The staff of the project consists of a small, dedicated team of
researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate and post-graduate volunteers.
Together, we conduct ongoing laboratory and field research, care for and train
the resident animals, maintain the lab and its facilities, and share our
experiences in marine mammal research. Many wonderful people have been involved
with the project over the years, and we appreciate all of their contributions
to the research program. |
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Dr. Colleen Reichmuth
Principal Investigator, Associate Research Scientist
Institute of
Marine Sciences, UCSC
coll at ucsc.edu
Dr. Colleen Reichmuth currently
directs the research program and is responsible for managing all research,
personnel, animal care, funding, and administrative activities. Dr. Reichmuth
has a B.Sc. in Biology, a M.Sc. in Marine Science, and a Ph.D. in Ocean
Sciences, all from the University of California Santa Cruz. Dr. Reichmuth worked closely with the project's founder, Dr. Ronald Schusterman, for many years before taking over the leadership of the project in 2008. Colleen has worked with
a variety of marine mammal species over the last 20 years, conducting research in the areas of comparative
cognition, sensory physiology, bioacoustics, and behavioral ecology. |
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Asila Ghoul
Graduate Student Researcher (master's degree candidate), Department of Ocean Sciences, UCSC
asila at
ucsc.edu
Asila is a UCSC graduate (BS in Marine Biology) who has been
working with the project since May of 2004. Her primary research efforts are focused on the
sensory systems of sea otters, and how these amphibious animals are adapted for an aquatic
lifestyle. She is especially interested in how sea otters receive and perceive
sound, and is currently using active and passive behavioral approacesh to measure the auditory
range and sensitivity of these animals. Asila is also interested in the
amphibious hearing capabilities of pinnipeds, and is conducting behavioral
research to investigate how seals and sea lions process temporal aspects of
sound. Prior to joining the project's research team, Asila worked as a zooplankton ecology and volunteered with The Marine Mammal Center to rescue and
rehabilitate stranded pinnipeds. |
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Peter Cook
Graduate Student Researcher (doctoral degree candidate), Department of Psychology, UCSC
pcook at
ucsc.edu
Peter Cook earned his graduate degree in Philosophy of Mind at
Pomona College and subsequently studied for a post-baccalaureate in Psychology
at Columbia University in New York, where he worked for two labs, one
specializing in primates, the other in marine mammals. In 2007 Peter was
accepted as a doctoral student in Cognitive Psychology at UCSC and has since
been with our research program, primarily working on cognitive research
projects including studies of cross-modal learning with Rio, the lab's
California sea lion. Peter is the recipient of a National Science Foundation
Graduate Fellowship in support of his work (with The Marine Mammal Center in
Sausalito) studying the cognitive and behavioral affects of naturally occurring
domoic acid exposure in stranded California sea lions. Domoic acid is a toxic
byproduct of algal diatoms common to the Monterey Bay Area, and the cause of
shellfish poisoning in humans. This ongoing work has important implications for
conservation, brain science, and human health. |
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Caroline Casey
Laboratory Manager, Field Research Coodinator
cbcasey at
ucsc.edu
Caroline serves as the lab "team" leader and organizes the daily research schedules, animal care activites, and staff training and development. Born and raised in Oakland, CA,
Caroline first joined the lab in the spring of 2007. She obtained her bachelor's degree from
UCSC in Environmental Studies, and during this time she worked with PRETOMA in
Costa Rica on various sea turtle restoration projects in addition to her time
spent caring for and training marine mammals in Santa Cruz. Caroline was trained as an intrepretive specialist at the
California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco before moving into joint research technician/educational outreach postion in the program in 2009. She brings a special skill set to public education activities in our research
program and leads young 'ocean explorer' summer programs through our collaboration with the Seymour Discovery Center at Long Marine Lab. Caroline also coordinates the data collection and processing for various seasonal field research projects, including some of our bioacoustic research with northern elephant seals at Ano Nuevo. She is a world traveler and has big plans to explore more countries
before going to graduate school. |
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Rebecca King
Research Assistant, Cognition Coordinator
Rebecca joined the lab in September
2007 and graduated from UCSC with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology. For two years, Rebecca supplemented her time at our lab by volunteering to
rehabilitate sick and injured sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She currently
has held a full-time position in the biotechnology field, but spends all her extra time in our research program, where she trains our marine mammals and carries out experiments focusing on associative learning and concept formation. Rebecca always had a
passion for animals and has worked actively with a wide variety of species in addition to marine mammals, including chickens, guinea pigs, and dogs. Her role in the lab has recently expanded to include coordination of our ongoing cognitive research with California sea lions. Rebecca is considering her options for graduate work as she increases her skill set working with animals in a laboratory setting. |
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Megan Connolly
Research Assistant, Whisker/Wake Coordinator
Megan is a fourth year undergraduate,
majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior. She began working with marine mammals
at age 14, and has developed a passion for pinnipeds in all the years since.
After exploring other areas, Megan has settled into pinniped research,
education and training at Long Marine Lab as she finishes her degree at UCSC. She has specialized in the last two years in exploration of the vibrotactile sensory systems of seals, and she currently helps to organize the hydrodynamic trail following work being conducted in the lab. She is responsible for her own research project on the growth and shedding patterns of pinniped vibrissae for which she has developed a unique set of photometric methods. Megan enjoys her
work, especially when she can motivate others to understand and care about the
research goals of our program. Megan is particularly involved in program
development activities in the lab, working closely with project staff to refine
and improve protocols and program resources. Megan is planning for an eventual
career in veterinary medicine or marine science education. |
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William Hughes
Research Assistant, Bioacoustics Coordinator
William was born and raised in the San Francisco
Bay area. Before coming to Santa Cruz, he volunteered with Xenophon, a therapeutic horse riding program for children with developmental disabilities. William aims to graduate from UC Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the spring of 2011 and hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in Zoology in the years following his time in Santa Cruz. He joined our lab in June 2008 and since then has invested his time and energy in several of the lab's acoustical projects, focusing primarily on our research in bioacoustics and sound production in various species of pinnipeds. William is interested in the behavior, perception, physiology, and conservation of many marine mammal species and is enthusiastic about his involvement in the current projects at the Pinniped Lab. In the summer of 2010, he branched out to participate in a world-renowned research project in Rostock, Germany headed by Dr. Guido Dehnhardt, where is he assisting in a variety of research projects dealing the sensory capabilities of seals. |
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Marjorie Walsh
Research Assistant, Vet/Med Coordinator
Originally from San Diego, Marjorie came to Santa Cruz as a junior transfer and graduated from UCSC with a degree in Biology. She has been in the veterinary medical field for twelve years with experience in general practice, exotics, and specialty medicine. When she helping to manage the care of our animals at Long Marine Lab,, Marjorie works as a veterinary opthalmologist office in Campbell. She joined the pinniped group in September of 2008 and has been an invaluable medical resource for the lab. Her interests include animals, marine mammal medicine, dancing, SCUBA, reading, and working out. |
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Arial Brewer
Research Assistant, Pyschoacoustics Coordinator
Arial grew up near Los Angeles and attended community college in Santa Barbara before transferring to UCSC and earning her Bachelors degree in Marine Biology. She volunteered at a pinniped rehabilitation and release center and also interned for Jean-Michel Cousteau while in Santa Barbara. Arial joined our program in October 2008 and has worked hard to develop a special role in the lab's acoustics program. Arial has become a key member of our pyschoacoustics program by running daily experiments in both aerial and underwater acoustics as well as gaining a well-rounded knowledge of the physics of sound and perception. She is currently serving a key role in experiments dealing with reaction time during active listening tasks. Arial's outside interests include wildlife, SCUBA diving, surfing, and traveling. |
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Adam Zuby
Research Assistant
Adam was born and raised in Fresno, California and graduated from UC Santa Cruz (Oakes College) in 2007. The desire to work with exotic animals since childhood eventually lead him to our lab originally in spring 2007 and again in spring 2009. In addition to daily lab responsibilities, Adam offers his knowledge and elbow grease as our lab construction and fabrication specialist with projects ranging from test-apparatus construction to enclosure design. In addition to his background in marine science and product development, Adam has a history of involvement with youth outreach programs and additional experience in public speaking and relations. He is primarily interested in the conservation and research dedicated to sustaining wild populations of various animal species. |
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Molly McCormley
Research Assistant
Molly grew up in San Diego before moving to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC. She will be graduating with a B.S. in Marine Biology in 2010. Molly joined the lab in April of 2009 and has since grown in her knowledge of marine mammal science and is grateful for the opportunities that this lab offers. Outside of this lab, she has also volunteered for the Costa Lab for the past three years, focusing on work done with Northern elephant seals. Her interests include animal behavior and cognition.
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Jenna Lofstrom
Research Assistant
Jenna was born and raised in Redondo Beach, California and transferred from a city college to UCSC in 2007. She joined our lab in July of 2009 and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology in June of 2010. In addition to her current experience working at this lab, she has experience volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. Future plans for Jenna include the possibility of graduate school, conservation and research, or working in an educational field related to marine mammal biology and behavior. |
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Sonny Knaub
Research Assistant
Sonny grew up in Orange County and moved to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC. She joined our lab in September 2009 and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Biology in June of 2010. Sonny also volunteers outside of this lab with Animal Shelter Relief in Santa Cruz and plans to be working with animals in the future. Other possible future plans include graduate school, research, and animal behavior. When she is not at the lab, Sonny enjoys swimming, water polo, and reading. |
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Dr. Brandon Southall
Former graduate student (M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences)
Research Associate, Institute of Marine Sciences,
UCSC
Brandon worked extensively with our program at Long Marine Lab from 1995
through the spring of 2003. While here, he completed his Master's degree in
Marine Science at UCSC in 1998 studying underwater masked
hearing in three pinniped species. He also completed his doctoral research,
which involved both lab and field components on pinniped bioacoustics. In the
lab, Brandon conducted fine-scale measurements of
aerial masked
hearing thresholds and critical bandwidths. In the field, he studied
elephant seal
bioacoustics at Ano Nuevo State Reserve. In 2003, Brandon left Santa Cruz
to join the NOAA Fisheries Acoustics Program in Bethesda, MD where he worked to
improve regulatory policies related to marine mammals and noise. In 2009, Brandon founded a local environmental consulting company, SEA Inc., where he continues to work on issues related to anthropogenic impacts in marine environments. Brandon
maintains a research affiliation with UCSC, where he continues to be an
important member of our research program by conducting and participating in
research related to pinniped acoustics and communication.
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Dr. Kristy Lindemann
Former graduate student (Ph.D. in Pyschology), now an Assistant Professor at St. Francis College
Kristy completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology in 2007 at UCSC on the study of cross-modal categorization and learning strategies in our captive California sea lion, Rio. After teaching at the college level as a lecturer for the Psychology Department at UCSC and as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Cabrillo College, Kristy moved back to the East Coast where she now teaches at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY. She continues to conduct research in human and animal cognition.
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Dr. Marla Holt
Former graduate student (Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences), now a Research Wildlife Biologist with the Marine Mammal Ecology Team at the NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle
Marla worked closely with the project from 1998 to 2006. As a research assistant, she became
interested in animal psychophysics and completed her first research project,
an analysis of the
individual strategies used by our pinnipeds in various perceptual tasks,
before entering graduate school. Marla began the graduate program in Ocean
Sciences at UCSC in 1999, and completed her Master's thesis, which comprised a
comparative
investigation of the directional hearing abilities of pinnipeds, in the
spring of 2002. Marla then joined the doctoral program in Ocean Sciences at
UCSC where she conducted laboratory research relating to
frequency-dependent
directional hearing,
masking, and a
variety of field studies using acoustic playback techniques with northern
elephant seals. Marla left the lab in fall of 2006 to conduct
research on killer whale communication in increasing levels of background noise in Puget Sound, as part of her NRC fellowship through NOAA Fisheries NW Science Center in Seattle. Marla now has a permanent position with the Marine Mammal Ecology Team as a Research Wildlife Biologist specializing in bioacoustics.
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