Maria is the ODFW Nearshore Ecology Program Leader. She oversees the interdisciplinary work of the Marine Reserves and Marine Habitat teams. Maria is interested in how marine reserves function as a listening station for the coast of Oregon. Maria holds an BA in biology and a MA/PhD in experimental psychology.

Moritz leads the team’s ecological monitoring and research work. After receiving an MSc in nature conservation and a PhD in oceanography, he settled on the Oregon Coast working at Oregon State University. Starting with his PhD and extending through his work at OSU, Moritz has been working at the intersection of ecology, computer science, and ocean technology, focusing on underwater camera systems and AI to better understand larval fish dynamics in the California Current. In his position at ODFW he is looking forward to bringing together his background in nature conservation and ecology, with his knowledge of the Oregon Coast’s oceanography to address the goals of Oregon’s Marine Reserves.

Stephanie helps lead the Program’s ecological monitoring and research work. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a Master’s degree in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University. Her graduate work was focused on investigating the impacts on benthic marine communities from dredged material disposal at the mouth of the Columbia River. Before joining our team, Stephanie was an integral part of several ODFW pilot research projects using stereo video to assess populations of marine invertebrates and rockfishes off the Oregon coast.

Ryan helps carry out the Program’s ecological monitoring and research work. He received a Master’s degree in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Labs (MLML) where his thesis work focused on changes in life-history traits of Rosy Rockfish over the past four decades. After graduating, he continued working at MLML assisting with a hook-and-line fishing research program as well as the development of a new stereo-video lander tool to survey rockfish in deep-water rocky habitats. Ryan grew up on Kodiak Island Alaska where he spent the summers commercial fishing for salmon with his family. In his spare time, you can find Ryan in the pottery studio, watercoloring fish, or hanging at home with his four cats.

Dylan leads quantitative analyses for the Marine Reserves team. He has a background in both field biology and quantitative ecology and is interested in conservation and, specifically, human-induced impacts on fish and wildlife. His research has spanned scales from animal behavior and predator-prey interactions to food webs and ecosystem ecology across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. He received his BA from the University of Montana in Ecology and Organismal Biology, and his PhD from Boise State University in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Dylan spends the majority of his free time recreating outside and finds that he has way too many hobbies.

Katie leads strategic communications and outreach efforts and serves as a community liaison for the Marine Reserves team. Katie holds a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Wesleyan University, an MS in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University, and a professional certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management from the George Washington University. Throughout her career, Katie has worked on a range of communication, outreach, and engagement efforts to support collaborative natural resource management at state, regional, national, and international scales. In her free time, she enjoys birding, block printing, and embarking on culinary adventures.

Ashley leads the economic analysis for the Marine Reserve Team. She has a background in environmental economics focused on integrating nature’s benefits into decision-making to support effective management strategies. Her research has focused on how our changing world, from shifts in climate to evolving policies, impacts our overall well-being. By applying ecosystem service valuation frameworks, Ashley works to ensure that the benefits of our marine resources are meaningfully reflected in Oregon’s decision-making. She earned her BS in Economics from Portland State University and her PhD in Applied Economics from Oregon State University. When she isn’t crunching nature by the numbers on a computer, you can find her crunching miles out on a trail.