Bio

I joined the HPU College of Natural Sciences in January 2008, contributing my emphasis on conservation and my expertise in spatial ecology, the design of marine protected areas, and seabird foraging ecology to the MSMS program.

 

Born in Spain, I came to California for undergraduate school and completed a Bachelors of Science at UCSD and a Ph.D. at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Most recently I worked as a research scientist at the Duke University Marine Lab and as a visiting scholar at the University of Washington's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

 

In 2007, I was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to study the distributions and habitats of marine birds and mammals in the Western Mediterranean.

 

My research at HPU will initially focus on two main questions: (1) how does oceanographic variability in time and space shape the distribution and community structure of pelagic vertebrates, and (2) how do these habitat associations influence the efficacy of spatially-explicit management strategies for their conservation.

 

Studies of local seabirds and marine turtles will focus on characterizing the movements of these marine vertebrates and identifying potential concentration and foraging areas for the development of marine protected areas.

 

When I am not thinking about seabirds or out at sea, I like to play tennis, go for a swim, or enjoy a tasty cappuccino.