Symposium 2026
April 11th & 12th
Whalefest Monterey
Our one-of-a-kind Symposium brings together world-renowned marine experts for exclusive talks held annually during Whalefest at the historic Monterey History & Art Stanton Center on Custom House Plaza on the stunning Monterey Peninsula.
Stanton Theater has limited capacity. Grab your seats for your favorite speakers or topics.
Meet the 2026 Symposium Speakers
Stanton Center |Saturday April 11th & Sunday April 12th| 11am - 4pm
Schedule Coming Soon. Check back.
{Speaker schedule may be subject to change. Thanks for checking back.}
Symposium MC
Dan Haifley, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Dr. John Ryan, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Topic: “Creating Safer Habitat for Whales in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary”
Dr. Geoff Shester, Oceana
Topic: Panel Discussion: "Collaborations to Develop Whale-Safe Pop-Up Gear to Catch Dungeness Crab: A Win-Win for Whales and Local Fishermen"
Stephanie Marcos, Marine Life Studies
Topic:“Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses, and Prevention”
Adam Ratner, The Marine Mammal Center
Topic: “Behind the Bark: 50 Years of Saving Seals and Sea Lions”
Ashley Kidd, Sunflower Star Laboratory
Topic: “Shooting for the Stars: Sunflower Star Laboratory’s community-based approach to sunflower sea star conservation and kelp forest recovery.”
Jack Barkowski, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University
Topic: “Whales Beneath The Waves: Insights into Whale Behavior from Video Camera Tags”
Giovanna Sainz, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Topic: “Where gaming meets community science to explore our ocean”
Speaker:
Topic:
Lucy Zhang:
Topic: “Sonata in Whale Major”
2026 Symposium Speakers
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🌐 Hopkins Marine Station: https://hopkinsmarinestation.stanford.edu
🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-barkowski-a7b824131/
Title: Whales Beneath The Waves: Insights into Whale Behavior from Video Camera Tags
Synopsis: Have you ever wondered what a whale might be doing when they dive beneath the surface of the ocean? Come learn what the whales are up to as we explore different behaviors, from multiple species of cetacean, documented on biologgers that researchers at Stanford, UC Santa Cruz, and Cascadia Research Collective use to study these animals.
Bio: Jack is a PhD student at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station in Jeremy Goldbogen's lab and a research biologist with Cascadia Research Collective. He earned his M.S. in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Labs at San Jose State University and his B.S. in environmental science from UMass Boston. He has been fortunate to do marine mammal research across a range of species in America, Europe, Africa, and Antarctica with a focus on behavioral ecology. His PhD research will focus on blue whale foraging ecology be leveraging different technologies to collect multiple data streams
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Ashley Kidd, Sunflower Star Labs, Conservation Project Manager, Cofounder
🌐 Sunflower Star Lab: https://www.sunflowerstarlab.org/
Title of presentation: Shooting for the Stars: Sunflower Star Laboratory’s community-based approach to sunflower sea star conservation and kelp forest recovery.
Synopsis: In 2013, the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) or 'pycno' for short, was devastated by an ocean epidemic known as Sea Star Wasting Disease that spread across the entire Pacific coast of North America. Once common, this striking—and often overlooked—predator has not been seen south of the Golden Gate since 2018, and is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The domino effect of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave known as “the Blob,” the loss of sea otters and pycnos, allowed sea urchins to overgraze kelp forests, creating widespread urchin barrens and cascading biodiversity loss, shutting down red abalone and red urchin fisheries, most notably in Northern California.
Sunflower Star Laboratory, our nonprofit in Moss Landing, is dedicated to "Restore the Sunflower Star, Save the Kelp". The dedicated staff and volunteers collaborate with passionate experts in all aspects of marine invertebrate conservation to advance the best ideas and protocols to raise juvenile sunflower stars in recirculating culture systems, and conduct field experiments to study their survival, behavior, and ecosystem impact. By combining hands-on restoration with community involvement, SSL offers Monterey Bay residents a unique opportunity to help restore one of our ocean’s most important—and dramatic—keystone predators.
Bio: Ashley is a zoologist with an MS in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida, where she researched the feasibility of sunflower sea star research and restoration through public aquarium engagement. She spent 12 years as a public aquarium professional, developing a passion for aquaculture and restoration, notably with Caribbean coral and California white abalone restoration initiatives. At Sunflower Star Laboratory, Ashley applies her combined aquarium and field research expertise to restore sunflower sea stars, lead population management under human care, and collaborate with a network of non-profit, academic, and public partners to develop and implement applied restoration tools.
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Stephanie Marcos, Operations Manager, Marine Life Studies
🌐 Marine Life Studies: https://www.marinelifestudies.org
🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-marcos-3549a49a/
Topic: Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses, and Prevention.
Explore the operations of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®, including the detailed process of a whale rescue, the challenges faced, and technological advancements in the field. This work is conducted under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, through a permit issued to the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
Bio: Stephanie graduated with a Marine Science Degree from CSU Monterey Bay. She oversees all Marine Life Studies' programs including the Research Scientist Program, Ocean Literacy Education Program, and Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®. As the youngest, level 3 female whale rescue responder, she trains and helps coordinate entanglement responses and is a Co-Investigator under a NOAA Endangered Species permit to conduct research on whales and dolphins in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
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Adam Ratner, Director of Conservation Engagement at The Marine Mammal Center and Board Member, National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, NNOCCI
🌐 The Marine Mammal Center: https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/
🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-r-ratner/
Title: Behind the Bark: 50 Years of Saving Seals and Sea Lions
Synopsis: The Marine Mammal Center is a leader in marine mammal health, science and conservation, and is the largest marine mammal hospital in the world. The Center rescues between 700-2,000 sick and injured seals, sea lions and other marine mammals each year from over 600 miles of California coast and the Big Island of Hawai’i. Seals and sea lions serve as sentinels of the sea, providing a glimpse into the health of the ocean and potential consequences of our own actions on land. Join us to hear about the latest stories of our patients, new research on marine mammal health, and what actions we can take as individuals and communities to help protect marine mammals and ourselves for generations to come.
Bio: Adam Ratner has been with The Marine Mammal Center for over 15 years. As the Director of Conservation Engagement, he uses the stories of individual patients that are rescued by the Center to connect people to issues facing mammals and people alike. He provides inspiration and empowerment that allows others to see themselves as the heroes of their community and environment.
Adam serves on the Board of Directors of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, one of the largest climate change communication networks in the world. Earlier in his career, Adam was named one of the 30 under 30 Game Changers for the Planet by the North American Association for Environmental Education.
For a more comprehensive bio, please see: Adam Ratner at The Marine Mammal Center
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Joh Ryan, Senior Research Specialist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
🌐 MBARI: https://www.mbari.org/
🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ryan-a679a7139/
Title: Creating Safer Habitat for Whales in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Synopsis: A primary threat to the recovery of endangered whale populations is mortality resulting from collisions with large ships. Collision risk is shaped by intersections between the habitat occupancy of whales, the patterns of shipping activity, and active conservation measures. This presentation will examine these vital intersections in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Bio: John Ryan is a biological oceanographer with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. His collaborative research explores a variety of oceanic life forms, from microscopic plankton to gigantic whales, and the ecosystem processes that shape their lives.
MORE FUN: JOhn Ryan's presentation will be followed by a performance by John Ryan and Lucy Zhang
Title: Sonata in Whale Major
Synopsis: The highly structured, rhythmic sequences of sound produced by humpback whales were first scientifically described as song more than a half century ago. They have since been scientifically recognized as shared and transmitted culture. Examining the structures of humpback whale songs recorded in Monterey Bay, Lucy Zhang recognized remarkable similarities to structures found in multiple types of human musical composition. This presentation will explore how music as a universal language may reach deeper than we thought.
Brief Bios: John Ryan is a biological oceanographer with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Lucy Zhang is a high school student, musician, and young researcher
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Director of Fishery Innovation and Senior Scientist
California Campaign Director & Senior Scientist, Oceana
🌐Oceana: https://oceana.org/
Topic: Panel Discussion: "Collaborations to Develop Whale-Safe Pop-Up Gear to Catch Dungeness Crab: A Win-Win for Whales and Local Fishermen"
Synopsis: This panel discussion moderated by Dr. Geoff Shester (Oceana) will highlight some of the local heroes that have worked together to develop new pop-up gear that eliminates the ropes and buoys that cause whale entanglements. After several years of experimental testing, the new gear is officially approved for use this spring for the first time ever, returning a whale-safe spring Dungeness crab fishery to Monterey Bay. This interactive panel will feature local fishermen, gear innovators, fishery managers, and conservation organizations that helped make this dream a reality.
Bio: Dr. Geoff Shester is Oceana’s California Fishery Innovation Director and Senior Scientist based in Oceana’s Monterey, California office. Oceana is the largest international marine conservation non-profit organization. Geoff got his undergraduate degree at UC Santa Cruz and his Ph.D. at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. He worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration in Alaska and was the Senior Science Manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. At Oceana, he has led at-sea scientific expeditions, helped pass California legislation to end the shark fin trade and harmful gillnets, helped protect over one million square miles of ocean habitats from bottom trawl fishing, and helped enact fishing regulations to protect sardines, anchovies, krill, and other forage species. Geoff currently serves on the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group and the West Coast Take Reduction Team charged with reducing whale entanglements in fishing gear. He has been working on collaborative research projects with local fishermen since 2018 to develop new whale-safe pop-up fishing methods.
Email: gshester@oceana.org
Instagram: @GeoffShester
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Giovanna Sainz, Research Technician, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Bio: Giovanna Sainz is a Research Technician at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) working in the Video lab and the Bioinspiration lab. With her marine biology background, she specializes in analyzing deep-sea footage collected by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and advancing machine learning approaches for analyzing ocean imagery. She is also a part of the FathomNet team, which developed FathomVerse, the game.
Fathom Verse: Where gaming meets community science to explore our ocean
Short version: FathomVerse, a mobile game designed to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers, teaches casual gamers about ocean life while improving the algorithms we use to accelerate discovery (FathomNet).
Long version: The deep sea is the largest habitable ecosystem on the planet and remains one of the least explored. Very little is known about deep sea inhabitants, their behavior, and the limits and drivers for their survival. Researchers estimate that anywhere between 30-60% of life in the ocean is unknown to science, and these gaps in knowledge need to be filled to inform exploitative activities like aquaculture, offshore wind, and deep-sea mining. In order to fully explore our ocean and effectively steward the life that lives there, we need to increase our capacity for biological observations. State-of-the-art approaches in automation cannot solve this problem alone, and we must aggressively build an integrated community of educators, taxonomists, scientists, and enthusiasts to enable effective collaboration between humans and algorithms. FathomVerse, a mobile game designed to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers, teaches casual gamers about ocean life while improving machine learning models and expanding annotated datasets (FathomNet). Of the three billion gamers worldwide, up to 70% say they care about the environment; FathomVerse taps into this engaged community with innovative gameplay and rich graphics that draw players into the captivating world of underwater imagery and cutting-edge ocean science. Through FathomVerse, we hope to activate audiences in high school and up, providing social engagement and workforce education, with the goal of increasing public awareness and inspiring empathy for ocean life.
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Presentation by Lucy Zhang and John Ryan.
Title: Sonata in Whale Major
Synopsis: The highly structured, rhythmic sequences of sound produced by humpback whales were first scientifically described as song more than a half century ago. They have since been scientifically recognized as shared and transmitted culture. Examining the structures of humpback whale songs recorded in Monterey Bay, Lucy Zhang recognized remarkable similarities to structures found in multiple types of human musical composition. This presentation will explore how music as a universal language may reach deeper than we thought.
Brief Bios: John Ryan is a biological oceanographer with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Lucy Zhang is a high school student, musician, and young researcher
Our amazing marine Speakers, Experts, and Professors come from throughout the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
VISIT US ON YOUTUBE. Don’t miss the chance to experience the depth and diversity of ocean science. Watch past presentations on our YouTube channel
2025 Whalefest Symposium Speakers and Topics
Sammy Andrzejaczek, Ph.D., Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
Topic: “The science of sharks: meeting the predator next door”
Aliya Khan, Graduate Student, Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz
Topic: “Wetlands as Nature Based Carbon Solution”
Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D., Co-founder, Happy Whale
Topic: "Surprising stories about our humpback whales: where do Monterey Bay whales go when they wander onward?"
Jane King Silberstein, Cabrillo College Associate faculty/CSUMB, Associate Faculty
Topic: "The unseen and unsung heroes of Monterey Bay: the beautiful, amazing microscopic plankton!"
Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D., MBNMS, Lindsey Peavey Reeves Ph.D, NOAA/NMS (co-author)
Topic: "Listening to learn about and protect whales in national marine sanctuaries"
Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies
Topic: "Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses, and Prevention"
Joelle De Weerdt, Ph.D., UCSC/Association ELI-S Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB)
Topic: “From Nicaragua to Monterey: understand humpback whales' migratory patterns and feeding behaviors”
Jonathan Warrick, Ph.D., Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, USGS
Topic: “Our Ever-changing Shores”
James Fahlbusch, Ph.D., Cascadia Research Collective, Hopkins Marine Station
Topic: "A day in the life of a whale biologist"
Lisa Wooninck, Ph.D., Superintendent, MBNMS
Topic: "The Value of National Marine Sanctuaries"
Credit 2024
Pictured above, Natalie Barefoot of Earth Justice, “How Whales and Their Poop Fight Climate Change” See Talk
Meet the 2025 Symposium Speakers
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📽️ See Talk
Sammy Andrzejaczek , Ph.D., Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University “The science of sharks: meeting the predator next door”
In the fall and winter months, sub-adult and adult white sharks reliably aggregate around pinniped colonies along the Central California coast. These consistent aggregations have enabled researchers to establish valuable long-term study sites, collecting crucial data as sharks patrol coastal waters. More recently, dedicated seasonal surveys of juvenile white sharks within Monterey Bay have expanded our understanding to include this younger life stage. This presentation will showcase our survey methods and highlight key findings about white shark movement patterns, migration behaviors, population dynamics, and ecological interactions throughout California's marine ecosystems.
Dr Samantha Andrzejaczek is a research scientist in the Block Lab at Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University. She specializes in the movement ecology and behavioral patterns of sharks and other large predatory fishes in coastal and pelagic ecosystems. Dr. Andrzejaczek joined the Block lab in 2018 after completing her PhD at the University of Western Australia.
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📽️See Talk
Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D., Co-founder, Happy Whale: "Surprising stories about our humpback whales: where do Monterey Bay whales go when they wander onward?"
We know California humpback whales migrate seasonally to the warm waters of Mexico and Central America during the winter season. But there is so much more to their story! Some California whales have been found in Russia, Alaska and Hawaii; what is the story with these whales? Ted Cheeseman will explore what we have learned through one of the world’s largest ever collaborative whale research projects, where almost every living whale has been identified.
Dr. Ted Cheeseman is the co-founder and director of Happywhale, a research collaboration and citizen science web platform that is transforming data science for tracking individual whales. Ted recently completed a PhD studying North Pacific humpback whale populations, a broad collaborative study that leveraged AI technology to identify and track almost every living whale in the North Pacific. The study revealed a previously under-appreciated major mortality event where one third of Hawaii’s humpback population was lost to the impacts of a three-year marine heatwave. Ted is particularly inspired to develop technology that fosters research collaboration, access to previously inaccessible learning, and building community around ocean ecosystems. When not studying whales, Ted is happiest anywhere wild, especially in surf, rocks or snow.
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📽️See Talk
Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D., MBNMS, Lindsey Peavey Reeves Ph.D, NOAA/NMS (co-author): "Listening to learn about and protect whales in national marine sanctuaries
Dr. Andrew DeVogelaere oversees Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s research program and has published scientific papers on habitats ranging from estuaries to the deep sea. He enjoys developing collaborations among the many central California research institutions to address wildlife management issues. In general, he is interested in using science to inform conservation of marine ecosystems, natural biodiversity, and ecosystem services. He has participated in development of award-winning nature films with the BBC, Netflix and independent producers. Andrew is also an Adjunct Research Faculty at California State University Monterey Bay and a Research Affiliate at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
Dr. Lindsey Peavey Reevesis a senior scientist at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. She coordinates NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' soundscape monitoring program along the west coast and supports a large and dynamic team of agency and academic partners to study underwater soundscapes in and around marine protected areas. Originally from upstate New York, Lindsey migrated to California in 2002. She graduated with a master's from Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment in 2010, and with a PhD from UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management in 2016. She is currently based in Santa Barbara, CA.
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📽️See Talk
Joelle De Weerdt, Ph.D., UCSC/Association ELI-S Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB): “From Nicaragua to Monterey: understand humpback whales' migratory patterns and feeding behaviours”
Current knowledge on Central American humpback whales’ migratory destinations remained unclear, especially for whales breeding off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Joelle will tell you the story of Nicaraguan whales’ migration to their feeding grounds. Here is a hint: you are near their feeding location!
Dr. Joelle De Weerdt is the founder and project director of the non-profit organization Association ELI-S’ cetacean conservation project of Nicaragua. Joelle recently completed her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) on the Ecology of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua: population characteristics, migratory patterns and feeding behaviors. The study revealed the presence of a rather small population that presented interesting migratory patterns. Joelle enjoys international collaborations, which brought her at the University of Santa Cruz (UCSC) where she is currently performing a Fulbright research project on migratory corridors and feeding behaviours with Prof. Dr. Ari Friedlaender.
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📽️See Talk
James Fahlbusch, Ph.D., Cascadia Research Collective, Hopkins Marine Station: "A day in the life of a whale biologist"
My talk will be about a day in the life of a cetacean field biologist, and I will be talking about what we do, and how we do it (some of the tools we use, etc.)
Dr. James Fahlbusch is a marine biologist and bio-logging specialist with over a decade of field experience in some of the most remote ocean environments. Since 2012, he has been an integral part of Cascadia Research Collective’s West Coast team, where he conducts surveys and develops, deploys and analyzes multi-sensor tags for large whales. He recently earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station under Dr. Jeremy Goldbogen, where he combined cutting-edge biologging technology with remote sensing to uncover how whales navigate dynamic ocean environments in search of food. His research bridges behavior, movement ecology, and oceanography to inform conservation efforts for these ecologically vital species.
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📽️See Talk
Aliya Khan, Graduate Student, Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz: “Wetlands as Nature Based Carbon Solution”
Wetlands provide numerous environmental benefits, including acting as a natural sink for carbon dioxide. However, they have been widely degraded, converted to alternate land use types, and are threatened by sea level rise. Understanding the full scope of the carbon transport and sequestration mechanisms is crucial for evaluating them as a viable nature based solution for combating climate change, and for promoting wetland protection and restoration.
Aliya Khan is a second year PhD student and UC Santa Cruz, studying surface water carbon dynamics in the Elkhorn Slough. Presenting on behalf of Adina Paytan and the Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab
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📽️See Talk
Jane King Silberstein, Cabrillo College Associate faculty/CSUMB, Associate Faculty: "The five most important reasons why Plankton are critical to our planet and to the incredibly rich, diverse wildlife we enjoy here in Monterey Bay!"
Their beauty, diversity and importance is a source of great inspiration.
Over the past 45 years Jane has been fortunate to get her undergraduate degree in Biology (Marine Science concentration) from UCSC and my master's degree from Moss Landing Marine Labs studying invertebrate ecology. She started teaching at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in their first year of operation, and returned there after grad school, to work with the fabulous volunteer guides for the next 30 years. She now teaches a plankton class at Cabrillo College each Friday and teaches several classes in Environmental Science and Interpretation at CSUMB
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📽️ See Talk
Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies: “The Trials and Tribulations of Whale Disentanglement Response”
Explore the operations of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®, including the detailed process of a whale rescue, the challenges faced, and technological advancements in the field. This work is conducted under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, through a permit issued to the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
Peggy Stap, a Michigan native, saw her first whales on a whale watch in Maui, Hawaii, which was a life- changing experience. In 2006, she founded Marine Life Studies dedicated to research, education, and whale rescue in Moss Landing, California. Peggy, a volunteer herself, has served as Executive Director ever since. She is Co-founder of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®, co-investigator Level 3 Responder under NOAA MMHSRP permit for whale rescue, and the principal investigator under a NOAA Endangered Species permit to conduct research on whales and dolphins in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
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📽️ See Talk
Jonathan Warrick, Ph.D., Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, USGS: “Our Ever-changing Shores”
The shoreline is one of the most dynamic settings on Earth, where waves and tides are continually moving water and sand. These changes are especially prevalent along the California shoreline, where large winter storms and an eroding coast add to these dynamics. Using new technologies and remote sensing, I will focus on new understanding we are gaining about coastal changes along California, including some recent surprises such as how upland wildfire influences shoreline change, irregular seasonality patterns in shorelines, and the footprint of humans on these coastal systems.
Dr. Jonathan Warrick is a Research Geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Santa Cruz, California. His research focuses on coastal change and the movement of sediment from rivers to the sea. Jon has led efforts to characterize the outcomes of the massive dam removal project on the Elwha River of Washington in collaboration with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, federal agencies, and several universities. Recently, Dr. Warrick has led the USGS Remote Sensing Coastal Change project, which has collected and interpreted remote sensing data to better understand changes to U.S. coasts from wildfires, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and other storm events. Jon received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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📽️ See Talk
Lisa Wooninck, Ph.D., Superintendent, MBNMS "The Value of National Marine Sanctuaries"
Monterey Bay is the heart of recreation and tourism in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected marine area. Within the sanctuary we welcome local and global visitors. People flock here to whale watch, scuba dive, fish, boating, beach play and so much more. After the COVID years, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties saw in 2023 a strong rebound in tourism dollars with visitors spending $4.3 billion dollars. The sanctuary is committed to strengthening sanctuary resilience to ocean stressors. To conserve the whale species that visit our sanctuary to feed, we protect the feeding grounds and implement innovative voluntary slow speed zones to reduce mortality from large ship strikes. In working with industry and our partners, we are dedicated to ensuring long-term ecological health that supports regenerative economic growth for our community that depends on it.
Dr. Lisa Wooninck is the superintendent for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Dr. Wooninck has worked for NOAA for over 20 years, her first seven years with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the past 15 years in various roles for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Prior to coming to NOAA, Dr. Wooninck served as a Knauss SeaGrant fellow for Congressman Sam Farr. Dr. Wooninck completed her PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; she has a MS degree and a BA degree in Biology from California State University, Northridge. She has been author or co-author on nearly a dozen papers about marine protected area science and management, the science of deep sea coral and sponge habitats, and the reproductive fitness of tropical reef fish. Dr. Wooninck brings a sound appreciation and understanding of the importance of science in resource management decision-making, a passion for the value of education and outreach in connecting people to the ocean and fostering coastal stewardship, and a commitment to protecting national marine sanctuary resources. She is a proven collaborator within and beyond the agency, and provides positive energy to her work and relationships. She and her family live in Aptos, CA.
