Meet the Group
Rachel Carlson
PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR
Rachel Carlson (she/her) is an interdisciplinary coastal ecologist who studies the effects of climate change on nearshore organisms and human livelihoods. She uses methods from geospatial science, ecology, and social science to research strategies to protect coastal biodiversity and social-ecological systems. Prior to joining Berkeley, Rachel was a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at Bodega Marine Lab and completed her PhD at Stanford University. She is active in environmental policymaking and has worked at the US EPA Office of Water, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and other policy roles. Rachel is the co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Ocean Futures (BeCOF), a research collaborative that aims to advance place-based ocean partnerships between academics and coastal communities. She enjoys running, backpacking, and playing on her East Bay soccer team, Trouble United.
Tal Gavriel
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
Tal Gavriel (she/her) is an ecologist interested in understanding the patterns that shape communities and influence diversity across multiple spatial scales, with a particular interest in the contributions of protected areas and conservation efforts to diversity. She holds a PhD from Tel Aviv University, where she examined the effects of climate change, fishing pressure, invasive species, and extreme events on fish community structure in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Outside of her research, Tal tries to spend as much time as possible by the sea, where her personal and professional interests meet. She also enjoys backpacking and spending time in nature, being with her family, reading, and painting.
Farai Divan Patel
PHD STUDENT
Farai Divan Patel (he/him) is an ecologist who is increasingly interested in incorporating the social and ecological sciences to inform locally relevant and environmentally just conservation measures. He holds a Masters in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the National Centre for Biological Sciences in India and a Bachelor’s in Biology from the University of Bristol, UK. His past work has included studies on reef resilience in the Lakshadweep archipelago and on nature-culture relationships in his home of Goa. He is also an environmental activist and has been closely involved in ecological and climate organising in India. Through his PhD he will explore the role of community based coastal management regimes in furthering local governance and ecological outcomes.
Hayden Vega
PHD STUDENT
Hayden Vega (he/him/his) is a marine ecologist and science communicator who investigates how coastal ecosystems respond to disturbance and change. He holds a B.A. in marine science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studied how fish help coral reefs respond to physical injury. His past work spans coral reef resilience, kelp forest functional ecology, and machine-learning approaches to shark morphometrics with a unifying focus in exploring how species-interactions influence ecosystem change. Beyond research, Hayden is a science communicator and his work includes a permanent art-and-science exhibit in Santa Barbara, California. In his doctoral research, Hayden investigates how non-native species affect the resilience of coastal ecosystems and the people who depend on them. When he isn’t in the ocean for work, he enjoys being in the ocean for fun. He is an aspiring spearfisher, surfer, and SCUBA diver. Feel free to explore more of Hayden’s work here.
Sofia Ferreira Colman
RESEARCH DATA ANALYST
Sofia Ferreira (she/her) is a quantitative coral reef ecologist passionate about uncovering the processes that drive ecosystem function in order to guide strategic conservation efforts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science and a Master of Science in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. Her research has focused on applying 3D photogrammetry and computational tools to quantify reef habitat complexity, monitor coral community changes over time, and examine how habitat structure influences fish assemblages. In her free time, Sofia enjoys surfing, scuba diving, freediving, and exploring Hawai‘i’s unique landscapes.
Mairi Creedon
PHD CANDIDATE
Mairi Creedon (she/her) is a writer and interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of food systems, natural resource management, cultural foodways, and economic development. Her dissertation research examines the legal geographies, multispecies relationships, and financial frameworks of conservation and commercial marine aquaculture in the United States, with field sites in New York and California. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship. She is the lead organizer of the Land and Agrifood Research Collective at UC Berkeley, and in her free time, she enjoys being outdoors (preferably on the water) and spending time with friends and family.
Luke Wang
HONORS THESIS STUDENT
Luke Wang (he/him) is a fourth year Integrative Biology + Data Science undergraduate at UC Berkeley. His research in the lab includes using satellite imagery annotations to analyze how invasive nitrogen fixing plants affect coral growth, and annotating species compositions across varying transects. He likes to focus on the varying facets of ecology and the environment that affect the coastal ecosystem balance. In his free time, Luke likes to scuba dive, exercise, swim, and watch sports.
Sia Agarwal
HONORS THESIS STUDENT
Disturbance ecology of intertidal algae in California
Nikita Mehta
HONORS THESIS STUDENT
Submarine groundwater discharge on coral reefs
Please learn about joining our team here.
Lab Alumni
Ethan Ignoffo
HONORS THESIS STUDENT
Endangered species conservation funding
