Meet The Team

The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) is a partnership among six California universities: SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara - Marine Science Institute, UC San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Cal Poly Humboldt, and UC Davis - Bodega Marine Laboratory

Dr. Richard Starr

Principal Investigator - Central Coast Region

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Dr. Rick Starr is a research faculty member at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, SJSU and former Director of the California Sea Grant Extension Program. Rick's research is focused on the biology and ecology of marine species that are harvested as fishery resources. He and his students study aspects of the life history of fished species such as age and growth, reproduction, feeding, species-habitat relationships, and movement ecology. He is especially involved with collaborative fisheries research, evaluating marine protected areas, and using ROVs, submersibles, and remote video camera systems to survey continental shelf and slope fishes. Rick has conducted research projects in a variety of locations around the world including Alaska, the U.S. West Coast, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, and Spain. Rick co-founded the CCFRP in 2006 with Dr. Dean Wendt.

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Dr. Dean Wendt

Principal Investigator - Central Coast Region

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Dr. Dean Wendt is Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He co-founded the CCFRP in 2006 with Dr. Richard Starr as part of the Marine Life Protection Act statewide process. His expertise is in the biology of marine invertebrates and their larvae, and in building research collaborations with stakeholders to inform management and conservation of coastal resources. Dean received his Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University, his M.A. in Biology from Harvard University and his B.S. in Biology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Dr. Scott Hamilton

Lead Principal Investigator - Central Coast Region

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Scott Hamilton is a professor at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and San Jose State University, and the head of the Ichthyology Lab. His research examines the ecology of rocky reef and coral reef communities, the role of human impacts (climate change and overfishing) on these systems, how spatial management (such as marine protected areas and other fisheries regulations) may improve sustainability of groundfish stocks, and how aquaculture can provide solutions for food security. Scott stepped in to the role as the lead PI for CCFRP starting in 2019. He completed his B.A. at Princeton University in 2007, his PhD at UC Santa Barbara in 2007, and started as a faculty at MLML/SJSU in 2011.

Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg

Lead Principal Investigator - Central Coast Region

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Benjamin Ruttenberg is a marine ecologist and a professor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly and the Director for the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences. His research focuses on conservation and sustainable management of marine systems. His work is strongly applied and collaborative; current projects are broadly focused on the ‘Blue Economy,’ including exploring how marine renewable energy and aquaculture can help solve the climate crisis and the impacts of management and climate on fisheries. Over his 20 year research career, Ben has worked in kelp forests, coral reefs, the rocky intertidal, on sandy beaches, and even occasionally on land. Before joining the faculty at Cal Poly in 2013, he spent five years working for two federal agencies in Miami (NOAA and National Park Service). He received his PhD from the University of California Santa Barbara, his M.S. from Yale University, and his BA from Tufts University.

Dr. Jennifer Caselle

Principal Investigator - South Coast Region

UC Santa Barbara - Marine Science Institute

Jenn Caselle is a research biologist at UC Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on the ecology of coastal marine organisms, their role in nearshore ecosystems, and the response of these ecosystems to environmental change and human impacts. Jenn's research is multi-disciplinary and conservation oriented, and as such, relies on strong collaboration with scientists and stakeholders from a variety of disciplines. Jenn received her B.S in zoology from UC Berkeley and her PhD in Marine Ecology from UC Santa Barbara.

Dr. Brice Semmens

Principal Investigator - South Coast Region

UC San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Brice Semmens is a professor in the Marine Biology Research Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Dr. Semmens is also the Director of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) program. His research focuses on quantitative methods in fisheries and conservation science.

Dr. Lyall Bellquist

Principal Investigator - South Coast Region

UC San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Lyall is a Senior Fisheries Scientist with the California Oceans Program at The Nature Conservancy, and is based in San Diego as a Visiting Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Lyall is an avid fisherman, diver, and outdoorsman whose passion for understanding ocean ecosystems led him to a lifelong career in marine science. Prior to working for the Conservancy, Lyall completed a B.S. in Aquatic Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara, M.S. in Marine Biology at CSU Long Beach, Ph.D. in Marine Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California. Lyall’s research is founded in science-industry-agency collaborations that focus on long-term health of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and fishing communities, particularly in the context of extreme environmental events as a function of climate change.

Dr. Tim Mulligan

Principal Investigator - North Coast Region

Cal Poly Humboldt

Tim Mulligan is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Fisheries Biology at Cal Poly Humboldt. In addition to the ecology of rocky reef fishes, his recent research has involved: the ecology of young-of-the-year rockfish found in eelgrass beds, the rocky intertidal and subtidal kelp beds; the abundance and distribution of subtidal sandy-bottom fishes; and the food habits of sandy beach fishes. Tim worked with stake holders in identifying MPAs along the north coast from 2012 to 2013. With collaborators, he conducted baseline monitoring of MPAs located in estuaries, along sandy beaches and over nearshore rocky reefs (2014-2016). He joined the California Cooperative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) in 2017. Tim completed a B.S. in Biology at the University of Vermont, M.S. in Biology at the University of Central Florida, Ph.D. in Marine Sciences at the University of Maryland and postdoc at the University of Washington prior to joining the faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt in 1989.

Dr. Andre Buchheister

Principal Investigator - North Coast Region

Cal Poly Humboldt

Andre Buchheister is an associate professor in the Department of Fisheries Biology at Cal Poly Humboldt. His research integrates ecological modeling, advanced statistics, fieldwork, and laboratory methods to answer both basic and applied questions in fisheries science. He focus on four, interrelated research areas: 1) science in support of ecosystem based fisheries management, 2) structure, function, and drivers of fish communities and marine ecosystems, 3) trophic dynamics and predator-prey interactions, and 4) fish population dynamics.

Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin

Principal Investigator - North Coast Region

Cal Poly Humboldt

My research is geared towards high-use and/or low-information/data-limited fisheries species, and towards the provision and analysis of vital early and adult life history data of fishes and crustaceans, especially with respect to impacts expected from local fishery pressures and climate change. In order to achieve this goal, I use a suite of techniques, applying varying methods and pursuing collaborations based on the problem at hand. I have pursued these interests through graduate school in Oregon, a postdoc in Michigan, a fellowship in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a research position in Galapagos, Ecuador, and in my current position as an assistant professor in California.

Dr. Christina Pasparakis

Principal Investigator - North Coast Region

UC Davis - Bodega Marine Laboratory

Christina Pasparakis is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Toxicology located at Bodega Marine Laboratory. The long-term goal of her research is to investigate the molecular and physiological mechanisms that allow organisms to cope with environmental stressors, including both anthropogenic and natural stressors. Her research aims to investigate how stressor and toxin exposure in early life stages of local fish and invertebrate species translate to sublethal effects at later life stages.

Dr. Salvador Jorgensen

Research Scientist

California State University Monterey Bay

I am a marine ecologist and faculty in the School of Natural Sciences at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). My research addresses topics on movement, population dynamics, and ecological interactions of ocean predators, and spans a range of systems from kelp forests, to seamounts, to the open ocean. Current research interests include how predator density changes (e.g. declines and recoveries) along with emerging climate-driven range shifts are changing species communities and their interactions.

Rachel Brooks

Former Statewide Coordinator and Lead Research Technician - Central Coast Region

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Rachel joined the CCFRP team in 2017 as science crew at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML), SJSU. From 2019-2023, she served as the lead field scientist at MLML and statewide coordinator. Her research interests include the ecology of nearshore fish communities both in tropical and temperate environments with an emphasis on investigating the causes and consequences of demographic and life history variation among populations. Rachel received her B.S. in Marine Biology at UC San Diego and M.S. in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, CSUMB.

Erin Johnston

Statewide Coordinator

Lead Research Technician - Central Coast Region

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Erin has been working with CCFRP since 2019 at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Since 2023, she has served as the CCFRP Statewide Coordinator. Her research interests include the effects of warm water events on nearshore groundfish abundance and the human dimensions of marine protected area research. Erin earned her B.S. in Marine Biology at UC San Diego (2017) and M.S. in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (2023). Erin doesn’t play favorites, but if she did, the China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus) would be her favorite rockfish.

Chris Honeyman

Lead Research Technician - South Coast Region

UC Santa Barbara - Marine Science Institute

Chris has been studying the subtidal ecology of California's MPA Network and the Northern Channel Islands since graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Aquatic Biology in 2017. He joined the CCFRP team as UC Santa Barbara's lead field scientist during the statewide expansion in 2017 and has immensely enjoyed collaborating with such a dedicated, talented, and diverse group of scientists, volunteers, and resource managers. While not out fishing for science, Chris contributes to an array of other projects and enjoys scuba diving, traveling, and exploring the world's last wild spaces.

Jack Elstner

Co-Lead Research Technician - South Coast Region

UC San Diego - Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Jack is a PhD student in the Biological Oceanography program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He graduated from Cornell University in 2021 with a degree in Earth and Atmospheric Science, and is interested in fisheries oceanography and marine resource management. At the core of Jack’s graduate work is an effort to understand connections between oceans, climate and people, with a particular emphasis on climate-informed ocean management. In addition to serving as a lead field coordinator for CCFRP, Jack is also the manager of the La Jolla Acoustic Array in San Diego.

Jake Todd

Lead Research Technician - Central Coast Region

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Jake joined the CCFRP team in 2019 as a science crew member for the Moss Landing team. He subsequently served as their volunteer coordinator from 2021 to 2022 and now serves as the lead research technician. Jake's research focuses on nearshore fish communities and how they are influenced by different environmental/physical factors. Jake earned his B.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California (2019). When he's not working in the lab or analyzing video for his thesis, Jake is probably somewhere near the ocean fishing for fun, hiking, or riding his bike.

Claire Stuart

Lead Research Technician - North Coast Region

Cal Poly Humboldt

Claire is the lead technician for the Cal Poly Humboldt division of CCFRP. She joined the program during the summer of 2022 when she started her Master's program at Cal Poly Humboldt. Claire graduated with a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. Prior to graduate school, she worked on the Great Lakes and served as a fisheries observer in the Gulf of Mexico. Claire has always had a passion for the biodiversity found in our oceans. Her master's thesis research focuses on characterizing the growth patterns of the quillback rockfish, specifically on age-length modeling incorporating environmental covariates, and otolith increment analysis.

Francine De Castro

Co-Lead Research Technician - North Coast Region

UC Davis - Bodega Marine Laboratory

Francine De Castro is a first generational Master’s student in the Toxicology, Physiology, and Conservation lab under Dr. Christina Pasparakis at the University of California Davis. She is also one of the new field scientists for the UC Davis - Bodega Marine Lab chapter of the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP)! In addition to surveying and monitoring groundfish populations in Marine Protected Areas, Francine's research interests include the long-term bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pesticides (POPs) in groundfish and salmon, and the synergistic effect of POPs with factors of climate change in these study species.

Jordan Colby

Co-Lead Research Technician - North Coast Region

UC Davis - Bodega Marine Laboratory

Jordan Colby is one of the lead technicians for the Bodega Marine Lab branch of the California Collaborative Fisheries research Program. In taking up the role in 2022 Jordan is new to the program, and is eager to strengthen the bridge between the Bodega Marine Lab and the surrounding community. He is a first year master's student in Dr. Christina Pasparakis's Toxicology, Physiology, and Conservation Lab and his research interests are uncovering the adverse effects that the synergy of multiple ocean pollutants have on the physiology of larval groundfish.

Dr. Shelby Ziegler

Post Doctoral Researcher

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Shelby was a postdoctoral research associate with CCFRP from 2020-2022 and is currently a postdoc at the University of Georgia. She is interested in understanding the linkages between coastal habitats and fish communities. Her research focuses on examining how changing environmental conditions and human-induced stressors alter fish communities and food web dynamics across large spatial scales. A very rewarding aspect of her work as a scientist has been partnering local communities and natural resource agencies to address questions important for conservation of fish diversity and fisheries resources.

Dr. Nathan Spindel

Post Doctoral Researcher

SJSU - Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Nate draws inspiration from indigenous communities that have recognized people as inherent parts of ecosystems for millennia. His goal is to combine this generational wisdom with modern techniques to study how rapid global change impacts the ecophysiology of coastal marine life across scales ranging from genes to populations. Additionally, Nate aims to ground his conservation and restoration ecology research in a commitment to developing more just, equitable, and robust natural resource management. To this end, he use a combination of field data, laboratory experiments, Bayesian statistical analyses, and mathematical modeling.