Bio coming soon!

Moritz lead’s the Program’s ecological monitoring and research work. After receiving an M.Sc. 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 the Marine Reserves Program.

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.

Dr. Sarah Klain leads social science research for the Marine Reserves Program. After majoring in biology with a minor in economics at Reed College, she interviewed fishermen on the Oregon coast from 2003-2005 to help inform the process for creating the reserves. During her service as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she learned about Micronesian indigenous knowledge relevant to managing marine ecosystems. She earned her graduate degrees from the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Her participatory GIS-based MSc research assessed social and cultural values to inform marine spatial planning. Her PhD research focused on risk and benefit perception of offshore wind as well as community engagement on island communities near proposed wind projects. She conducted riparian restoration research in collaboration with a tribe and taught ecological economics as well as environmental policy at Utah State University before joining the Marine Reserves team. Her favorite hobbies are trail running with her golden doodles, playing at the beach with her kids and attending her husband’s bluegrass concerts.

Amanda helps with understanding the adaptive management planning process and how it can be applied to the context of the Oregon coast. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from UC San Diego and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from Portland State University. Her master’s project focused on Oregonian’s attitudes and perceptions on microplastics to better inform downstream policy decisions. Aside from environmental policy, Amanda’s past work and research interests have focused on marine benthic invertebrates and deep sea communities. In her free time Amanda enjoys hand embroidery, hula-hooping, and gushing about her cat, Sugar Cookie, to anyone who will listen.