I grew up in Washington and spent most of my childhood poking around the intertidal. Growing up near the Puget Sound instilled a love for marine ecosystems, while Seattle's maritime culture exposed me to the complications inherent in natural resource allocation. In college, I found this passion had the ability to be translated to a career, and focused my studies on fisheries management. I attended the University of Washington from 2006 to 2010, where I received my degree in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, with a track in conservation management, and a minor in quantitative studies. More information about the research I performed as an undergraduate can be found here.
After graduating from the University of Washington, I accepted a position in the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program. During this time, I learned how to collect biological data under adverse conditions and gained a familiarity with West Coast marine fishes and invertebrates. I enjoyed the lore of the sea and salt air on my face, and came to understand the joys and hardships of working at sea. I have written a post about my time as an observer, and those interested in become marine observers may find this blog post helpful.
After observing, I spent two years in the San Juan Islands, working for the Center for Conservation Biology. Working with the Center for Conservation Biology cemented my interest in non-invasive methods of sampling for sensitive species. When the opportunity to research endangered rockfish via remotely operated vehicles presented itself, I was thrilled to become a part of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's research on recovering rockfish. I currently work at WDFW collecting and analyzing video taken from our SeaEye Falcon ROV for habitat usage and distribution of Pacific groundfish. More information about this project and its goals can be found in the research section of this site.
