Primary Investigator /
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Lab TechnicianDylan is the lab technician in Dr. Salvador Jorgensen’s Ocean Predator Ecology Lab, facilitating the day-to-day activities of the lab and providing support to all of the research projects within the lab. His current research is in drone-based monitoring of white sharks in Monterey Bay, as well as tag design and other field work projects. Dylan graduated from CSUMB with a bachelor's in marine science, with a focus on instrumentation and technology. Dylan’s start in the marine science field kicked off in Dr. Steve Moore’s Ecosystems Electronics Lab, helping to develop various instrumentation and robotics projects like ROVs and autonomous camera systems. Meanwhile, Dylan played baseball for MPC and CSUMB for 3 years, while still conducting his research.
Contact Dylan for any questions pertaining to our research or interest in the lab. |
Lecturer / Research Affiliate
Ryan SolymarRyan Solymar is a lecturer in the Marine Science Department at CSUMB, where he teaches courses in: Marine Biodiversity and Functional Morphology, Quantitative Marine Science, and Robotics for Ecological Research* (star denotes primary course focus).
Ryan received both his BS in Marine Science and his MS in Environmental Science from CSUMB. As a grad student he worked with Dr. Steve Moore to develop a novel technique to generate 3D models, via Structure-from-Motion 3D photogrammetry, of submerged maritime heritage sites (that’s to say shipwrecks) in the Monterey Bay using imagery collected via a small consumer-grade ROV. Ryan also works as a research scientist with the Water and Agricultural Technology and Remote Sensing Lab (NASA Ames Research Center) where he helps to evaluate satellite-based estimates of consumptive water use in agriculture in the United States. Ryan’s academic interests primarily focus around novel applications of technology to further the understanding of marine ecology. Currently, he’s especially interested in understanding the effect of 3-dimensional habitat complexity on marine biodiversity. When not running around campus, Ryan enjoys skating/snowboarding and playing his banjo. He is excited to offer his nearly 2 decades of technical know-how to aid students in Dr. Sal Jorgensen’s Ocean Predator Ecology Lab! |
Graduate StudentKelsey MontaltoKelsey joined the Jorgensen Lab and Ichthyology Lab at MLML in the Fall of 2022. Her research interests include exploring the ecological impacts of macrofaunal changes on ecosystems, especially when regarding conservation and sustainability. For her thesis project, Kelsey will be working with Dr. Jorgensen to investigate juvenile white shark and otter interactions along the Pacific West coast. She has also spent some time this past season working for the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program as a science crew member out on research trips. When not in the field or analyzing data, Kelsey enjoys drawing, listening to/playing music, learning hands-on skills, and staying active with friends.
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Graduate StudentKaitlyn YeeWhile working towards her BA in Environmental Studies at Hawaii Pacific University, Kaitlyn focused on benthic macroinvertebrate studies as well as an internship doing shark-centered ecotours. Through this work, she realized that studying human impacts on biological systems was critical to the preservation of them, and it was what interested her most.
As a graduate student in the Jorgensen Lab through San Jose State University, her research focus is on the anthropogenic impacts on white sharks in Monterey Bay. She has facilitated a collaborative project for evaluating scars on white sharks, which uses undergraduate students, combined with expert opinion, to vote upon causes of scars and create majority consensus per scar. Kaitlyn currently works as a Fisheries/Wildlife Biologist Intern, monitoring federally endangered species, including anadromous fishes, birds, and amphibians in Santa Clara County Watersheds. In Kaitlyn’s free time, you can find her hiking, scuba diving, petting dogs, kayaking, surfing ankle-high waves, and eating. One fun fact about Kaitlyn is that she once had a pet tarantula named Mr. Spudz! |
Graduate StudentDuncan CampbellDuncan joined the Jorgensen Lab and Ichthyology Lab at MLML in Fall 2023. His research interests include shark gut microbiomes, statistical analysis, and the physiology of white sharks. For his thesis, Duncan is working with Dr. Jorgensen to investigate the processes involved in digestion in the stomachs of adult white sharks at Ano Nuevo state park. He also works as a student assistant at the MLML Marine Operations facility and has helped with the surf zone Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring project. When he’s not working, he enjoys diving, hiking, homebrewing, and playing games with his friends.
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Undergraduate StudentLacy SmithLacy is pursuing a B.S. in marine science and is minoring in Computer Science at California State University, Monterey Bay. Her first project in the Jorgensen Lab was through the MSCI 437 Ocean Instrumentation group capstone, where she developed a tag for juvenile white sharks along with other students. She recently led a small team of undergrad classmates in completing a project to construct a small ROV for the MBNMS Sanctuary Exploration Center. Lacy is also Kelsey’s (MS student in Jorgensen Lab) mentee on her thesis project.
Last summer she completed a project in Panama City Beach, FL researching the diet of the dusky shark under the mentorship of Dr. John Carlson, Dr. Andrea Kroetz and Alyssa Mathers as a part of the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. Her favorite memory of that summer is when she was in the water during a gill net survey in the Everglades and she had to deflect a pretty annoyed juvenile lemon shark from swimming straight into her chest with the measuring board. She is an avid SCUBA diver and now participates as a TA for the CSUMB Dive Program. |
Undergraduate StudentAlyssa WalterAlyssa Walter is currently a Junior at CSU Monterey Bay, pursuing a Marine Science major and a Statistics Minor. She is currently helping to coordinate Project Shark Scar in Dr. Salvador Jorgensen’s lab and has an independent focus on White Shark mating scars. Alyssa is helping to develop and lead a Shark Education service-learning opportunity through the Jorgensen Lab for upper division Marine Science students. She is also highly involved in her campus community, currently serving in Associated Students, and as an officer of the Otter Dance Team. Alyssa is a UROC Scholar, a NOAA Hollings Scholar, a PALiISaDS Scholar, and an intern with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
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