SEASIDE, Ca., March 29, 2019 -- California Sea Grant has selected 23 recipients—the largest cohort yet—for its prestigious State Fellowship. This opportunity provides fellows with unparalleled and hands-on training at the interface of science, communication, policy and management at either a municipal, state or federal host agency in California for one year.

Amongst the 23 fellows announced, 12 were California State University (CSU) graduates and two were graduates of CSUMB.

“The State Fellowship program is very effective in increasing the capacity of host organizations with talent from California universities, while giving recent graduates an opportunity to apply their scientific training to policy questions,” says Shauna Oh, the newly appointed director of California Sea Grant. “Upon completion of their fellowship, many of the fellows remain in California’s marine policy and management community and have become leaders, making significant contributions to these fields.”

All fellowship recipients have graduate-level training at universities within California. This year’s cohort hails from the diverse disciplines of marine and watershed science, biology and ecology, marine fisheries biology, biodiversity and conservation, resource management, international environmental policy, and environmental science and management, while representing 15 universities throughout the state.

Anna Holder, State Water Resources Control Board - Office of Information Management & Analysis:

Anna Holder received a Master of Science in applied marine and watershed science from California State University, Monterey Bay in 2018. During graduate school, she analyzed survey and fishery catch data to evaluate whether and to what extent there is a relationship between environmental and demographic factors, and the occurrence of multiple brooding in rockfish (Sebastes spp.)

For her placement at the State Water Resources Control Board in the Office of Information Management and Analysis, Holder will combine her science communication and data science skills to analyze, interpret, and visualize environmental data in a way that is informative for water quality managers and the public.

Marguerite McCann, Fish and Game Commission:

Marguerite McCann graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay with a master’s in applied marine and watershed science in 2018. She completed a professional internship with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, where she worked on projects relating to education and outreach. She supported and participated on a seafloor mapping and exploration mission onboard the R/V Nautilus, interpreted the multibeam sonar and remotely-operated vehicle imagery for the public, and created a digital outreach product to educate the public about deep-sea corals.

McCann’s work with the California Fish and Game Commission will involve developing a strategy to address issues relating to invasive red-eared sliders and bullfrogs. She will work with stakeholders to ensure this strategy addresses the needs of both the ecosystem and the community.