Robert Dellinger is currently a Master’s student at California State University in the Biology Department studying marine ecology. Rob is interested in studying the interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming by assessing the physiological responses of marine organisms to future climate change scenarios. His aim is to exemplify how organismal-level interactions may amplify or reduce the effects of ecological change, as each organismal function uniquely scales up to affect different ecosystem functions.

Brandon Quintana is currently a master’s student in the Biological Science department at California State University, Fullerton. For his thesis, he is currently studying how biomass and condition index of filter feeders are responding to different factors such as sedimentation as well as eelgrass and filter feeder density in a living shoreline setting. The goal of his research is to use the results of the study to inform restoration management and better protect coastal communities while increasing habitat and biodiversity.

Anna Rothstein is a Master’s student in Dr. Maya deVries’s lab at San Jose State University. Her research aims to uncover the ecological function of cryptic coral environments, such as crevices and tunnels, to better understand holistic reef functioning. For her thesis, she plans to use classic and modern surveying techniques to better understand the prevalence and function of crustose coralline algae (CCA) residing inside the reef communities of West Maui.

Jessica Weidenfeld is an Ecology Mater’s student at San Diego State University in Dr. Hentschel’s lab. Her thesis is focused on understanding how a sea urchin’s diet effects its commensal polychaete by examining changes in urchin fecal quality and how that relates to the polychaete’s consumption and growth. After completing her Master’s she hopes to do work in promoting California’s blue economy through waste reduction and reuse in aquaculture.