I grew up in Venice Beach, California and I have always been inspired by the ocean. In high school I had a Marine Science course that sparked my interest in pursuing Oceanography as a career. I received my B.S degree in Marine Geology from the University of Miami . While at UM I worked at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) on several projects including geomorphological changes in the Everglades, carbon cycling in the South Atlantic Bight and my senior thesis work, on biogeochemical cycling along the Chukchi Shelf in the Arctic. A huge inspiration to me while attending UM was the pioneer paleoceanographic work of Cesare Emilani . Although he passed before I attended UM, his influence on the department motivated me to study paleoceanography.

My research at IMCS is the development of a new paleoceanographic proxy using Boron/Calcium ratios in surface dwelling foraminifera to reconstruct seawater pH. An increasing body of evidence suggests that calcification rates of marine organisms may decrease because of lowering surface ocean pH due to the recent anthropogenic increase in atmospheric CO2. I will use samples from the Bermuda sediment trap-time series from the last 30years to calibrate the pH dependence of B/Ca in planktonic foraminifera and to test whether the samples record the drop in surface pH observed in the hydrographic measurements. In addition I will measure shell weight to understand the response of recent ocean acidification on biocalcification. I would like to continue my work by applying the B/Ca proxy in the geologic record to understand how CO2 has influenced past climate.  

In my spare time I enjoy yoga, camping, hiking and traveling. I'm passionate about the local food movement and promoting environmentalism to those around me.