LEXI JOURNEY - WEB DESIGNER & EDITOR - [email protected]
Lexi is new to fisheries management as she comes from an ecology background with extensive lab and field research experience and a B.S. Ecology, Behavior and Evolution with a minor in Conservation Biology from UCLA. As an undergrad she worked in the Center for Tropical Research performing genetic and disease analysis on several bird populations. After graduation Lexi was ready to get into the field and worked as an avian field assistant for Tulane University in the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador, Indiana State in the Adirondacks, and Maui Forest Recovery Project in Maui. At Bren, Lexi is specializing in conservation planning with a focus in Strategic Environmental Communication & Media focus. Lexi was lured to the swordfish project due to her interest in market-based conservation and hopes to unravel more problems involving a combination of policy, economics, and ecological issues in the future.
ALIYA RUBENSTEIN - PROJECT MANAGER - [email protected]
Aliya recieved a B.S. Zoology and a B.S. Biological Aspects of Conservation and a minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Aliya has a diverse research and field background working as an invasive species and fisheries research assistant for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Limnology, the National Parks Service in Alaska, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. She has also worked for nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C. as a government affairs intern for The Wildlife Society and as an outreach and advocacy campaigns fellow for National Wildlife Federation. This broad experience led Aliya to the Bren School to specialize in Coastal Marine Resource Management and a Focus in Strategic Environmental Communication and Media. Aliya's ultimate goal is to ensure the long-term security of marine resources and ecosystems through collaboration with policy makers, consumers, businesses, scientists, and fisheries managers to promote responsible seafood choices to influence markets and fisheries globally. |
JENNIFER COUTURE - FINANCIAL MANAGER - [email protected]
Jennifer Couture graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in 2013 with a BA in Biology and a concentration in Environmental Studies. During college she worked for a local nonprofit conducting research on a whale watch boat and spent a semester in Costa Rica through Duke University’s Organization for Tropical Studies where she conducted field research in a variety of ecosystems. Through this research program, Jennifer became interested in ecosystem-based management and spent the summer researching ocean observation programs and evaluating how well the scientific community is in the position to assess the state of the ocean at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She has a special interest in fisheries management, in particular bycatch, as this is an interdisciplinary, collaborative field incorporating biology, economics, and policy. At the Bren School she is pursuing a specialization in the Coastal Marine Resources Management and acquiring skills such as ArcGIS, RStudio, and economic modeling.These skenable her to effect change as she pursues her career in fisheries management. |
PAIGE BERUBE - DATA MANAGER & EDITOR - [email protected]
Paige received her B.S. in Environmental Science with a double minor in Hispanic Studies and Faith, Peace & Justice from Boston College in 2013. In college, she served as president of the Geology Club, completed geological field mapping in upstate New York, and partook in a six-month immersion in the Spanish language at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She has interned at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve, where she helped organize bi-national public outreach events to address transboundary water pollution issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. Paige also assisted with fieldwork and research, involving invasive species removal and phytoplankton and fish sampling. At the Bren School, Paige is pursuing a Coastal Marine Resource Management specialization as well as a Strategic Environmental Communication & Media focus. She hopes to pursue a career in international marine resource conservation and coastal zone management in developing nations. As a local San Diegan, this Project is exciting for her because it will allow her to learn about highly migratory species fisheries management and policy in her home state. In her free time she enjoys playing futbol, going on ocean swims, painting, and traveling. |
MIGUEL GOMEZ - DATA MANAGER - [email protected]
Miguel Gómez holds a BSc in Telecommunications Engineering from the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Spain) and a BSc in Environmental Science from the University of Plymouth (UK). In 2005 he moved to Costa Rica to work in the marine conservation field. He has focused on strengthening conservation policies for sea turtles and sharks at both the local and international levels. In addition, Miguel has work closely with local fishermen and government agencies while promoting the creation of marine protected areas under management plans that promote sustainable fishing practices. After completing the MESM program, his aim is to develop multidisciplinary strategies that consolidate ecosystem-specific approaches to enure sustainability of fisheries and conservation of marine resources in Latin America. |
HUNTER S. LENIHAN - FACULTY ADVISOR - [email protected]
Hunter’s primary research interests include applied population and community ecology, especially in connection with fisheries management and restoration. He has collaborated with California fishing communities to design research projects intended to advance habitat-based fisheries management. He is also exploring ecological and oceanographic processes that regulate coral populations, particularly at a long-term project on the island of Moorea, in French Polynesia, with the goal of developing new techniques for coral reef restoration. In addition, Lenihan is working with disease physiologists to isolate and cultivate disease-resistant abalone to be used as part of population enhancement efforts. He has also done extensive research within estuaries, at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and in polar environments. His overall objective is to generate new ideas and methods for marine resource management and train young scientists interested in community-based research and management. |
JONO WILSON - EXTERNAL ADVISOR
Jono is a fisheries ecologist working jointly with The Nature Conservancy and SFG. His research involves a blend of quantitative and empirical approaches to conservation and fisheries management issues. He received BA degrees in Environmental Studies and Business/Economics from UCSB in 2000, an MS in Biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2006, and a PhD in Environmental Science and Management from UCSB in 2011. Recent work has involved design and simulation testing of novel fisheries management strategies, integrating marine reserves into fisheries management, and identifying the appropriate spatial scale with which to manage. Along these lines he has worked with fishing communities in California to facilitate a transition to local, community-based management.
Jono is a fisheries ecologist working jointly with The Nature Conservancy and SFG. His research involves a blend of quantitative and empirical approaches to conservation and fisheries management issues. He received BA degrees in Environmental Studies and Business/Economics from UCSB in 2000, an MS in Biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2006, and a PhD in Environmental Science and Management from UCSB in 2011. Recent work has involved design and simulation testing of novel fisheries management strategies, integrating marine reserves into fisheries management, and identifying the appropriate spatial scale with which to manage. Along these lines he has worked with fishing communities in California to facilitate a transition to local, community-based management.
ERIC GILMAN - EXTERNAL ADVISOR
Dr. Eric Gilman conducts independent private foundation-funded research on the ecological effects of capture fisheries, and provides consultancy research and advisory services to intergovernmental organizations and domestic government agencies, seafood supply chain companies, and non-governmental organizations. He is Associate Faculty at Hawaii Pacific University, Director of Corporate Environmental Sustainability with Luen Thai Fishing Venture, and Senior Fisheries Advisor to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. His research areas include: marine fisheries science and governance, ecosystem-level effects of marine capture fisheries, gear technology mitigation of problematic bycatch in marine capture fisheries, and mangrove ecosystem responses to climate change and adaptation options. Eric’s five-year average citation rate is 248/year; he has published over 120 items, including 31 articles in peer-reviewed journals. |