Our Team

I joined the Benioff Oceans team in 2019 to lead the Clean Currents Coalition and our portfolio on plastic pollution. I also serve our team by enabling team effectiveness, advancing organizational growth, and managing external partnerships. I am highly motivated to collaborate with experts to develop actionable solutions to ocean health challenges and implement those solutions in the water. This drive has taken me through diverse topics throughout my career, including sustainable seafood, fisheries, marine spatial planning, and plastic pollution. I spend most of my free time on the Santa Barbara playground circuit, and also enjoy running, swimming, and Saturday afternoons at the beach.

I provide scientific guidance across the Benioff Oceans portfolio, particularly our DEIJ and mentorship initiatives. I am a community ecologist working in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. My research generally focuses on increasing our understanding of the effects of wildlife loss and human disturbance on community structure and ecosystem function. Recent work has focused particularly on the effects of wildlife loss on human health and well-being under various climatic conditions.

I provide scientific guidance across the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory portfolio. I feel immensely privileged to have experienced the ocean, especially the deep ocean, in the way I have, so I have a deep desire to see effective stewardship measures applied, as well as the engagement of a broader group of global stakeholders towards this effort. The lines between work and play are often blurred but I love any opportunity to spend time in nature.

I work across our portfolio of projects to automate the ingestion, processing, and dissemination of data so that we can share our data-based insights with the community. With many years of experience in cloud application development, I am well-versed in API and database management. I am passionate about the ocean and its inhabitants and hope to use science-based outreach to raise awareness about the health of the ocean and enact protective measures to safeguard it for future generations. During my free time, I enjoy catching waves, creating unique wooden pieces on a lathe, and immersing myself in the latest video games.

I work on our Clean Currents Coalition project aimed at preventing marine plastic pollution through interventions in rivers, primarily managing the Coalition’s global dataset and science communications. My mind is perpetually blown by the sheer size and raw power of the ocean and I find peace in its wild and enigmatic beauty. When I’m not in the office, you'll usually catch me outside. I’m fond of redwoods, campfires, and desert sunsets, and my favorite mode of transportation is a bicycle.

I use my expertise in data science and conservation planning to reduce the risk of whale ship strikes and protect marine life. When I'm not crunching numbers in the lab, I can be found bobbing on a surfboard, swimming in the ocean, and exploring tide pools. With a blend of scientific expertise, a passion for adventure, and a desire to share the ocean's wonders with others, I am committed to protecting biodiversity for future generations to come.

I’m lucky to be part of the Benioff Oceans team, where I lead our efforts to protect marine ecosystems from the emerging threat of deep-sea mining through advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and science. I also direct our SharkEye program, which monitors great white shark populations along the coast using drones and artificial intelligence. I fell in love with the ocean upon taking my first breath of compressed air in a kelp forest, where I found a new meaning for serene. Diving after a mass-bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef evoked a different feeling, one that has fueled my pursuit of a career in ocean conservation. Some of my favorite hobbies include skiing powder, surfing logs, playing cello, and dancing freely.

I lead Benioff Oceans' work to provide spatial data support to UN States in their proposals for new marine protected areas in the High Seas under the BBNJ Agreement to conserve marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. As a multidisciplinary researcher with training in both cognitive science and marine biodiversity and conservation, I see this as an exciting and unprecedented opportunity to use ocean data to guide global conservation and protection action. I’m curiosity-driven and find joy and inspiration in the worldwide discoveries that fuel our increasing understanding and appreciation for our ocean. Outside of my work, I enjoy exploring tide pools, reading and writing fiction, riding my bicycle, and backpacking to alpine lakes.

I am a software engineer involved in developing systems for the Clean Currents Coalition and SharkEye projects, which aim to reduce plastic waste and safeguard ocean ecosystems. Recognizing the ocean's pivotal role as a crucial element within the intricate interconnectedness of life on our planet, I find it imperative to dedicate my efforts towards its protection. I feel fortunate to apply my computer science skills towards the preservation of the ocean, as it allows me to make a meaningful impact beyond the realm of technology. During my free time, I enjoy exploring new electronic music and sounds, exercising, hiking, and petting my bunny.

My primary focus is on the Clean Currents Coalition project based in Baltimore Harbor, USA, where we are developing AI systems on the Baltimore trash wheels. I work to bridge the gap between hardware and software, and to the best of my ability, provide mechanical and programming knowledge to help better capture data about pollution entering the ocean. I believe we all have a responsibility to leave the earth in a better state than we found it. I’m very happy to be working on this project, which allows me to do what I love: design and build hardware, and help improve the ocean environment.

I’m a population and community ecologist studying how environmental and ecological factors shape freshwater and estuarine communities. At Benioff Oceans, I am modeling how a reintroduction of southern sea otters to the San Francisco Bay Estuary could affect food webs into the future. Even though I mostly work in saltier environments these days, I still have a soft spot for streams and rivers. When I’m not in front of the computer, you’ll probably find me hiking by a stream, looking for macroinvertebrates.

As Administrative & Outreach Coordinator for the laboratory, my mission is to maintain seamless operations for the team, while supporting my colleagues in their daily needs. Additionally, I manage our youth mentorship programs and support our lab's communications efforts—all with the collective goal of inspiring and educating communities about the incredible wonders of the ocean and the work that must be done to protect them. On weekends, you might catch me in a dance class, biking to my local coffee shop, or building sand castles with my babies.

I currently assist the Whale Safe project team in generating summary reports on vessel data for industry and research partners. I also aid the Clean Currents Coalition and Sharkeye projects by annotating data to be used for training each team's machine learning model. Being able to use my interest in programming and data science to solve local environmental issues is something that is uniquely offered at UCSB and I'm excited to learn from. Alongside my current work, I'm currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Statistics and Data Science and manage UCSB's breakdancing club!

As a Science Communication intern, I strive to increase accessibility to scientific research in restoring the ocean's health. My role involves content creation, social media management, and supporting science communication efforts. I’m passionate about sustainability and environmentalism, and have found marine science to be a key player in finding solutions to protecting our planet. Beyond work, I study Psychological and Brain Sciences, Communication, and Professional Writing at UCSB and I love paddle boarding, making jewelry, hiking, and listening to music!

I help with the spot mapping of giant sea bass encounters, conduct internet research to gather and analyze data, and support community outreach efforts for our Spotting Giant Sea Bass project. I grew up by the ocean and I have always been in awe of its beauty, mystery, and tranquility. I am driven to protect marine environments to ensure that their essential ecosystem services can continue to sustain our planet for future generations. In my free time, I love to read, teach, and explore nature through hiking, free diving, and rock climbing!