Alexandra (Alex) Stella (she/her) is a third year student in the Ichthyology lab! Her research, Effects of hypoxia on anti-predator behavior of English Sole and Speckled Sanddabs, attempts to understand how varying oxygen levels impact the behavior and responsiveness of juvenile flatfish. Performing three different behavioral trials, she hopes to identify differences in responsiveness among individual fish and between her two study species. The findings from this study will be critical to understanding how hypoxia (insufficient oxygen for survival) impacts the growth and survival of these two flatfish populations in a critical nursery habitat.

Alex graduated from the University of Southern California in 2020, majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Marine Biology and Political Science. It was at USC's Wrigley Institute that Alex developed a love for research, inspiring her to pursue a Masters degree. As a student at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Alex served as the student body president for the 2021-2022 school year and is on the leadership committee for the Monterey Bay chapter for the Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS).