Honors Thesis Student, Marine Sciences

Caroline Salvatierra is currently a junior majoring in Marine Sciences.  In the Cammen Lab, she has contributed to our ongoing collation and analysis of long-term marine mammal stranding data in collaboration with Marine Mammals of Maine. For her Honors thesis, she will investigate factors that influence gray seal health through an analysis of blood chemistry and hematology.

SEA BEaRS Scholar, Marine Sciences

Grace Marine is currently a sophomore majoring in Marine Sciences and a member of the Science Education Addressing the Blue Economy and Rural Success (SEA BEaRS) program funded by NSF. In the Cammen Lab, she is actively engaged in projects across our molecular and marine mammal stranding research areas.

Maine Top Scholar, Marine Sciences

Jamie Fogg is currently a sophomore majoring in Marine Sciences and a member of the Maine Top Scholars Program.  In the Cammen Lab, she is actively engaged in research on environmental DNA (eDNA) and involved in testing new, non-invasive approaches to sampling the genetic diversity of seal haul-out sites.

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Marine Sciences

Ella Offerdahl is currently a sophomore majoring in Marine Sciences.  In the Cammen Lab, she supports ongoing efforts to archive and inventory marine mammal specimens and data that will enable long-term studies of marine mammal health in the Northeast US region.

Ph.D., Marine Biology

Christina McCosker completed her PhD in Marine Biology in 2025. Her PhD dissertation, entitled Using a One Health Perspective to Investigate Dynamics of Northwest Atlantic Marine Mammal Health, focused primarily on investigating drivers of disease outbreaks in gray and harbor seals. Across her research, Christina used molecular, immunological, and toxicological techniques to elucidate mechanisms that influence disease susceptibility in pinnipeds. As a member of the One Health & the Environment National Science Foundation Research Traineeship program, she also engaged broadly in training focused on using an interdisciplinary approach to solve emerging, complex issues at the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health. Christina is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Trent University.

Ph.D., Marine Biology

https://juliaaclem.github.io/

Julia Clem completed her PhD in Marine Biology in 2025 with a dissertation entitled, Evaluating the Use of Environmental DNA for River Herring and Seal Restoration Ecology. Her dissertation research focused on developing and applying environmental DNA (eDNA) tools for studying coastal populations in Maine, with a particular interest in validating eDNA against traditional research and monitoring methods to improve sampling capacity, minimize disruption to animals and the environment, and maximize cost-effectiveness. With these tools, Julia explored patterns in fish and mammal community composition, phenology, and trophic relationships. Julia is currently an instructor within the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University.

Ph.D., Marine Biology

Dara Yiu completed her PhD in Marine Biology in 2025, co-advised by Doug Rasher and Kristina Cammen, and based at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Her PhD dissertation entitled, On Reef Fishes in the Gulf of Maine, employed field and lab methods, including eDNA and stable isotopes, to investigate the ecology of rocky reef fishes, with a particular focus on their connections to kelp forests and turf reef habitats that characterize the modern nearshore ecosystem. Dara is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the Nevada Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit.

Ph.D., Ecology and Environmental Sciences

https://www.alicehotopp.com/

Alice Hotopp completed her PhD in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, co-advised by Kristina Cammen and Brian Olsen in Spring 2025. Her PhD dissertation was entitled, Feather melanism in Ammospiza sparrows – insights into adaptation. Alice’s research was part of a multi-institutional, collaborative Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO) research program, focused on improving our understanding of the genomic basis of adaptation in sparrow species inhabiting tidal salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America. Within this context, Alice’s research focused in particular on plumage melanism in tidal marsh sparrows. Alice is currently a Fisheries Assessment and Science Communication Specialist for the Downeast Salmon Federation, and a published author of Atlas of Kinship: Stories of Connections between Seabirds, People & Place.

M.S., Marine Biology

Lauri Leach completed her MS in Marine Biology in Fall 2020. Her Masters thesis was entitled, Assessing predator risk to diadromous fish conservation in the Penobscot River Estuary. The objectives of Lauri’s research thesis were: i) to assess the abundance and distribution of seals and their prey in the Penobscot River Estuary; ii) to test photo-identification as a tool to study Penobscot River pinnipeds; and iii) to assess trends in seal-induced injuries to Atlantic Salmon at dams in the Penobscot River. Lauri is currently working as a Policy Analyst for the Marine Mammal Commission.

M.S., Ecology & Environmental Sciences

Holland Haverkamp completed his MS in Ecology and Environmental Sciences in Summer 2020.  His Masters thesis entitled, Harp, harbor and gray seal strandings in the Gulf of Maine: A retrospective socio-ecological analysis, is currently in preparation for publication, in collaboration with local marine mammal stranding networks.  The focus of Holland’s research was to utilize marine mammal stranding data in the Gulf of Maine to 1) assess the abundance, distribution, and health of the marine mammals that make the Gulf home, and 2) analyze interactions between humans and marine mammals, specifically harassment.

M.S., Marine Biology

Alayna Hawkins completed her MS in Marine Biology in Summer 2020.  Her Masters thesis, entitled From Phocine Distemper to Avian Influenza: A Study of Immunogenetic Diversity in Two Sympatric Pinniped Species, is currently in preparation for publication. Alayna’s research interests include using genetic techniques to answer questions of marine mammal health and evolution in response to environmental issues. Her Master’s research involved analyzing genes within the Major Histocompatibility Complex in gray and harbor seals to investigate the evolution of immunity to viruses.

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Marine Sciences

Sydney Ulland worked in the Cammen Lab as a member of our collaborative research team working with the marine mammal stranding network to better understand phocine distemper virus, while also supporting other ongoing laboratory and data analysis projects that aim to improve our understanding of marine mammal health. After graduation, Sydney completed an internship at the Georgia Aquarium.

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Marine Sciences

Zoe Reed joined the Cammen Lab during her senior year majoring in Marine Sciences as part of a NOAA Prescott funded project focused on understanding the impacts of a phocine distemper virus outbreak in Maine’s harbor seal population.  Building on her research experience in our lab, Zoe now works in a histology lab core at the Harvard Medical School.

Undergraduate Honors Student, Marine Biology

Sarah Jones completed an Honors thesis in the Cammen lab, investigating changes in diagnostic blood parameters throughout pinniped rehabilitation.  Her research contributes to a larger research project that aims to assess trends in pinniped health in Maine throughout recent disease outbreaks. After graduation, Sarah hopes to pursue a veterinary science degree.

One Health REU

Amanda Cruz completed an REU research experience in the Cammen Lab during the summer of 2022. She is currently an undergraduate student at Florida International University where she is pursuing a BS in Marine Sciences.  In the Cammen Lab, Amanda contributed to research that aims to improve our understanding of immunogenetic diversity in harbor and gray seals, that may underpin differences between the species in disease susceptibility.  We loved hosting Amanda’s first experience in Maine!  Learn more about her research and her REU experience in her blog post about the experience here.

Undergraduate Honors Student, Marine Biology

Sydney Avena completed her undergraduate Honors thesis co-advised by Kristina Cammen and Nishad Jayasundara, investigating the differences in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in aquacultured California yellowtail fish to determine if there is functional variation in different stocks of yellowtail. Originally from East Lyme, Connecticut, Sydney came to the University of Maine to pursue her interests in marine ecosystems and fish biology. She is currently a graduate student in Damian Brady’s lab at the University of Maine Darling Marine Center.

Undergraduate Honors Student and Research Assistant, Marine Biology

Shannon Brown completed a marine science major with a concentration in marine biology at the University of Maine. Originally from the Boston area, she came to Maine to pursue her dream of being a marine biologist. In the Cammen lab, Shannon participated in data entry for an analysis of trends in marine mammal standings along the coast of Maine, and analyzed marine mammal bioacoustic data to detect baleeen whale presence in the Gulf of Maine. For her Honors thesis, Shannon investigated trends in blood chemistry and hematology parameters from stranded harbor seals that were in triage and rehab care at the Marine Mammals of Maine rehabilitation center. After graduating from the University of Maine, Shannon pursued a Marine Science and Technology Masters at the University of Massachussetts Boston, pursuing her interest in studying pinniped health and microplastics.

Undergraduate Capstone Student, Marine Biology

Undergraduate Honors Student and Research Assistant, Marine Biology

Emma Newcomb received a marine science undergraduate degree with a double concentration in biology and oceanography. Originally from eastern Massachusetts, Emma came to Maine to pursue her dream of working with marine mammals. While at UMaine, Emma worked as a research assistant in the Cammen Lab analyzing spatial and temporal relationships in mammal strandings in the Gulf of Maine and visually observing marine mammals in Western Passage. She completed an undergraduate Honors thesis focused on characterizing the frequency and types of human interaction cases among stranded pinnipeds in Maine.  Her research has been published in Conservation Science and Practice. Since graduation, Emma has gained professional experience in marine mammal and sea turtle stranding response and rehabilitation with several stranding networks on both the east and west coasts of the United States.

Undergraduate Capstone Student, Marine Biology

B.S., Marine Sciences

Emma Spies completed her B.S. in Marine Sciences at the University of Maine in May 2021. During her undergraduate, she pursued her interests in ocean conservation and restoration, climate change sciences, marine ecosystems, and marine biology through multiple field and lab experiences, including a semester working in the molecular genetics Cammen lab. Emma also completed a Semester by the Sea at the Darling Marine Center and an Alaska Dive Semester,  where she earned her American Academy of Underwater Sciences scientific research diver certification. Emma hopes to pursue higher education within the field of marine sciences and to conduct underwater marine research.

B.S., Marine Sciences

Sarah Burton completed her Senior Capstone research project in the Cammen Lab in May 2020.  Her Capstone research, entitled Non-invasive Approaches to Marine Mammal Monitoring in Western Passage, was part of an interdisciplinary undergraduate research collaborative focused on studying the ecology of Western Passage, a tidally turbulent body of water between Eastport, Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Sarah’s experience in the Cammen lab was diverse, including marine mammal visual surveys, collection and analysis of environmental DNA, and marine mammal stranding data entry.  As an undergraduate, Sarah also received hands-on training in marine mammal rehabilitation through an internship at the National Marine Life Center.  Following graduation, she has worked as a research assistant in the Horb lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory.  

B.S., Marine Biology

Maddie Jorge completed her Senior Capstone research project in the Cammen Lab in May 2020.  Her Capstone research, entitled Non-invasive Approaches to Marine Mammal Monitoring in Western Passage, was part of an interdisciplinary undergraduate research collaborative focused on exploring the biological, physical, and social dimensions of Western Passage, a tidally turbulent body of water between Eastport, Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. As part of this research collaborative, Maddie gained experience with marine mammal visual surveys, collection and analysis of environmental DNA, and statistical data analysis.  During her undergraduate, Maddie also gained teaching experience as a Maine Learning Assistant for a Conservation and Ecology of Marine Mammals (SMS 308) course.  Following graduation, she pursued several opportunities in marine science and is currently pursuing graduate training in Data Science.

One Health REU

Liv Hemond completed an REU research experience in the Cammen Lab during the summer of 2019. At the time, she was an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley pursuing a BS in Molecular Environmental Biology.  In the Cammen Lab, Liv contributed to research that aims to improve our understanding of immunogenetic diversity in harbor and gray seals, that may underpin differences between the species in disease susceptibility.  She presented her research at the 2020 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM.  Learn more about Liv’s research and her REU experience in her blog post about the experience here.

B.S., Ecology & Environmental Sciences

Kate LaSpina completed her Senior Capstone research in the Cammen Lab in May 2019. Her Capstone research, entitled Genetic relatedness of mass stranded Atlantic white-sided dolphins, was published in Marine Mammal Science. Following graduation, Kai has pursued additional training in marine management and outreach and education. She is currently a STEM tutoring coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also pursuing a Masters of Environmental Studies. 

B.S., Marine Biology

B.S., Marine Sciences

Faythe completed her Honors thesis project in the Cammen lab in May 2018. For her research project, entitled The effect of temperature on the incubation period of loggerhead sea turtles in Edisto Beach, South Carolina, Faythe was awarded Highest Honors. Her primarily data analysis-driven research project followed four years of volunteer work with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on Edisto Beach Sea Turtle Patrol.  Following graduation from UMaine, Faythe received her doctorate of veterinary medicine at the University of Georgia.

B.S., Marine Sciences

Sarah Vincze completed her Senior Capstone research in the Cammen Lab in May 2018. Her Capstone paper was entitled Analysis of factors influencing the ongoing occurrence of brevetoxin-associated mass mortality events of bottlenose dolphin populations in the coastal waters along Florida. Sarah was also an active member of our marine mammal genetics research lab, participating in population genetic studies of gray and harbor seals.  Following her graduation from UMaine, Sarah received a Masters in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh.