People

Principal investigator

Max C. N. Castorani

Education:
2014 Ph.D. Ecology, University of California, Davis and San Diego State University
2008 B.S. Evolution & Ecology, Ohio State University

Appointments:
2023–Present. Associate Professor, University of Virginia
2017–2023. Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
2014–2017. Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Santa Barbara

Co-director, Specialization in Environmental and Biological Conservation at UVA

Curriculum vitae

Email: castorani@virginia.edu

Lab manager and lead research technician

Wil Atencio

Education:
2024 M.S. Biology, Georgia Southern University
2020 B.S. Zoology, University of Wyoming

Research interests: oyster reef ecology, host-parasite dynamics, ecosystem function, restoration, coastal conservation

Curriculum vitae

Email: watencio@virginia.edu

Postdoctoral scholars

Mark Morales

Education:
2023 Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz
2019 M.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz
2014 B.S. Environmental Systems, University of California, San Diego

Appointments:
2024–2026. Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Santa Cruz

Research interests: fisheries oceanography, ecosystem modeling, spatial population dynamics, individual-based modeling

Email: gya5dh@virginia.edu

Graduate students

Billie Beckley

Ph.D. candidate (at UC Santa Barbara; primary advisor: Robert Miller)

Education:
2020 M.S. Ecology, San Diego State University
2014 B.S. Environmental Science, Dickinson College

Research interests: marine ecology, conservation, disturbance ecology, kelp forests, primary producers

Email: billiebeckley@ucsb.edu

Lauren E. Brideau

Ph.D. candidate
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

Education:
2020 B.S. Environmental Systems & Sustainability Studies, Southern Connecticut State Univ.

Research interests: community ecology, restoration, ecosystem function, seagrass meadows, coastal dynamics

Email: lbrideau@virginia.edu

Ethan Kadiyala

Ph.D. candidate
Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellow

Education:
2020 B.S. Environmental Studies & Physical Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara

Research interests: conservation science, coastal ecology, biogeography, biological oceanography, marine community ecology

Email: ekadiyala@virginia.edu

Eleanor McGrath 

Ph.D. student

Education:
2024 B.A. Environmental Science, Colby College 

Research interests: marine community ecology, foundation species, disturbance ecology, conservation

Email: nbq2wt@virginia.edu

Chris Oxley

Ph.D. student
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow; UVA Presidential Fellow

Education:
2022 B.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston

Research interests: coastal ecology, community ecology, conservation, restoration, invertebrate zoology

Email: ewc5gu@virginia.edu

Shirah Strock

Ph.D. student

Education:
2025 M.S. Biology, Sonoma State University
2022 B.S. Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Research interests: kelp, foundation species, biodiversity, marine ecology, restoration ecology, conservation

Email: snf5wx@virginia.edu

Caitlin Zimmer

Ph.D. student

Education:
2025 M.S. Biology, University of New Mexico
2021 B.S. Environmental Biology, Tulane University

Research interests: coastal ecology, restoration, food web structure, species interactions, science communication

Email: rps5jw@virginia.edu

Undergraduate students

Sam Cupka

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: coastal ecology, marine biology, conservation

EmmaEllsworthHeadshot

Emma Ellsworth

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Biology and Minor Data Science, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, coastal ecosystems, restoration, biodiversity conservation

Sophia Korte

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.A. Environmental Thought and Practice, University of Virginia
Research interests: conservation, restoration, environemental justice, coastal ecology

Sophia Kuzminski

Sophia Kuzminski

Research Technician (2023–2025)
Education: 2026 B.S. Biology and Minor French, University of Virginia
Research interests: animal behavior, coastal ecology, conservation

Sophie May

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.A. Environmental Thought and Practice and B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: conservation, coastal ecology, restoration, biodiversity

Elizabeth_Shiker

Elizabeth Shiker

Research Technician (2024–2025)
Education: 2027 B.A. Economics and Minor Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, conservation, ecosystem restoration

Tara Udani

Tara Udani

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Data Science and B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: coastal ecology, biodiversity, conservation

 

Lab alumni

  • Emily M. Goetz (2022–2024).
  • Amanda C. Lohmann (2023–2024).
    • Subsequent position: Data Scientist at Global Fishing Watch.
  • Maowei Liang (2021–2022).
    • Subsequent position: Research Scientist at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and LTER, University of Minnesota.
  • Rachel S. Smith (2019–2022). TNC NatureNet Science Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Assistant Researcher at University of California, Santa Barbara (SONGS Mitigation Monitoring Program).
  • Michael R. Cornish, Ph.D. (2019–2025). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Santa Barbara.
  • Sean B. Hardison, Ph.D. (2019–2024). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alaska Fairbanks and NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
  • Kinsey N. Tedford, Ph.D. (2018–2023). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow; Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellow. 
    • Subsequent position: Fisheries Program Manager, Oyster Recovery Partnership.
  • Tori Dickerson. Research Technician (2025).
  • Caroline Just. Research Technician (2025).
  • Emily Barker. Lead Undergraduate Research Technician (2024–2025); Research Technician (2022–2025). 
  • Maya Tatel-McMillen. Research Technician (2023–2025). 
  • Ella Mortimer. Research Technician (2023–2025).
  • Rachel Bohannon. Research Technician (2021–2025).
  • Annie Wolsborn. Research Technician (2024–2025).
  • Aleyna Loughran-Pierce. Research Technician (2024–2025); Distinguished Majors Program (2025). “The effects of winter wave disturbance on kelp forest functional groups.”
  • Maddi Crowe. Research Technician (2025).
  • Kendle Schooler. Research Technician (2025).
  • Jenny Hunsinger. Research Technician (2025).
  • Fernando Miguelena. Coastal-Heartland Marine Biology Summer Research Exchange Program (2024).  
  • Sela Raisl. Coastal-Heartland Marine Biology Summer Research Exchange Program (2024). 
  • Sam Solomon. Research Technician (2022–2024).
  • Luciana Codella. Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “The response of eastern bluebird clutch size and first egg date to environmental factors.”
  • Alex Marshall. Research Technician (2023). 
  • Hayley Marshall. Research Technician (2023). 
  • Phillip Reeves. Research Technician (2023).
  • Parker Sims. Research Technician (2023).
  • Caroline Speidel. Research Technician (2023).
  • Mandy Unterhalter. Research Technician (2023).
  • Lillibet Woodward. Research Technician (2023). 
  • James Davis. Research Technician (2022–2023); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2022).
  • Chloe Wetzler. Research Technician (2022–2023).
  • Connor Dooren. Research Technician (2021–2023).
  • Miriam Wanner. Senior Thesis (2021–2023); Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “Dispersal synchronizes giant kelp forests.”
  • Katharine Schlachter. Research Technician (2020–2023); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2021); Distinguished Majors Program (2022). “Suspended algal dynamics across a seagrass meadow landscape.”
  • Olivia Redding. Research Technician (2019–2023); Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “The effect of plant roots on loggerhead turtle nest success.”
  • Renee Hebert. Research Technician (2022).
  • Mattie Anderton. Research Technician (2022).
  • Jesus Neyra. Research Technician (2021–2022).
  • Selina Cheng. Research Technician (2020–2021); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2019); Distinguished Majors Program (2020–2021). “Blue crab spatial patterns across a seagrass landscape.”
  • Camille Wilson. Research Technician (2019–2021); Distinguished Majors Program (2022). “Comparing scale and otolith age estimates to understand the potential bias of long-term American shad age data in the Penobscot River.”
  • Maddy Ross. Research Technician (2019–2021).
  • Elizabeth Eareckson. Research Technician (2019–2020). 
  • Shivani Lakshman. Research Technician (2019–2020).
  • Jun DeBus. Research Technician (2018–2020).
  • Carrie Wentzel. Research Technician (2018–2020); Senior Thesis (2019–2020). “Spatial variation in seagrass recovery following habitat restoration.”
  • Sophia Rosenberg. Research Technician (2018–2020); Distinguished Majors Program (2020). “Biodiversity of oyster reef invertebrates at the Virginia Coast Reserve.”
  • Sarah Lang. Virginia Space Grant Consortium REU (2019); Distinguished Majors Program (2020–2021). “Modeling coastal water clarity using Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2.”
  • Elizabeth Daly. Research Technician (2018–2019); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2018). “Spatial distributions of large invertebrate consumers across a seagrass landscape.”
  • Samantha Townsend. Research Technician (2018–2019).
  • Elizabeth Bieri. Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2018). “Effects of seagrass landscape structure on the growth of hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria.”
  • Emily Riley. Research Technician (2018). 
  • Taylor Traxler. Honors Thesis (2015-2017). Santa Barbara Coastal LTER, University of California, Santa Barbara. “Disturbance frequency structures ecologicial communities in Santa Barbara kelp forests.”
  • Taylor Simpkins. Research Technician (2012–2013). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “The effects of the exotic Asian mussel on the resilience of eelgrass to disturbance.”
  • Elizabeth Travis. Honors Thesis (2012–2013). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “Stable isotopes as a tool to trace California spiny lobster food webs.”
  • Cristina Lever. Research Technician (2011–2012). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “Effects of native predator chemical cues on anti-predation behaviors in an invasive marine bivalve.”
  • Olivia Turnross. Research Technician (2010). Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis. “Interactions between eelgrass Zostera marina and ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis.