I am a community ecologist interested in how predators affect prey abundance, distribution, and their functional role in a given system. Specifically, I work in marine intertidal systems studying the ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, and its role as a predator in a system lacking its preferred prey item. To answer the question of whether P. ochraceus is still a keystone predator in the Salish Sea, I survey sea star prey choice and manipulate prey communities in the field. I spend as much time as I can underwater, either by snorkeling or scientific diving, in order to build understanding of how these and other organisms interact in and with their natural environment.