Dr. Jim Harvey retires from SJSU/MLML after 32 years

After 32 outstanding years of service to Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and San José State University, today marks Dr. Jim Harvey’s last day as our Director. Please join us in congratulating Jim on his well deserved retirement!

Jim first came to SJSU/MLML as a graduate student in 1974 and has since served as a course instructor, professor, and ultimately lab director for the last decade. He led the Vertebrate Ecology Lab for 20 years, during which time he advised 82 students and served on 132 total thesis committees. Broadly, Jim’s research interests include the ecology, morphology, and behavior of marine mammals, birds, and turtles, with a special focus on the harbor seal population of Elkhorn Slough.

Jim’s contributions to the MLML community over the course of his long career are innumerable and we will miss his steadfast leadership, collegial spirit, and commitment to research and teaching excellence. While Jim is officially retiring from his position as director, he will continue his research and looks forward to spending more time in the field. Current MLML professor and department chair Dr. Ivano Aiello will serve as Interim Director of Moss Landing Marine Labs until a permanent Director has been appointed.

Dr. Sarah Smith joins SJSU/MLML faculty as new biological oceanographer

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Sarah Smith has joined the faculty at SJSU/MLML as our new biological oceanographer! 

Dr. Smith received her MS in Marine Science from SJSU/MLML in 2009 and her PhD in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2014. Before joining the faculty at MLML, Dr. Smith served as a post-doc, staff scientist, and assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute. Her current research uses a combination of comparative and functional genomics approaches to explore the evolution and molecular mechanisms of physiological regulation in diatoms. Insights from these studies will be used to inform our understanding of the evolution of diatoms and to guide efforts to bioengineer algae as a feedstock for aquaculture and for the cultivation of renewable bioproducts, such as sustainable biofuels.

Dr. Smith will be taking over the MLML Biological Oceanography Lab from her former graduate advisor Dr. Nick Welschmeyer who retired in 2020. Welcome, Sarah!

Mike Prince appointed NSF Antarctic Research Vessel Program Manager

Please join us in congratulating former MLML Marine Superintendent Mike Prince on his new appointment as the Antarctic Research Vessel Program Manager with the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs.

In this new role, Mike will be responsible for providing technical guidance and direct engagement on overall project development, design, planned construction, and delivery of the Antarctic Research Vessel, a major Office of Polar Programs initiative. He will coordinate with contract personnel, vessel support groups, other sections in OPP, as well as other programs throughout NSF to achieve the project goals.

Read more in the official NSF announcement.

Graduate student Caroline Rodriguez named 2022 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Finalist

Huge congratulations to MLML graduate student Caroline Rodriguez who was selected as a finalist for the 2022 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship!

The one-year NOAA Sea Grant fellowship places early career professionals in federal government offices in Washington, DC. The 74 total 2022 Knauss finalists will become the 43rd class of the fellowship and will join a group of almost 1,500 professionals who have received hands-on experiences transferring science to policy and management.

Caroline’s thesis research through the CSUMB Logan Lab and SJSU/MLML Invertebrate Ecology Lab uses photogrammetry to investigate coral population dynamics in Hawaii. She plans to work at the nexus of marine conservation and environmental justice to advocate for vulnerable communities who are most impacted by climate change.

Read more about Caroline and the three other Knauss Fellowship Finalists from California in the California Sea Grant Knauss announcement.

MLML alumna Allison Crimmins ’07 to direct new National Climate Assessment

MLML alumna Allison Crimmins ’07 has been chosen by the Biden administration to oversee the Fifth U.S. National Climate Assessment. This report will act as the U.S. government’s next authoritative report on the consequences of climate change. 

“It’s becoming increasingly obvious that climate change isn’t something that’s happening far off in the future or somewhere far away to someone else. It’s here now and happening to us,” Crimmins said in an interview with the Washington Post. “As we head into uncharted territory, I think of the National Climate Assessment as an atlas to help move us forward.”

Read more in the Washington Post.

SJSU/MLML alumnus Justin Cordova ’21 publishes paper describing new shark species

In honor of Shark Week 2021, we are thrilled to share the great news that SJSU/MLML scientists have described a new shark species! In their new paper just published in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, MLML alumnus Justin Cordova '21 and Pacific Shark Research Center director Dr. David Ebert describe a new species of catshark from the Southwest Indian Ocean. The proposed name for the new species is Manocherian’s Catshark (Apristurus manocheriani).

Cordova, J.A. & Ebert, D.A. (2021) Apristurus manocheriani (Carcharhiniformes: Pentanchidae), a new species of catshark from the Southwest Indian Ocean. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 38, 13–26. Link.

Dr. Holly Bowers featured on SJSU Research Foundation Annual Report cover

Farm-derived nutrient runoff is a global problem that threatens marine ecosystems. Here in Monterey Bay, researchers from the SJSU/MLML Central Coast Wetlands Group and Environmental Biotechnology Lab are working hard to develop innovative new solutions to this longstanding issue.

This important work was recently highlighted in the San José State University Research Foundation 2021 Annual Report. MLML scientist Dr. Holly Bowers was even featured on the report cover! The photo shows Dr. Bowers using a handheld qPCR instrument to detect DNA from target harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. Read the full story on page 16 of the report.

Dr. Luke Gardner interviewed in Accuweather story about sustainable uses for seaweed

SJSU/MLML research faculty member & California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist Dr. Luke Gardner was recently interviewed by Accuweather for a story about the many uses of seaweed.

“Seaweed is definitely having a moment," Gardner told AccuWeather. "People are particularly excited about the potential of seaweed and what it can do for our environment.”

New research shows that while forests have long been considered the best natural defense in the battle against climate change, seaweed is actually the most effective natural way of absorbing carbon emissions from the atmosphere.

Read the full Accuweather story here.

MLML awards $20,000 in scholarships to 21 graduate students

We are thrilled to announce that this year we were able to award $20,000 in scholarships to 21 of our incredible Moss Landing Marine Labs graduate students in recognition of academic achievement and community service!

Congratulations to all our scholarship awardees and thank you to our generous donors who make these scholarships possible. If you would like to support future SJSU/MLML student scholarships, please consider making a donation to our scholarship fund.

Three MLML students receive COAST Graduate Student Research Awards!

We are thrilled to announce that three Moss Landing Marine Labs graduate students received 2021 COAST Graduate Student Research Awards! Congratulations to Daphne Shen (Vertebrate Ecology Lab), Kinsey Matthews (Fisheries Lab), and Jackson Hoeke (Invertebrate Ecology Lab).

The CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) provides these grants to support CSU graduate students engaged in marine, coastal, and coastal watershed research. Many SJSU/MLML students have been funded by COAST over the years, and we are always thankful for the California State University’s strong support for marine science research.