OUR TEAM (old) | CA Ocean Access

Meet the Team

PROJECT LEADERS

Principal Investigator

Dr. Timothy Frawley

Dr. Timothy Frawley is a former commercial fisherman, coastal wildflower enthusiast, and mediocre surfer who has lived and worked in central California for over a decade. His fundamental goal as a researcher is to produce and communicate useful science capable of transforming the way people think about marine resource management and governance. As a transdisciplinary, coupled-systems scientist he relies upon mixed methods from the natural and social sciences and ongoing collaboration with active resource users to define research questions, collect data, and interpret results. His research to-date has spanned diverse sectors, scales, and geographies, including everything from the climate adaptation of small-scale fishers in Baja California Sur (Mexico) to the behaviors and operations of longline tuna fishing fleets in the Pacific high seas. Since obtaining his PhD from Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University in 2019, he’s been working as a member of the Fisheries Collaborative Program associated with University of California Santa Cruz and NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

Co - Principal Investigator

Dr. Jennifer Selgrath

Dr. Jennifer (Jenny) Selgrath has worked as a social-ecological researcher with Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary’s science team since July of 2020. She is passionate about incorporating transdisciplinary spatial and social-ecological tools into research, monitoring, conservation, cultural preservation, and collaborative management of coastal ecosystems. She focuses on human dimensions of the sanctuary, including ocean access, subsistence fishing, climate impacts, and cultural benefits, on deep-sea coral habitats. Prior to joining the sanctuary team, Her doctoral research (at the University of British Columbia) focused on understanding long-term changes in the sustainability and spatial distributiomof small-scale fisheries, while as a postdoc she (at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station) she investigated the climate adaptation of coastal fishing communities and the integration of historical ecology and local ecological knowledge to investigate biodiversity changes in Monterey Bay. Jennifer is a former AmeriCorps volunteer and a former Fulbright Scholar (Philippines).

COLLABORATORS

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Advisor & Researcher

Dr. Katherine Seto

Katherine Seto is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research lies at the intersection of political ecology, governance theory, and sustainability science. Her research investigates the equity, sustainability, and governance of marine and coastal systems, and the reciprocal relationship they have with human wellbeing and conflict. Her current research explores the social and ecological consequences of fishing, distribution of coastal and marine resource benefits, and the role of seafood in local and global food systems.

Advisor & Researcher

Dr. Larry Crowder

Larry Crowder is the Edward F. Ricketts Provostial Professor of Marine Ecology and Conservation at Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. He is also Affiliated Faculty at Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and Professor by Courtesy, Department of Biology. is recent research has focused on marine conservation, including research on bycatch, spatial ecological analysis, nutrients and low oxygen, sustainable seafood, ecosystem-based management, marine spatial planning, and governance.

Graduate Student

Emma Gee

Emma Gee is a PhD student in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She has a broad range of research interests, including discourses around Asian cultures in conservation, Indigenous fisheries sovereignty, and the ecological effects of fishing on the high seas. She is passionate about knowledge co-creation and how scientists can create conditions that catalyze transformative change. Prior to coming to UCSC, she completed a BS in Environmental Systems Engineering and an MS in Earth Systems from Stanford University

Advisor & Researcher

Dr. Rachel Seary

Rachel Seary is a postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz and the NOAA Environmental Research Division. She received a PhD in Geography from the University of Cambridge in 2019 before moving to the USA to study the California Current Ecosystem. Rachel is interested in the links between humans and the marine environment, and finding the balance between biodiversity conservation and sustaining ocean resources that people need for food, economy and well-being under changing environmental and regulatory landscapes. Her research investigates social-ecological challenges for fishing communities through participatory approaches.

INTERNS

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Stanford University

Undergraduate Researcher

Plengrhambhai (Pleng) Snidvongs Kruesopon

Pleng Kruesopon is a Sophomore at Stanford University, majoring in International Relations and Environmental Justice. Born and raised in Thailand, she spent a lot of her time near the ocean and is an avid diver. In High School, she founded Care for Coral, an NGO that strives to preserve Thailand’s marine environment through direct conservation and plantation efforts of corals nationwide. She has worked with the Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources as a policy advocate and was awarded a Gold Ocean Conservationist medal from the Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. This summer she is a Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SESUR) intern working out of the Crowder Lab at Hopkins Marine Station. When she’s not in the water, she enjoys hiking, reading, and playing the guitar with her family and friends.

Project Tasks: Web design, valuation framework literature review, semi-structured interview administration and transcription, qualitative data analysis

UC Santa Barbara

Graduate Researcher

Kennedy Flavin

Kennedy Flavin, a dedicated graduate from University of Utah, holding dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Environmental & Sustainability Science and Political Science, with a focus on Air, Water, and Health, along with a minor in Earth Sciences. As a former member of the university's Sustainability Board, Kennedy organized engaging Climate Change Anxiety Discussions and passionately advocated for preserving Utah's precious gem, the Great Salt Lake. Her transformative internship experience with Save Our Canyons honed her skills in championing inclusive recreation and equal access to natural resources through innovative policies like "Transits to Trails." Kennedy now sets her sights on reaching greater heights by pursuing a Master's in Coastal Marine Resources Management at the UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. This summer, she is working to advance her ultimate goal of having a tangible, positive impact on MPA planning processes as an intern at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Outside her academic pursuits, Kennedy finds solace and joy in the tranquility of the beaches, nurturing her passion for surfing, and also in yoga studios, where she seeks balance and inner peace.

Project Tasks: Environmental justice literature review, Bren School Project Manager

Stanford University

Undergraduate Researcher

Roya Meykadeh

Born and raised in San Francisco, Roya Meykadeh has had a deep love and respect for the ocean since she was a toddler, and finds herself at peace when by the water. She will be an incoming sophomore at Stanford University next year, and is planning on focusing her studies on issues surrounding sustainability, environmental engineering, and biological and ecological processes. Maintaining the health and vitality of our planet is a deep passion of hers, and she has conducted research on the impacts of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, materials research on helium implanted surfaces within fusion energy reactors, and the impact of anthropogenic pollution on our intertidal zones to name a few. This summer Roya is a Stanford Wood's Mentoring Undergradutes in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR) intern working out of the Crowder Lab at Hopkins Marine Station. Outside of her academic life, Roya enjoys rock music, adventuring to find local swimming holes, hikes, and camping :)

Project Tasks: Valuation framework literature review, semi-structured interview administration and transcription, qualitative data analysis, social media account management

UC Santa Barbara

Undergraduate Researcher

Lucas Lowe

Lucas is a fourth-year Environmental Studies major at UC Santa Barbara with a focus on Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology. His interest in the natural sciences stems from his time spent in Montana and Japan as a kid. He has a background in sustainability through volunteering as a sustainability chairman for various clubs and a startup. Recently, he took part in a field studies program where he conducted research on microplastic accumulation in queen conch (Aliger gigas). He has also worked as a research assistant for UC Santa Barbara faculty Dr. Peter Alagona assisting in his grizzly bear research project. This summer, Lucas is an intern at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary where he is working on a research project on ocean access, marine protected areas, and environmental justice for subsistence fishers in California. When he’s not working, Lucas is often found freediving around Santa Barbara or hiking the Santa Ynez mountains!

Project Tasks: GIS database curation and spatial analysis

Iowa State University

Undergraduate Researcher

Maryam Krauss

Maryam is a rising senior at Iowa State University, majoring in animal ecology with a focus on fisheries and aquatic science. Maryam's passion and interest for marine science and conservation stemmed from her upbringing in Malaysia and times spent on the local islands -- where she witnessed profound environmental apathy among coastal communities. This summer, Maryam is an Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF) intern at working out of the Crowder Lab at Hopkins Marine Station. During her free time, Maryam spends her time reading, drawing, or watching documentaries and sitcoms!

Project Tasks: Quantitative analysis of Instagram social media database (#bayareafishing), netnography to define and characterize different ocean user groups