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College of Science

Ocean Science REU

Mentors and Projects

For inquiries about mentors and their projects, please look over the mentor's webpages (linked to their names). If you still have questions, please email us at reu@csumb.edu. Please do not contact the mentors directly. Students who contact mentors may be removed from consideration for the REU.

Each year we highlight a selection of mentors across our six research partners. See below for the REU mentor list, which highlight the types of research available to students in our program.

*Please note: only mentors who have a "*" next to their name are confirmed to be mentors for summer 2024.  Mentors without a "*" next to their name may be available to mentor you, but are not confirmed at this time.

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB)

Mentors Research Themes
Dr. Alison Haupt  Population Genetics, Land-Sea Connections, Kelp Forest and Coastal Ecology, Anthropogenic Impacts on Ecosystems
Dr. Arlene Haffa Agricultural Nutrient and Pesticide Management to Reduce Greenhouse Gases, and Water Contamination 
Dr. Cheryl Logan Marine Physiology, Climate Change Stress Physiology, Ecological Forecasting, Ocean Climate Change Policy 
Dr. Daniel Fernandez Fog Water Collection and Measurement 
Dr. James Lindholm Fish Ecology 
Dr. John Olson Freshwater Ecology, Invasive Species, Microplastics, Coastal Rivers 
Dr. JP Dundore-Arias Role of Native Microbial Communities on Plant Community Assembly in Coastal Marshes, Influence of Plant-Invasion and Establishment of Non-Native Species
Dr. Liz Alter* Population and Ecological Genomics of Fishes and Marine Mammals, Environmental DNA, Conservation Genetics 
Dr. Nathaniel Jue Evolutionary Genomics of Marine Organisms
Dr. Sherry Palacios* Biological Oceanography 

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR)

Mentors Research Themes
John Haskins Water Quality Science 
Dr. Kerstin Wasson Estuarine Conservation Biology
Dr. Rikke Jeppesen Estuarine Ecology, Invasive Species, Marsh Restoration

Hopkins Marine Station (HMS)

Mentors  Research Themes
Dr. Chris Lowe Developmental Biology 
Dr. Fiorenza Micheli* Population Biology 
Dr. Giulio DeLeo* Marine Population Dynamics 
Dr. Jeremy Goldbogen Marine Mammal Science, Biomechanics and Physiological Ecology  
Dr. Larry Crowder* Marine Ecology and Conservation
Dr. Steve Palumbi Molecular Ecology 
Dr. William Gilly Marine Developmental Biology

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Mentors  Research Themes
Dr. Mariana Bernardi Bif* Biogeochemistry, Carbon Cycle
Dr. Colleen Durkin Biological Oceanography 
Danelle Cline and John Ryan Passive Acoustic Monitoring 
Dr. Francisco Chavez Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, Hypoxia, El Niño, Observational Genomics 
Gene Massion* Ocean Engineering, Autonomous Technology, Oceanography 
Dr. George Matsumoto* Deep-sea Ecology 
Dr. James Barry Biology and Ecology of Marine Benthic Communities
Dr. Kakani Katija Bioinspired Design
Dr. Yui Takeshita* Chemical Sensor Development, Coral Reef Metabolism and Biogeochemistry, Seawater CO2 Chemistry, Benthic Fluxes, and Seagrass and Kelp Forest Biogeochemistry

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML)

Mentors  Research Themes
Dr. Amanda Kahn* Invertebrate Ecology: Trophic Ecology, Suspension Feeders, Natural History of Marine Invertebrates 
Dr. Birgitte McDonald* Marine Mammal and Seabird Ecology, Physiological Ecology and Polar Science 
Dr. Diana Steller Macroalgal Ecology 
Dr. Holly Bowers* Environmental Biotechnology 
Dr. Ivano Aiello Marine Geology
Dr. Luke Gardner* Aquaculture, Nutrition, Genomics, Physiology
Dr. Max Grand Chemical Oceanography, Analytical Chemistry, Nutrient & Trace Metal Cycling 
Dr. Michael Graham Algal Ecology 
Dr. Sarah Smith* Phytoplankton, Diatoms, Genomics 
Dr. Scott Hamilton* Fish Ecology 
Dr. Tom Connolly Physical Oceanography
Dr. Nate Spindel* Marine Ecophysiology

Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)

Mentors  Research Themes
Dr. Jamie MacMahan* Oceanography, Surf Zone and Inner Shelf Processes 
John Joseph Acoustics and Marine Mammal Acoustic Signatures
Dr. Mara Orescanin Coastal Ocean and Estuary Processes 
Dr. Qing Wang Air-Sea Interactions 
Dr. Timour Radko Double Diffusion and Turbulent Processes 
Dr. Wendell Nuss* Coastal and Marine Meteorology 
Dr. Wieslaw Maslowski Arctic Earth Systems