Most of my education and formative career years took place in Florida. The bulk of my free time was spent biking and sailing, while my research focused on studying the water conditions around harmful algal blooms. Working in the Gulf of Mexico, I discovered the wild world of underwater technology, in the form of water quality sensors that recorded and reported data in real time. My graduate work in Alaska combines my two main research passions; water quality sensors and aquaculture systems.
I am studying the environmental drivers of production at various mariculture farms in SE Alaska, through the use of in-situ water quality sensors. Knowing what water conditions make a location most suitable for growing kelp and oysters can will have huge impacts on the development of the sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska.