There are sharks in San Francisco Bay. More of them than you might think. Bat rays cruise in muddy shallows. Smoothhounds slip along sandy shores. Sevengill sharks patrol deeper waters. And tucked into the wetlands and inlets of the Bay, young sharks and rays find sheltered places to feed, grow, and avoid predators.
For more than a decade, the SRJC–BML Internship Program has bridged Santa Rosa Junior College and the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, immersing students in transformative, hands-on scientific research.
I am Raven Riley, a Biology major transferring to Sonoma State University this Fall. After a presentation by Liyu Mekonnen and Deva Holliman where they introduced my class to the SRJC-BML Internship, I jumped at the chance to combine my hobbies of programming, data analytics, and marine biology while developing transferable skills for my field of study, Behavioral Neuroscience.
My name is Susan Escoto and I am going into my third year as a biology student at the Santa Rosa Junior College. I have aspirations to transfer to UC Davis in the fall of 2028 to continue working towards a bachelor's degree in microbiology. From there I will apply to graduate school where I will study the human gut microbiome.
My name is Kaye Burfoot, and I am a Biology student at Santa Rosa Junior College. At the end of this year I will be graduating from SRJC with an AS in Biology and transferring to San Francisco State University to finish my BS in Biology with a focus in Conservation and Ecology
My name is Robert Dawson, and I am a third-year student at the SRJC pursuing my associate’s degree in biology, after which I hope to transfer to a 4-year university and obtain my undergraduate degree in molecular biology. This summer gave me the incredible opportunity to intern at the Bodega Marine Lab, during which I was able to have many great experiences and meet many wonderful people.
My name is Xochilt Campos and I have completed my third year at Santa Rosa Junior College. I am transferring to Sonoma State University in the fall to study Biology. This summer I spent time in the Ocean Climate Lab working under Lucy Bates. Lucy is a PhD student focusing on San Francisco Bay foraminifera.
Hello, my name is Savannah Auble, and this summer I had the opportunity to complete an internship at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory through my school, Santa Rosa Junior College. I am currently a third-year biology student at SRJC, and I plan on transferring to UC Davis in Fall 2027.
I am an Environmental Science student at Santa Rosa Junior High looking to transfer to Sonoma State in Spring of 2027. I am aiming for a career in conservation and I’m interested in many different fields such as ecology and habitat restoration.
It’s the best oyster you’ve (probably) never tasted. For years, many people assumed it was gone from Tomales Bay altogether. But one day, Joe Newman, a Developmental Technician in the Aquatic Resources Group (ARG) at the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML), got a call from a local oyster grower, who jokingly told him to “grab a bottle of hot sauce” and head to a nearby boat launch.
