Aleah Corbo

I graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. During my undergraduate experience I was a research intern for the California State Lands Commission where I helped conduct research on renewable energy and the potential impacts on marine mammals, to help aid policy makers in making sound environmental decisions. In my time at UCSC I started volunteering at a non-profit organization known as Sea Otter Savvy, that focuses on fostering awareness and stewardship in central California to help mitigate the effects of human disturbance on sea otter populations. I also started taking marine conservation and marine mammal classes that help develop my love for marine mammal research and conservation. In my gap year I became a volunteer at The Marine Mammal Center in San Luis Obispo and learned to care and handle sick and injured wildlife in an effort to rehabilitate and release them.

Through my experiences in my undergraduate career I developed a deep love for marine conservation, specifically the disturbances that occur and disrupt natural behaviors in marine organisms. Ultimately my experiences have led me to the Vertebrate Ecology Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. I started at the lab in the fall of August 2024 and my research focuses on studying seasonal fluctuations in sea otter raft sizes in both Monterey Bay and Elkhorn Slough through the use of drone-based surveys. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at MLML so far and I am excited to continue to support research, outreach, and management efforts.