize MPA design.
Dr. Milton LOVE
University of California, Santa Barbara
14 November 2003, “Artificial Reefs” Online Lecture
BIO/ABSTRACT:
Hi, I’m Dr. Milton Love. I’m an Associate Research Biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, at the Marine Science Institute. About ten years ago, we started getting funding for research looking at fish assemblages around off-shore platforms that lie off California. All platforms have economic life spans. At some point, it costs too much to get the oil or gas out from underneath the platform. There’s still oil or gas, but the costs just become prohibitive. And something has to be done with these platforms, which is the big issue off California
M
Sue MAGDZIARZ
BIO:
Sue is a coordinator at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California. She works with the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) on their education and outreach efforts. She trains teachers how to use two Web sites that were designed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography Web designers, which incorporate SCCOOS data in a format that can be utilized by 5th grade students as part of the Ocean Institute’s Weather & Water 5th Grade Program. Sue has a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and is currently working toward a master’s degree in science education at California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Donal MANAHAN
University of Southern California
14-28 April 2007, IPY Research at the Poles Online Workshop, “The Poles: The Last Places on Earth” Lecture
29 April 2006, “Genetics, Mutations, and Food Webs” workshop and lecture
21 April 2004, “Antarctica” Lecture
BIO/Research interests:
Donal received his BA in 1976 in Zoology from Trinity College University of Dubland Ireland and his Ph.D. in 1980 in Physiology/Marine Biology from Univ. Wales, U.K. He continued a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Irvine, California and since 1983 has been at University of southern California. Dr. Manahan’s specific area of research is the environmental physiology of development of marine invertebrates, especially the larval stages. Understanding growth and development of any animal in its environment, be it terrestrial or aquatic, is a very complex process. The approaches being undertaken to study how larvae work are as follows:(1) to study the environmental biology of larvae at several different levels of analysis (e.g., ecology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology)(2) to investigate a variety of phyla with species representing different life-history strategies (e.g., echinoderms, molluscs, annelids, and arthropods) (3) to undertake comparative studies of similar species developing in very different oceanic environments (e.g., the cold polar oceans of Antarctica cf. the warmer ocean off California cf. deep-sea environments, such as hydrothermal vents).
Dr. Joel MARTIN
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
11 February 2006, Deep Sea Benthic Ecosystems workshop, “Creatures of Fire and Darkness: Life at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents” Lecture
BIO:
Joel is a morphologist and evolutionary biologist interested in just about all groups of crustaceans, and in nearly all aspects of crustacean evolution. He is especially interested in the morphology and evolution of the Decapoda (crabs, shrimps, lobsters and their allies) and the rather primitive looking crustaceans that make up the Branchiopoda (fairy shrimp, brine shrimp, tadpole shrimp, clam shrimp, and water fleas). To get a better understanding of the relationships of crustaceans, he studies characters revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, information from larval development, color patterns from crustaceans freshly collected and photographed in the field, and occasionally behavioral and molecular information. Although his main employer is the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, he is also an adjunct professor at both USC and UCLA, where he has had the opportunity to interact with faculty and graduate students. Joel received his Ph.D. from Florida State University in Biological Science in1986 and has been working at the Natural History Museum as a curator since 1988.
Dr. Karen MARTIN 
Pepperdine University, Los Angeles
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, "Grunion" Lecture
BIO:
Karen received her Masters in Biology from Oklahoma University, and her Ph.D. in Biology from University of California. She worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington. She is currently a Professor at Pepperdine University. Her academic interests include beach management and conservation of shore ecosystems as well as the physiology and ecology of coastal marine animals.
Dr. Laura MARTIN
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. George MATSUMOTO
Senior Education and Research Specialist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
1 December 2007, Ocean Observing Systems in the Classroom workshop, “Ocean Observing: a new paradigm for research and education” Lecture
12 December 2003, "Deep Sea Environment and Educational Opportunities at MBARI" Lecture
13 December 2003, Deep Sea workshop, "Deep Sea Environment and Educational Opportunities at MBARI" Lecture
ABSTRACT: George is interested in open ocean and deep sea communities, with particular emphasis on invertebrates. His specific interests include the ecology and biogeography of open ocean and deep sea organisms; the functional morphology, natural history, and behavior of pelagic and benthic organisms; and the systematics and evolution of ctenophores and cnidarians (molecular phylogeny).
BIO:
As well as conducting research, George is committed to education at both K-12 and university levels. He coordinates a number of different projects including MBARI’s seminar program, internship program, and joint activities with MBARI’s sister institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He recently served as Chair of the Ocean Observing Initiative Education and Public Awareness Committee and is a member of the COSEE National Advisory Board.
Dr. Anthony MICHAELS 
University of Southern California
22 March 2006, Hurricanes, “Hurricanes and Climate: Risky Business and Shattered Lives” Lecture
24 April 2003, “Plankton in the Open Ocean” Online Lecture
“Hurricanes and Climate: Risky Business and Shattered Lives” Online Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Since receiving his Ph.D. at UC Santa Cruz, Tony’s primary research interests have involved how the ecology of the open ocean influences the carbon cycle in the ocean and how this, in turn, influences the amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In recent years his research has expanded to include feedback cycles that can amplify the impact of some unique biological processes in the sea on climate. He is also interested in relationships between environmental science and the ways decisions are made by businesses, community groups and government. He has worked with insurers and reinsurers to find ways to use climate science for a better understanding of hurricane risks and to find better ways to cover losses that hurricanes cause. Tony and his colleagues in the Wrigley Institute also work to create links between university scholarship and environmental decision-making for other issues.
BIO:
Tony is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California as well as the Director of the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
Dr. Chip MILLER
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2 February 2008, “The CO2 Shuffle: Roles of the Ocean and Atmosphere in Earth's Carbon Cycle” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
A NASA satellite sleuth set to launch this month will soon be hot on the trail of the elusive greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced cause of global warming. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory's mission is to find the vast warehouses of carbon dioxide that are "missing" - hidden in "sinks" around the globe. Finding them will help scientists better predict how our climate will change in the future.
BIO:
Chip received his Ph.D. in physical Chemistry from the University of California Berkeley in 1991 and then went to Haverford University as an assistant Professor. Since being at JPL, he has worked as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Chemistry/Molecular Spectroscopy and a Deputy Principal Investigator for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory
Dr. Richard MURPHY
Ocean Futures Society
3 February 2004, “Coral Reefs: Cities Under the Sea” Online Lecture
BIO:
Richard has a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Southern California. He began working with Jacques Cousteau and Jean-Michel Cousteau in 1968 and has been involved in projects and expeditions around the globe, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji Islands, the Caribbean, Indonesia, the Mekong River, the Amazon, Sea of Cortez, Australia and New Zealand. He has served as chief scientist, photographer, writer, educator, and project director and has created a number of education programs for young people in developed and developing countries. His book Coral Reefs - Cities Under the Sea offers a unique perspective on how a reef functions and what lessons coral reefs can bring to the development of sustainable communities.
Dr. Laura MURRAY
COSEE-Coastal Trends, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies
11-15 August 2008, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, "Sea Level Rise, Acute and Chronic" Lecture
BIO:
Laura is a research associate professor and leads environmental science education programs at the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL). As a scientist and an educator, she links science education to HPL's world-class research. She received a B.S. in Marine Science, a M.S. in Science Education from the University of West Florida and a Ph.D. in Wetlands Ecology from the College of William and Mary.
Dr. Steven MURRAY
California State University, Fullerton
16 March - 3 April 2009, Marine Protected Areas and the Marine Life Protection Act online workshop, “Science, Policy, and Protecting Our Coastal Oceans” Lecture
2 March 2005, “Science, Policy, and Protecting Our Coastal Oceans” Lecture
BIO:
Steve’s research over the last 35 years has kept him close to the Southern California coast that he loves so much, but he also is known nationally for his expertise in researching and managing the coastal urban ocean environment. After receiving his B.A and M.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in l966 and l968 and his Ph.D. in 1971 from the University of California, Irvine. Steve became an assistant professor at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in 1971. He received CSUF’s highest faculty honor in 2003, its Outstanding Professor Award, and has served as the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics since 2005. Steve’s scientific expertise reaches beyond his academic career and Southern California to current marine policy and management issues at the state and national level. He has served on many science advisory panels and was recently honored by the Southern California Academy of Sciences as the 2007 recipient of the Wheeler J. North Award for scientific excellence.
Dr. Monique MYERS
University of California, Los Angeles
7 February 2004, "Coral Reefs and Coral Reef Management" Lecture
BIO:
Currently, Monique is the Coastal Community Development Advisor for California Sea Grant. Her work involves outreach education and applied research with a focus on addressing environmental problem in local marine and coastal ecosystems. Her research is centered on coastal California wetlands. Previously, as a doctoral student at UCLA and Master’s student at Western Washington University she performed research on coral reef marine protected areas, community monitoring and remote sensing. She has a long background in education having worked as a Program Manager for COSEE-West, Visiting Professor at Hawaii Pacific University, Instructor at Monterey Peninsula College, outdoor educator at the Catalina Island Marine Institute and summer camp Counselor at Camp Susan Curtis. In her free time she enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, both underwater and above, and traveling to distant places to visit the animals that live there.
N
Heather NEVILL, DVM
Clinical Veterinarian and Research Coordinator IBRRC
30 May 2009, Mitigating Threats to Pelagic Birds workshop, “Mitigating Threats to Pelagic Birds” Lecture
BIO:
Heather was raised in the South, enjoying plenty of time watching birds and other wildlife in the plentiful swamps of southern Louisiana. After receiving her BS in Zoology from Louisiana State University, she attended veterinary school at Cornell University. Her interest in birds and other wildlife was developed in part from my volunteer work with the Cornell wildlife clinic and raptor rehabilitation program. When she graduated from veterinary school she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, to work with pets and with wildlife. She has been working with marine birds and oil spill response at International Bird Rescue Research Center for 4 years, spending most of her ime in Southern California. Her primary interest is conservation medicine, or the interplay of human health, wildlife health, and environmental health.
O
Kathy OMURA
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
22-26 June 2009, Introduction to Marine Science Workshop (7th grade focus) at Marina del Rey Middle School Marine Science Academy, “Estuaries and their Invertebrate Life” Lecture
BIO:
Kathy received her B.S. from the University of Alaska in Wildlife Management. She is currently the Collections Manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. She manages the benthic invertebrate sample processing, curation, identification, and taxonomy and has extensive invertebrate taxonomic experience with emphasis on polychaete worms.
R
Dr. Eric RIGNOT
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
3-23 November 2008, Weather, Sea Level Rise and Climate Change online workshop, “Glaciers and Global Sea Level Rise” Lecture
16 November 2005, “Glaciers and Global Sea Level Rise” Lecture
BIO:
Eric is principal scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. He is a principal investigator on several NASA-funded projects to study the mass balance of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets; the interactions of ice shelves with the ocean; and the dynamic retreat of Patagonian glaciers. He received the JPL Lew Allen Director's Award for Excellence in 1998. Eric holds a Ph.D in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, a Master’s degree in astronomy from the University of Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie in France, and a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris, France.
Dr. Robin ROSS
University of California, Santa Barbara
21 March 2007, Krill in the Southern Ocean, “Ecological responses of Antarctic krill to environmental variability: Can we predict the future?” Lecture
14-28 April 2007, IPY Research at the Poles Online Workshop, “Ecological responses of Antarctic krill to environmental variability: Can we predict the future?” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
The Palmer LTER is in a region west of the Antarctic Peninsula that is experiencing the most rapid warming on the planet, with over 80% of the glaciers retreating. Drs. Ross and Quetin are documenting cycles or trends in the distribution and abundance of Antarctic zooplankton, including krill, that show up within the multi-year data set. Their research focuses on the energetics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), with the goal of understanding the strategies.
BIO:
Robin is a Research Biologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara and received her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Biological Oceanography from the University of
Washington. She then lived in Australia for two years with her husband and collaborator
Langdon Quetin, conducting research on crustaceans found in mangrove swamps and on the coral reefs, as well as doing some feeding experiments with Antarctic krill in the lab.
Robin and Langdon then moved to UC Santa Barbara and from there they have conducted field research in the Antarctic since 1981. From 1990 to the present they have also participated in the Palmer LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) program, 1 of 26 sites currently in the LTER Network.
S
Dr. Rebecca SHIPE
University of California, Los Angeles
23 Oct-13 Nov 2009, Ocean Observing Systems online workshop, “Harmful Algal Blooms in Southern California Coastal Waters” Lecture
10-14 August 2009, Ocean Observing Systems Summer Teacher Institute, “Harmful Algal Blooms in Southern California Coastal Waters” Lecture
BIO: Rebecca’s primary research interests are the ecology and physiology of marine phytoplankton. Her work emphasizes the importance of species-specific processes and knowledge of the individual players in natural communities of plankton. The techniques she uses include both laboratory work and cruises in both open ocean and coastal waters. She also continues to work in the Southern California Bight region, which consists of several basins and is a natural laboratory for processes.
Dr. Mary SILVER
University of California Santa Cruz
4-19 March 2006, Harmful Algal Blooms Online Workshop, “The Harmful Algae of Coastal California Waters” Lecture
20 February 2003, “The Harmful Algae of Coastal California Waters at the LA County Natural History Museum”
BIO:
Mary’s career in oceanography began in 1964 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, when she entered the doctoral program in biological oceanography. Mary received her Ph.D. from Scripps in 1971, and in 1972 was appointed Assistant Professor of Marine Studies at the new campus of the University of California in Santa Cruz, where she has been for some 30 years. The work for which Mary is best known, her marine snow studies, resulted in the first estimates of nonliving particles more than 0.5 millimeters in diameter and readily visible to the unaided eye, and the communities of microorganisms that inhabit them. The research showed that many planktonic organisms thought to be "free-living" actually reside on particles. In the late 1990s, Mary began focusing largely on the transfer of phytoplankton toxins through marine communities, from fish and krill to marine birds and filter-feeding whales. Working with her students, she is studying domoic acid, the recently discovered toxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning that is induced by some diatoms, a type of algae. Collaborating with her students and many colleagues in biological and chemical oceanography, Mary hopes to continue work in this more applied area of marine science, addressing problems related to ocean health and the possible involvement of humans in coastal ocean change.
Dr. Jayson SMITH
California State University, Fullerton
5 December 2009 “Urban Ecology: A Southern California Coastal Perspective” Lecture
BIO:
Jay received his B.S. in Biology from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and M.S. in Biology from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). He conducted his Ph.D. graduate research under the direction of Dr. Peggy Fong and Dr. Richard Ambrose at UCLA.
Jay focused his Masters research on human induced threats to the rocky intertidal zone, specifically looking at how mussel beds were being affected by trampling in highly populated coastal areas of southern California. He has continued this research by investigating the degree of change in this habitat by comparing current conditions to historic ones over the last few decades. In particular, he has found that there have been shifts in the species composition of both seaweeds and invertebrate populations in the rocky intertidal zone. With funding from the City of Newport Beach, Jay’s current research is focused on restoring natural rockweed habitat at sites where rockweeds were once very common and have since declined. Jay is currently a Post Doctoral/Lecturer at CSUF where he teaches, mentors students (graduate and undergraduate), and conducts research. Current research is in collaboration with Dr. Steven Murray and several graduate students investigating ecological questions in rocky intertidal ecosystems. Research interests include determining impacts from man made disturbances of marine ecosystems with aspirations for having these studies utilized in policies set forth to protect native marine populations. His past, current, and future work revolve around understanding the consequences of an ocean impacted by humans that includes human visitation and overexploitation, climate change, and introduction of non-native species. His interests include aquatic invasive species, marine protected areas, ecological restoration and long-term change of urban coasts, and coastal water quality.
Dr. Lei Lani STELLE
University of Redlands
Informal Educators Interpretives Workshop
BIO:
Lei Lani is an Assistant Professor at the University of Redlands, returning to grey whales and their prey after spending the last few years as an Assistant Professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), focused instead on river otters. A Californian born in Hawai’i, she completed her B.Sc. in Marine Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz, then earned an M.Sc. in Zoology on the swimming biomechanics of Steller sea lions at the University of British Columbia. She joined CERF in 1997 and completed her Ph.D. at UCLA on the ecological interactions between gray whales and mysid shrimp. Her interest is in the population dynamics of mysid shrimp, and the effect of gray whale predation on them.
Dr. Hannah STEWART
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
April 2008 Moorea online research workshop "Current Ecological Research on Moorean Reefs: UCSB LTER”, lecture
BIO:
Hannah was a graduate fellow of the Gump Station and conducted her field work for her dissertation at UC Berkeley Department of Integrative Biology in Moorea. She then was lucky enough to have a joint post-doc at the University of California Santa Barbara with the Santa Barbara Coastal Kelp LTER and the Moorea Coral Reef LTER and worked with Sally Holbrook and Russell Schmitt in Moorea for two more years. Hannah then spent a year as the Friday Harbor Labs post-doc at the University of Washington, before coming back to work in Moorea at CRIOBE as the Attaché Temporaire de Recherche et d'Enseignement. She taught an undergraduate Marine Biology field course for UCLA at the Gump Station in 2008. Hannah now has a position as a research scientist at the West Vancouver Lab of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada with adjunct status at Simon Fraser University, and will continue to work in California and Moorea, as well as British Columbia. Hannah is currently working on a project with BioCode collecting and identifying organisms associated with an increasing abundant tropical alga, Turbinaria ornata. This alga forms large rafts that drift from island to island and this may present a new dispersal vector for these, as yet unidentified associated organisms.
Dr. Eric STEIN 
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
2 December 2009 “Visioning Southern California Watersheds Through Time: How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Now? And What Does the Future Hold?” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Eric will discuss the transformation of southern California watershed from a state of natural wildlands to an urban and suburban landscape. Eric will reveal how the degradation to our streams and the filling in of our wetlands has affected their “natural condition” by presenting an historical perspective of these systems. We will learn about a renewed appreciation of the ecological and social value of healthy natural resources and a vision for what we want our watersheds to be in the future. Eric will discuss how contemporary decisions of land use practices on our streams and wetlands have an effect on the potential recovery of the watersheds in which we live.
BIO:
Eric is a principal scientist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), where he is head of the Watershed Dept. He oversees a variety of projects related to in-stream and coastal water quality, storm runoff, watershed modeling and assessment of wetlands. His current research focuses on effects of human activities on the condition of aquatic ecosystems, and on developing tools to better assess and manage those effects. Prior to joining SCCWRP, Eric spent six years as a Senior Project Manager with the Regulatory Branch of the Los Angeles District Corps of Engineers, and four years with a private consulting firm. Eric received his Bachelors degree in Biology, Masters degree in Science Education, and Doctorate degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, all from UCLA.
Dr. Steve STRAND
Formerly of University of California, Los Angeles
13 March 2004, “The world of Jellies”, Lecture
BIO:
Steve received his B.A. and M.A. from San Jose State University, working on the Mountain Meadow Ecology project. His Ph.D. is from UC Davis in Marine Biology. He came to UCLA in 1978. He has been involved in teacher education outreach programs since 1979.His research has taken him to Antarctica, Canada, Mexico, Galapagos, Tahiti, the California Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, and most recently, Santa Monica Bay. His primary research is on predator-prey interactions and while he works mostly on fishes, he studied krill in Antarctica, jellyfish in Canada and ctenophores off Catalina Island. He has led UCLA field classes to Bodega Bay, Catalina, Hawaii, Moorea and all of the UC terrestrial field sites. He was the Director of UC Berkeley's Marine Lab on Moorea during 1996-1998. He was Academic Administrator and Chair of the Life Science Core at UCLA and the Acting Director of the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center.
V
Dr. Jorge VAZQUEZ
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
16 April 2005, Satellite Oceanography workshop, “How Satellites Have Revolutionized Oceanography” Lecture
ABSTRACT:
Strengthen your understanding of satellite oceanography and learn how to use NASA’s online databases in the classroom. Receive hands-on, inquiry-based, integrative classroom activities related to satellite oceanography and properties of ice.
BIO:
Jorge completed his master's degree in oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and came to work at JPL on ocean altimetry. Taking advantage of the Laboratory's educational program, he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California doing research on the Gulf Stream. Not all oceanographers spend their time out on the seas. As a project scientist for the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center here at JPL, Jorge studies the world’s ocean from his computer, using data from a series of NASA satellites that orbit Earth. These data measure everything from how the ocean changes during an El Nino to how such climatic changes affect local regions like California’s coast.
W
Dr. Edie WIDDER
Ocean Research and Conservation Association
23 Oct-13 Nov 2009, Ocean Observing Systems online workshop, “Secret lights in the sea” Lecture
26 April 2008, A new look at the deep sea workshop, “A New Look at the Deep Sea” Lecture and Workshop
BIO:
Edith (Edie) is a biologist, deep-sea explorer, and co-founder of the Ocean
Research & Conservation Association, dedicated to the study and protection of marine ecosystems, and the organisms that live within them, through development of innovative technologies and science-based conservation action. In addition to a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology, Edie is certified to pilot the deep diving suit WASP as well as the single-person untethered submersibles DEEP ROVER and DEEP WORKER. She has also made over 250 dives in the JOHNSON-SEA-LINK submersibles. Her research involving submersibles and bioluminescence has been featured in BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel and National Geographic television productions. In 2006 Edie received a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
ABSTRACT:
Edie will talk about her research and the strange creatures that she studies in the deep sea, and with Cosee-West staff she will present activities related to biolouminescence and deep sea adaptations.
Dr. Joshua WILLIS
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
21 March 2009, The Ocean in a Warming Climate workshop, “Global Warming Guaranteed” Lecture
4 February 2009, “Global Warming Guaranteed” Lecture
BIO:
Josh is an oceanographer and climate scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Josh studies global warming, sea level rise and the role of the ocean in our global climate. Josh was also a contributing author to the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace prize with Vice President Al Gore.
Dr. David WITTING
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
9 June 2007, Catch on! Fish Contamination, Bioaccumulation and Healthy Fishing workshop, “DDT, PCB, past mistakes and the legacy left behind: what can we do now?” Lecture
BIO:
David received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, conducting research on habitat requirements of early life stages of estuarine fish. Subsequently, as a National Marine Fisheries
Service Postdoctoral Fellow, he studied effects of temperature and salinity on growth and development of estuarine and oceanic fishes. This led to collaborative work with other researchers on impacts of PCBs and Dioxin on early development and survival of an important forage fish in the Hudson River. Since 2002, David has been employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the Fish Biologist on the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program. His responsibilities include organizing and implementing projects for restoring lost fishing opportunities and fish habitat due to past releases of PCBs and DDTs onto the Palos Verdes Shelf, and sampling fish contamination levels to support restoration projects. David is active with EPA’s institutional controls program, providing advice and guidance regarding fish ecology and biology to the Fish Contamination and Education Collaborative (FCEC). He is also on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission.
Z
Ms. Susan ZALESKI
University of Southern California Sea Grant
24 January 2009, Algae Around Us workshop, “Local native and invasive marine algae” Lecture
BIO:
Susan received her B.A. in Biology from Hamilton College and M.S. in Biology from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). She conducted her graduate research under the direction of Dr. Steven Murray. In Murray's lab, Susan worked on Sea Grant projects examining shifts in seaweed and invertebrate populations during a period of climatic change and increased urbanization. She focused her Masters research on invasive seaweeds and became an expert on taxonomic discrimination of species within the Caulerpa genus. She was honored with the Outstanding Thesis Award from CSUF. By providing evidence of the availability of potentially invasive Caulerpa species in the aquarium trade, Susan's thesis was used to support passage of state legislation that bans the importation, possession, and sale of nine species of Caulerpa. Her thesis was also utilized to aid in the development of a national management plan for Caulerpa. Susan’s interests include aquatic invasive species, marine protected areas, ecological restoration and long- term change of urban coasts, and coastal water quality. At USC Sea Grant, Susan provides outreach and advisory services in the areas of coastal ecosystem health, aquatic invasive species, marine protected areas, public recreation, and other emerging issues along the southern California coast.
Additional Contributing Scientists:
Kim ANTHONY 
California State University Long Beach
Dr. P. Dreux CHAPPELL
University of Rhode Island
Exhibitory Retreat with Dr. Doug Capone
|
