FACTS & TRENDS
- David Johnston, Ph.D. has been selected to fill the CalCOFI postdoctoral position, a joint MBARI/SIMoN position.
- Jennifer Brown, Ph.D. has been selected to fill the position of Endangered Species Research Associate, a joint MBSF/SIMoN position.
CalCOFI Postdoc
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), with funding from SIMoN, have hired David Johnston, Ph.D. to fill a postdoctoral appointment in the area of coastal ocean physical and biological coupling. David will be responsible for synthesis of oceanographic data collected in the waters of the Sanctuary and contiguous waters of the California Current. In particular, he will use historic and recent CalCOFI data and recently collected MBARI data. In addition to synthesis of the in situ data, David will also analyze output from emerging three-dimensional coupled physical-biological numerical models of the region.
- David Johnston
David comes to the Monterey Bay from Duke University in North Carolina. His educational experience includes:
- Ph.D. (April 2004)
Thesis Title: Fine Scale Oceanographic Features and Foraging Marine Predators: The Ecology and Conservation of an Island Wake in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina USA. - M.Sc. (August 1995)
Thesis Title: Spatial and temporal differences in heavy metal concentrations in tissues of harbour
porpoises (Phocoena phocoena L.) from the Western North Atlantic.
Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. - B.Sc (April 1993)
Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Specialized Honours Marine Biology.
Endangered Species Research Associate
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation (MBSF) has hired Jennifer Brown, Ph.D. to complete an assessment of the endangered species that live in, transit through, or otherwise use habitats and natural resources within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Under the direction of SIMoN, Jennifer will collect and synthesize existing data on the wide variety of marine endangered species that are protected and managed by local, state, and federal agencies. A gap analysis of these data and needs assessment will be completed to direct future Sanctuary monitoring efforts.
In particular Jennifer will:
- Undertake an extensive review of the existing literature and data sets on endangered species, building upon MBNMS data
- Compile existing demographic data for each species
- Interview experts in the field to determine species status, spatial distribution, breeding sites, and document how humans affect population recovery
- Examine which species are migrants vs. residents, and document migratory pathways and linkages to other Sanctuaries
- Develop an action plan, including questions to address, and identify monitoring needs that SIMoN should address
- Determine which guideposts are indicative of progress towards successful population recovery
- Synthesize the above in a technical publication
Jennifer comes to the Monterey Bay from Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. Her educational experience includes:
- Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz (March 2003)
Thesis title: An evaluation of the nursery role of estuaries for flatfish populations in central California.
Specialization: Nearshore and Estuarine Ecology, Population Biology, Habitat Conservation - B.S., Biology, University of California Los Angeles (March 1996)
Concentration: Marine Biology