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
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
Email: watencio@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

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

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

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
Undergraduate students

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

Tori Dickerson
Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, global sustainability, traditional knowledge, environmental justice

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

Caroline Just
Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.S. Environmental Sciences and B.A. Economics, University of Virginia
Research interests: wetland ecology, forest ecology

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
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
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
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.
- 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.