
Meet the Team

Jasmin’s expertise and leadership in kelp ecology, including experimental, field- and diving-based research are a strong asset to Kelp Rescue’s mandate to restore kelp ecosystems around Vancouver Island. She has led research projects on Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts with a focus on kelp and urchin dynamics.
Dr. Jasmin Schuster
Program Manager

Lauren contributes expertise in marine community ecology, researching responses to disturbance in ecosystems, and restoration field management. She also has extensive experience with scientific diving and planning deep-sea oceanographic cruises.
Dr. Lauren Dykman
Kelp Restoration Science Lead
Postdoctoral Fellow, KRI & UVic

Connie is an elder from the Pune'luxutth Tribe and brings a love for the culture and traditions of all first peoples. With more than 20 years of commercial fishing she has a true love for coastal communities and restoring a healthy ocean. Connie brings experience from working with DFO and Arts & Culture within the Chemainus Valley.
Connie Crocker (Xwulsiim)
First Nations Liaison

Carolyn has spent the last five years working in ocean education, research, and monitoring. She is excited to be able to apply her background in marine ecology, scientific diving, and boat operating to tackling local kelp conservation.
Carolyn McKinnon
Assistant Kelp Culture Technician

Brian is leading multiple KRI projects focusing on historical changes to kelp distribution and the potential ecological benefits of restoration in the Salish Sea. He is a National Geographic Explorer with an MSc in remote sensing, currently working on his PhD with Prof. Baum.
Brian Timmer
Historical Ecology/Kelp Restoration
PhD Student, Baum Lab, UVic

Alex has a diverse background in scientific project management, laboratory operations and fieldwork. She has developed her skills through various positions in aquatic research ranging from stock assessment biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, to algae culture technician at Nova Harvest.
Alexandria Niese
Operations Manager

Romina is a marine ecologist specializing in the distribution and population dynamics of ecosystem engineers, including bull kelp and intertidal mussels. Her research integrates in-situ field monitoring with statistical and mechanistic modeling to explore how species interact with and respond to their changing environments.
Dr. Romina Barbosa
Broughton Area Kelp Conservation
Postdoctoral Fellow, BMSC, UVic

Clay has an M.Sc in invasive species ecology and has previously studied reproduction in intertidal macroalgae. He brings a professional background in lab management, research coordination, and science communication.
S. Clay Steell
Restoration and Nursery Technician

Maisie brings a diverse, interdisciplinary research background, ranging from chemistry and engineering to seaweed development and cultivation. At Kelp Rescue, she carries out fundamental biological research and develops new innovations to support the sustainable scale-up of restoration efforts.
Maisie Roy-Musor
Kelp Culturing and Innovation Technician

Tessa (she/her) is a Master's student working in partnership with the Kelp Rescue Initiative and supported by NSERC. Her research focuses on mapping urchin distributions and testing strategies to mitigate herbivory to enhance active kelp forest restoration in British Columbia.
Tessa Rehill
Sea Urchin and Kelp Interactions
MSc Student, Baum Lab, UVic

Matt (he/him) completed his Bachelor of Engineering and Biosciences in 2020, during which he developed strong quantitative, statistical, and programming/modeling skills. Pursuing his love for the ocean, he joined the Baum lab shortly after, where as a PhD candidate he uses these skills to develop species distribution models for kelp taxa found throughout BC.
Matthew Csordas
Kelp Species Distribution Modeling
PhD Student, Baum Lab, UVic
KRI Collaborators
Dr. Maycira Costa
Broughton Area Kelp Conservation
Professor, UVic
Dr. Gregory Owens
Genomics
Assistant Professor, UVic
Dr. Patrick Martone
Kelp Thermal Performance
Professor, UBC
Amanda Zielinski
Collaborator & Dive Contractor,
Hornby Island Diving
Dr. Natalia Bercovich
Genomics
Research Associate,
Rieseberg Lab, UBC
Varoon P. Supratya
Kelp Thermal Performance
PhD Student,
Martone Lab, UBC
Rob Zielinski
Collaborator & Dive Contractor,
Hornby Island Diving
Dr. Eric Gonzalez Segovia
Genome Assembly
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Rieseberg Lab, UBC
Dr. Samuel Starko
Project Advisor
Forrest Research Fellow,
Wernberg Lab, UWA
Dr. Loren Rieseberg
Genomics
Killam Professor, UBC
Dr. Fernando Hernandez
Historical Genomics
Postdoctoral Fellow,
Rieseberg Lab, UBC
Hannah Schriber
Dive Coordinator,
Assistant Diving and Safety Officer,
BMSC
Former Members
Grace Melchers
Hannah Charness
Dr. Nora Salland
Dr. Chris Neufeld
Allison Dummel
Emma Hancock
Cammie Good
Avril Hahn
Alexandra Wiebe