Interns

Mia Lucas

Mia Lucas

 

 

I am a current fourth year undergraduate student at Gonzaga University, pursuing a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Applied Mathematics. My interests lie in the intersection of math and science, particularly in understanding the impact of climate change on our environment and using mathematical models to study these changes.

I am excited to be part of the Vertebrate Ecology Lab this summer as an intern and part of the Monterey Bay Stranding Network team. My responsibilities include assisting with the marine mammal response, participating in necropsies, and completing monthly beach surveys. I am also working with a graduate student on research on elephant seals and their diving behavior.

 

Aidann Merrel

Aidann Merrel

 

 

I am a current undergraduate student studying Marine Science at California State University, Monterey Bay. I previously attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate Chemistry B.S major, and have transferred to the Marine Science program at CSUMB to further my education in marine biology and chemical oceanography. I am interested in deep-sea research and the impact of climate change on the marine environment.

I started volunteering as an intern for the Vertebrate Ecology Lab in Spring 2024, and currently help with marine mammal stranding response, assisting with necropsies, and participating in monthly beach surveys. I am also currently working with ArcGIS Pro to create a detailed map of all strandings in Monterey County, something I hope to finish this summer.

 

Roxane Jaramillo

Roxane Jaramillo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I currently attend San Francisco State University, as an undergraduate student pursing a degree in Marine Sciences. I am from a small town in San Diego, where I discovered my passion for marine life. I grew up on a beach where sewage runoff affects marine life and public safety, and I hope to work in my hometown to reduce and eliminate pollution. I am currently with 2024 Monterey Bay Ocean Sciences REU Program working with Dr. Birgitte McDonald for the summer in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab. This summer, I will be researching Emperor Penguin dive behaviors in the Ross Sea

Three new interns are joining the VEL for the summer!

Taylor Azizeh

We are so excited to welcome our three interns for the summer!

 

 

Roxane is an undergraduate student pursing a degree in Marine Sciences at San Francisco State University. She is from a small town in San Diego, where she discovered her passion for marine life. She grew up on a beach where sewage runoff affects marine life and public safety, and she hopes to work in her hometown to reduce and eliminate pollution. Roxane is currently with the 2024 Monterey Bay Ocean Sciences REU Program, working with Dr. Birgitte McDonald for the summer in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab. This summer, she will be researching Emperor Penguin dive behaviors in the Ross Sea.

 

 

Aidann is an undergraduate student, studying Marine Science at California State University, Monterey Bay. She previously attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate Chemistry B.S major, but later transferred to the Marine Science program at CSUMB to further her education in marine biology and chemical oceanography. She is interested in deep-sea research and the impact of climate change on the marine environment. She started volunteering as an intern for the Vertebrate Ecology Lab in Spring 2024, and currently help with marine mammal stranding response, assisting with necropsies, and participating in monthly beach surveys. She is also currently working with ArcGIS Pro to create a detailed map of all strandings in Monterey County.

 

 

Mia is a current fourth year undergraduate student at Gonzaga University, pursuing her B.A. in Biology and a minor in Applied Mathematics. Her interests lie in the intersection of math and science, particularly in understanding the impact of climate change on our environment and using mathematical models to study these changes. She is excited to be part of the Vertebrate Ecology Lab this summer as an intern and part of the Monterey Bay Stranding Network team. Her responsibilities include assisting with the marine mammal response, participating in necropsies, and completing monthly beach surveys. She is also working with a graduate student on research on elephant seals and their diving behavior.

Lauren Hearn

Taylor Azizeh

Lauren Hearn

 

 

I'm a recent graduate from Florida State University (2022), where I studied marine biology and chemical oceanography. I completed an undergraduate thesis there on biogeochemical cycles in the Southern ocean and the role that phytoplankton play in them. I collected seawater samples in the Southern ocean and analyzed the data in Ocean data view for the ongoing GEOTRACES project, which helped fuel my thesis.

I've started volunteering in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab this fall to assist with recording marine mammal strandings and completing bi-monthly surveys. I look forward to continuing to assist members in the lab and widening my exposure to marine mammal research. Broadly, I'm interested in how chemical oceanography and marine populations interact, and how studies of the two can overlap to benefit each other. I hope to narrow down my research focus and continue my education by pursuing a master's thesis.