Bella Doohan (she/her) is a Project Coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.  She assists with LiMPETS programming in the Santa Barbara and Channel Island regions. Bella holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD. For her Master’s research, she studied rocky intertidal ecology focused on long-term monitoring using large area photogrammetry. She has extensive experience leading volunteer-based field surveys in the rocky intertidal and SCUBA diving on coral reefs. Throughout her career, she has worked in formal and informal education teaching the general public and students of all ages about the ocean and environmental science. She is a seaweed lover and will share fun seaweed facts with anyone who will listen!

Claire Fackler supports the whole LiMPETS network. Based in Santa Barbara, California, she works on regional, national and international education programs for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to inspire ocean and climate literacy and conservation, as well as to bring the ocean into classrooms.

Jaclyn Schneider (she/her) is the Intertidal Ecologist and Program Coordinator for the Greater Farallones Association’s and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary’s joint LiMPETS project. Working in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, she teaches middle, high school, college students and local community groups how to participate in the LiMPETS program. Jaclyn is a California native with years of experience as an outdoor educator and enjoys exploring the ocean with students. Jaclyn earned a BS in Marine Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt, where she managed Dr. Tissot’s Benthic Ecology Lab. During low tide she can usually be found with her head under a rock searching for invertebrates. She also enjoys spending time volunteering monitoring MARINe intertidal sites, scuba diving, and hiking with her dog, Dorid.

Jake Vargas (he/him) is the Program Associate for the Greater Farallones Association’s and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary’s joint LiMPETS project. While working on his master’s degree at Cal Poly Humboldt, Jake discovered an immense curiosity for predator-prey interactions and how marine microbes influence these relationships. It was through this research that Jake also realized his passion for mentorship. When not in the lab or rocky intertidal, Jake enjoys spending time reading (often with a mug of Abuelita’s), cooking and climbing tall rocks.

Julie Bursek oversees LiMPETS for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary region, which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. She is the Education Coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Kayla Carter (she/her) was the 2023-24 Marine Science Education Fellow for the Greater Farallones Association’s and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary’s joint LiMPETS project. She has a BS in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. As a San Francisco Bay Area native, Kayla has always had a passion for the ocean. She hopes to further her career in marine science education to inspire future generations to fight for our oceans. She also enjoys infodumping about marine mammals, trying to find the motivation to paint, and spending time with her cat Kiki.

Keighley Lane is the LiMPETS Coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary region, which includes Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. She has a graduate degree in Marine Biodiversity & Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Smith College. Keighley has worked in Colorado, Hawai’i, and the San Juan Islands. She is passionate about community-building and place-based management. In her free time, She can usually be found freediving, surfing, or road-tripping around the West.

Lisa Uttal is an education liaison for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) LiMPETS program. She develops and designs MBNMS programs and exhibits using current scientific research as the basis for a variety of learning experiences.

Maria Madrigal is an Education Specialist with USC Sea Grant and leads LiMPETS efforts in Southern California, specifically the Los Angeles Region. Maria received a BA in Studio Arts with a minor in Natural Sciences from Loyola Marymount University and a MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University. She has over 20 years of experience leading marine science education programs. She also authored the marine biology book that is part of a STEAM powered career book series for children with the global education organization and nonprofit publisher Room to Read.

Dawn Murray, Ph.D., was a Sea Grant fellow and one of the founding members of the rocky intertidal monitoring protocols for LiMPETS working with Dr. John Pearse. For her dissertation at the University of California Santa Cruz, she studied the effects of geology on intertidal ecology in Monterey Bay. As a professor in Santa Barbara, she serves on the LiMPETS Science Advisory Panel and teaches marine conservation, bringing her students into the intertidal for experiential learning.

Hannah Sarver (she/her) served as the LiMPETS Program Manager for the National Marine Sanctuary region based out of the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History for 6 years. She has a BS in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University. Hannah has worked in Oregon, Louisiana, and South Carolina conducting marine science education programs ranging from the rocky intertidal, to Mississippi River Delta systems, and estuarine/sandy habitats. She is passionate about marine ecosystems, scientific research, and educating students on their importance and value. Read more about her impact here!

Jessie Alstatt is an advisor to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary LiMPETS team. Jessie is a long time researcher and scientific diver in the waters and shores of the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands with emphasis on natural history, biodiversity and ecological surveys. She has worked with MARINe monitoring intertidal sites throughout southern California since 1992.

Summer Traylor (she/her) is an advisor to the Greater Farallones Association’s and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary’s joint LiMPETS project after being a Program Associate at GFA. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies & Earth Science from UC Santa Cruz and a MEM in Environmental Science and Management from Portland State University. She’s worked all over the West on several different types of natural resource field crews and worked with seabirds, shorebirds, fish, marine mammals, and plants. Her recent research focuses on quantifying microplastics in fish species that are culturally and economically important to the West coast. Her interest in marine debris was fostered during her time in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, where marine debris negatively impact seabirds and marine mammals. Her favorite seabird is the Koa’e’ula.

John Pearse, Ph.D., was a world-renowned invertebrate zoologist and biology professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He taught courses and did research in kelp forest and intertidal ecology in central California at the University for 26 years before devoting his time to help develop the LiMPETS program. He was also the president of the California Academy of Sciences.