Corey Garza
Professor
Department: School of Natural Sciences @ CSUMB
Contact:
email: cogarza@csumb.edu
phone: (831) 582-3024
Biography:
Dr. Corey Garza is an associate professor in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay. Prior to arriving at CSUMB he was a research ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he served as scientific liaison to and chief scientist for the USEPA Long Island Sound Study. He uses GIS modeling and spatial statistics to study the relationship between scale dependence, habitat complexity and patterns of species distribution and abundance in marine communities. Dr. Garza serves as the principal investigator for the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab at CSUMB and is the campus lead for the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems. He also directs the NSF funded, Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.
For Prospective Students:
As a rule, I will not accept a student into the lab who I have not met in person or by phone beforehand. If you are considering applying for graduate studies in the lab, please plan on contacting me by email or phone or, arranging an in person meeting. Because research in the lab focuses on the analysis of spatial pattern and process in marine systems, students in the lab regularly use GIS and statistics in their research. Students conducting research in the lab will be expected to become proficient in each of these two areas. For students interested in working with the lab, we recommend they have a strong quantitative background (e.g. statistics), experience working with computers, coursework in ecology and some research experience. Students in the lab primarily study the ecology of marine invertebrates: however, we are more interested in studying interesting research topics as opposed to a particular organism or system. I am always happy to speak with students interested in conducting graduate studies in the lab and look forward to speaking with you.
Research Interests:
- Marine Landscape Ecology