Meet the CoOL Group Members

MIKE WOOD / LAB LEAD

Dr. Mike Wood is the principal investigator of the Computational Oceanography lab. He holds a dual appointment at the Moss Landing Marine Labs and the Department of Computer Science. Mike is interested in using numerical ocean models, remotely-sensed observations, and in situ measurements to understand changes in the global ocean. His main research focus is on glacier-ocean interactions and sea level rise but he is interested in a wide variety of oceanographic topics. When he’s not on the computer, Mike likes to get outside to surf, climb, or go for a run.

BASIL DARBY / GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT 

Basil Darby is a graduate student in the Physical Oceanography lab. He is interested in range of oceanographic topics and is pursuing a Master Thesis on the Submesoscale Dynamics of Cape Mendocino. In the CoOL group, he is working on the development of a high-resolution model of the California Current System. Outside the lab, Basil enjoys playing music, performing, and producing shows, along with organizing to make cities more climate resilient.

TYLER MORGAN / POST-BACCALAUREATE RESEARCHER

Tyler Morgan is a recent graduate from CSUMB’s Marine Science program and a post-baccalaureate researcher through the NSF Geo-Bridge program. He is interested in studying interactions between ocean ecosystems and the physical environment. His recent research is focused on kelp forests, utilizing a remote sensing kelp dataset, the NASA ECCOv5 ocean state estimate, and the Copernicus Global Ocean Waves Reanalysis model to estimate how kelp biomass changes alongside physical environmental stressors at different locations on the central-southern California Coast. Outside of the lab, Tyler enjoys scuba diving, practicing his archery skills, stargazing late at night, or in his downtime just finding a good tv show to watch.

TARA PARKER / UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Tara Parker is a an undergraduate students in the Mathematics department at SJSU. Tara has worked on several projects to collect and analyze satellites data to assess changes in the ocean. Currently, she is investigating the impact of ice melt on phytoplankton growth around the Greenland ice sheet. When she’s not crunching numbers, Tara enjoys hiking, scuba diving, and exploring California.

SWEET ZHANG / SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Sweet Zhang is a recent graduate from SJSU’s Computer Science department and a software developer in the CoOL group. She works closely with oceanographers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, writing code to process data from Argo floats and support new ocean model developments. Outside of work, she likes to spend her time in the mountains climbing or snowboarding.