Our Mission

The mission of CSUMB's Marine Science Research program, formerly the Institute for Applied Marine Ecology (IfAME), is to develop clear linkages between ecological phenomena and potential and realized management regimes along the California coast, across the US, and throughout the world. Using cutting-edge technology, the goal of the Marine Science Research program is to provide insight, to reorganize thinking, and to improve paradigms for understanding the interaction of marine ecological systems and human activities.

The Need

The need for the Marine Science Research program is predicated on two persistent challenges within the marine science and management community:
• A significant disconnect between much of the science conducted by academia and the actual needs of those responsible for management and policy development. Well-intentioned academic efforts often fall short in addressing specific government needs due to a fundamental lack of understanding as to how the government functions and what its precise needs are. Government agencies, in turn, responding to the exigencies of management, are often compelled to act without communicating with academic scientists to determine precisely what data are available or needed.

• Insufficient financial support from either State or Federal agencies directed towards conducting the critical science necessary to underlie major policy initiatives. These unfunded mandates undermine the success of the initiatives and ultimately the marine environment loses.

The Vision

The Marine Science Research program addresses the expressed disconnect through the conduct of strategically-planned, user-driven scientific research in support of specific manager and decision-maker needs. Specifically, agency employees are frequently engaged directly in the planning, execution, and/or analysis of field research projects. In this way, the transition from completed science to realized management and/or decision-making is streamlined.

The Marine Science Research program addresses this challenge of limited financial support by engaging a continuous stream of undergraduate and graduate research assistants in the conduct of all our projects. In this way, the students are direct participants in the execution of applied research projects, while the government agencies effectively expand the footprint of what they are able to take on by collaborating with our program.

The Approach

The CSUMB faculty of marine science developed a restructured organizational design that sustainably couples the strong extramural research programs, growing academic curriculum, and established community engagement programs.

The Marine Science Research program presents a unified public face and serves as the primary vehicle for linking the Marine Science Curriculum, regional community engagement programs, and external partnerships.

Facilities & Operations


Marine Science Team

James Lindholm

jlindholm@csumb.edu
www.jameslindholm.com
831.582.4662
Image Analysis Lab
California Undersea Imagery Archive

Corey Garza

cogarza@csumb.edu
831.582.3024
Marine Landscape Ecology Lab

Alison Haupt

ahaupt@csumb.edu
831.582.3682
Coastal Ecology Lab

Cheryl Logan

clogan@csumb.edu
831.582.4698
Environmental Physiology Lab

Steve Moore

stmoore@csumb.edu
831.582.3775
Ecosystem Electronics Lab

Sherry Palacios

spalacios@csumb.edu
831.582.3657
Biological Oceanography Lab

Andrew DeVogelaere

Andrew.DeVogelaere@noaa.gov
831.647.4213
MBNMS Research Coordinator

Marine Science Research & Programmatic Staff

MSCI Program