Apryle Craig

I earned a BS in BioEngineering from the University of Pittsburgh and masters in Ecology at Colorado State University.  I am interested in trophic cascades. During my master's research, I worked with Dr. Liba Pejchar to investigate the impacts of elk browsing and riparian willow restoration on bird communities in Rocky Mountain National Park. Throughout my masters, I also worked at the national park supervising data collection for the park's Elk and Vegetation Management Plan, overseeing vegetation monitoring, elk exclosures, and elk counts. My PhD research with Dr. Aaron Wirsing is exploring possible trophic cascades that may be occurring with the recolonization of grey wolves in north central Washington. I am interested in learning how this coursing predator may influence deer foraging behavior, diet composition, and plant browse which may lead to changes in vegetation structure or composition. I am passionate about citizen science, environmental education, and science communication.

Website:  http://apryledcraig.wordpress.com/ 

Dr. Frances Farabaugh

​I am a post-doctoral scholar and marine ecologist with a specific interest in the behavioral ecology of predators. My dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Michael Heithaus examined the factors that affect the variation in shark abundance and community composition in French Polynesia and sought to better understand the ecological importance of sharks and large bony fish (e.g. groupers, jacks) in coral reef systems. This work is particularly important in the light of dramatic worldwide declines in marine predator populations, especially sharks. As the world’s largest shark sanctuary, with substantial gradients in both anthropogenic and environmental factors, French Polynesia offers a perfect model system to answer these questions. My work at UW will continue and expand this research, which is an important step to elucidating the importance of sharks in structuring coral reef ecosystems.  
 
I graduated with a PhD in Biology from Florida International University in 2023, and a B.S. in 2014 from Humboldt State University with a double major in Marine Biology & Zoology and a minor in Scientific Diving. My passion for ecology has taken me all over the world, including research internships with STRI in Panama and OTS in Costa Rica, work as an Aquanaut at Aquarius Reef Base, and work with the Global FinPrint Program in French Polynesia. In addition to my academic work, I enjoy sharing my fascination with sharks and science with others. I have been featured on National Geographic‘s Shark Fest and participate in several quirky science communication podcasts, including as a co-host of the marine science podcast Ocean Science Radio, and a cast member of the marine biology & conservation themed Dungeons & Dragons podcast Dugongs and Seadragons. 

Sarah Colosimo

I am a marine mammal biologist working at the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. I earned my BSc at the University of Washington in 2018, with a major in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and minors in Marine Biology and Quantitative Science. I have over a decade of experience in marine mammal science and conservation. In pursuing my passion for this field, I have worked with a variety of cetacean and pinniped species in both hemispheres and spanning the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to here on the West Coast. My current research is largely focused on pinnipeds as predators in Puget Sound and the adjacent waters of Washington, and their relationship with prey, including endangered salmonids. I largely utilise telemetry methodologies, having programmed and deployed over 100 satellite instruments on seals and sea lions, optimized for extended deployment duration. For my Masters, I am working with Dr. Aaron Wirsing to explore long term satellite tracking data of adult male California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) to better understand their individual movements and foraging ecology in the Pacific Northwest. I am interested in how California sea lions interact with and influence this ecosystem, both as predators and prey, and what drives their movements, such as ephemeral foraging events, site fidelity, use of coastal and inland waters, social networks, and migratory connectivity to breeding grounds.