Jenni Johnson

I graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Biological Science focusing in Marine Science. During my undergraduate studies, I was an animal husbandry and rescue volunteer for the Marine Mammal Center, while interning in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab at MLML. Through my experience as a volunteer I acquired a foundational skill set for working with wild pinnipeds which enhanced my curiosity about how these animals survive in extreme environments. As an intern in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab, I had the opportunity to assist in a variety of projects. This included being a member of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, assisting with diet analysis of California Sea Lions, and volunteering with elephant seal demographic studies at UCSC.

Currently, I am a fourth year student under the direction of Dr. Gitte McDonald. My research aims to investigate the influence of maternal foraging strategy on reproductive output in Northern elephant seals using stable isotope analysis. This project is being done in collaboration with the Costa Lab at UC Santa Cruz.