People and Programs

My Time at the Bodega Marine Lab

My time at BML was spent working with Dr. Boles on researching abalone (Haliotis spps.) reproduction and larval success. Dr. Boles has spent her career working with California abalone, investigating the effects of climate change factors on developing larval and juvenile abalone.

A Seagrass Summer

I am a second-year Environmental Science major at Santa Rosa Junior College and will be transferring to UC Santa Cruz this fall to complete my undergraduate degree. I spent my summer at the Bodega Marine Laboratory, working under the supervision of Dr. Alyssa Griffin.

My Summer with Bull Kelp, Sea Urchins, and Abalone

Katherine Pearson is a biology student who just finished at SRJC and is transferring to Cal Poly Humboldt in the fall semester of 2025. She is majoring in marine biology but hopes to major in biochemistry as well. She is also interested in getting certified in scientific diving so she can see kelp forests and their inhabitants up close. Her mentors were Maya Munstermann and Elena Wang.

Pulling the E-Brake on Methane Emissions

As global emissions continue to climb, there is a growing call for rapidly reducing methane. UC Davis Professor Tessa Hill spoke about the benefits that can come from fast action on methane with the hosts of We Don’t Have Time during this year’s Climate Week NYC, held Sept 21-28. She was joined by Fatima Denton, director of the United Nations University-Institute for Natural Resources in Africa.

First Steps in the Field

I came into the Bodega Marine Laboratory summer program completing as a third year from Santa Rosa Junior College. I had applied the previous two years for this internship with no success, until this year.

Fishing for Science with CCFRP

As an intern at BML, I was involved with the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Project, which monitors the health of California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with the help of volunteer anglers. My mentor Fran de Castro and her partner Jordan Colby help to manage the BML’s contributions to the program.

“The Best Job I’ve Ever Had”

It’s early—almost too early to be out walking. But Leo Konefat, a rising third-year undergraduate at UC Davis and one of the 2025 EVE Scholars, has an urgent appointment with a low tide.

Two Continents, One Ocean

UC Davis graduate student Elisabeth Sellinger traveled to France as part of the French American Doctoral Exchange (FADEx) Program in Marine Science. From lab visits in Paris and Brest to presenting at the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice, she explored international collaborations, connected with fellow ocean researchers, and even gave her biggest talk yet, just one hour after stepping off the train!

Marine ecology meets climate modelling

In early June 2025, CMSI sponsored a hands-on workshop at Bodega Marine Laboratory focused on using R to wrangle and analyze Earth System Model (ESM) output (AKA climate models).