Research Interests

Intertidal ecology

I am interested in organisms that live at the very edges of tolerable conditions: their behavioral and physiological strategies for optimizing existence in their environment and the impact on community ecology. Intertidal organisms exist in an environment that is both marine and terrestrial. They are known for their robust tolerance of physical stress. It is unknown whether the survival capabilities these organisms already possess will allow them to thrive with intensifying climate fluctuations.

I study the intertidal whelk snail, Nucella ostrina. I am working to characterize how this snail regulates its body temperature throughout the tidal cycle by testing the effect of temperature on feeding preference behavior in experimentally created habitats in the field. I am also using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to track snail movements in their natural environment. My research is conducted at Friday Harbor Labs and at intertidal sites throughout the San Juan Islands.

Biography

Research Assistant, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), University of California, Santa Cruz 1999-2009

Graduate Student, Moss Landing Marine Labs/San Jose State University 2005-2009

BS Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz 2001

AS Biology & AA Spanish, Cabrillo College 1998