Current Lab Members

Featured

Kristy Kroeker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Packard Fellow in Science and Engineering

Sloan Fellow in Ocean Sciences

UC Climate Action Champion

Tye Kindinger

Postdoctoral Scholar

As a community ecologist, my research broadly focuses on understanding the primary drivers underlying shifts in marine communities and ecosystems. Working with the Kroeker Lab, I aim to examine the direct and indirect effects of multiple drivers of global change on community interactions by conducting manipulative laboratory experiments and quantitative reviews (i.e., meta-analyses) of the scientific literature.

Tye's website

Emily Donham

PhD student

I am a third year Ph.D student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. My research interests are largely motivated by a desire to better understand how anthropogenic activities are altering marine ecosystems. My dissertation work at UCSC will assess resistance and recovery mechanisms in kelp forest ecosystems with the aim of furthering understanding of reef resilience in the face of climate change.

Sarah Lummis

PhD student

I'm a second year graduate student focused on community ecology and coastal sustainability questions. I study seagrass ecosystems, and how the function and services of these ecosystems will be impacted by climate change and anthropogenic impacts to the coast. I am committed to sharing my results with resource managers, and with local schools and communities.

Jason Toy

PhD student

A second year PhD student, I am broadly interested in the response of marine systems to “novel” conditions, which can range from changes in temperature and carbonate chemistry to eutrophication and species invasions. In my dissertation research, I am investigating how changing environmental factors are affecting coastal, subtidal ecosystems at different ecological levels, and how these impacts may relate to societal issues.

Jason's Website

Lauren Bell

PhD student

I'm a first year PhD student with a broad interest in how global change will impact high-latitude nearshore communities. My goal is that my research will be useful in informing public understanding and policy decisions in the highly productive and heavily utilized marine ecosystems of the North Pacific. I find that translating research into inspired and effective science communication is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a scientist, and I'm always looking to improve my abilities in this realm.

Evan O'Brien

Specialist - Technician

I joined the Kroeker lab in May of 2017 and have since split my time between Santa Cruz and Sitka, AK. As the lab technician, I get to focus on the practical aspects of a wide range of projects. My personal research interests going forward are still a work in progress, so I love having the opportunity to conduct fieldwork and construct experimental systems, all while gaining exposure to the exciting work of my colleagues.

Cassie Powell

Undergraduate researcher

I am a third year undergraduate student majoring in Environmental Studies and Biology that has been working in the Kroeker Lab since 2016. I believe in an interdisciplinary approach to science, with a focus on integrating community members, policy makers, and other academic disciplines in order to identify and combat the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. My current project is based in Sitka, Alaska studying the resilience of abalone in the face of ocean acidification at the northern edge of their range.