I joined the Gilly lab as a volunteer the summer of 2006 working on a cone snail feeding project and mapping in ArcGIS. I have since been hired full time as a research technician and participate in field work in the Gulf of California and here in Monterey. Mostly my days are spend crunching our data in MATLAB, plotting hydrographic data, and making maps.

When I am not at the lab at Hopkins, I am taking classes towards my Masters at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories up the road. My thesis is a joint project between the Gilly lab and the Physical Oceanography lab with Erika McPhee-Shaw on the physical drivers of low oxygen events in the Monterey Bay and the biological impact of those events on market squid.

Being part of the research on Dosidicus gigas (Humboldt/Jumbo Flying squid) has been so exciting. Despite Dosidicus being a charismatic critter there is very little known about its biology and ecology. With their recent range expansion in the last ten years from San Diego, CA to Tracy Arm, AK huge numbers of questions have arisen. I am enjoying contributing in many capacities by tagging, mapping, programming, and writing as well as doing husbandry, hydrographic studies, and photography.

When I am not in the lab, I knit, guide dive tours, bicycle, paint, care for alpacas, do yoga and generally enjoy the outdoors in beautiful central California.