Kristen Brown
Marine Biologist / Scientific Diver
Bio
Kristen has completed Bachelors of Science degree with first class Honours in marine biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz where she completed two research theses: one at the University of Western Australia's Kings Park Science Directorate examining the Australian seagrass Posidonia australis and the second at the Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station investigating Macrocystis pyrifera holdfasts using AAUS scientific SCUBA techniques. Upon graduation, she furthered her education as an occupational trainee at the University of Queensland’s Institute of Molecular Bioscience (IMB), focusing on computer applications to analyze and interpret the chemistry of marine invertebrates and algae to discover new natural products for use in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. She has previously volunteered with: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she supported the fisheries research survey team off the west coast of the United States, collecting information for the sustainable management of fish populations; and the California Department of Fish and Game/Stanford University, where she worked as a research diver to assess how ocean acidification might change benthic kelp forest communities. As a Catlin Oceans Scholar scholarship recipient, she anticipates combining her knowledge of chemistry and marine science to explore coral reef ecosystems, while completing her PhD at the University of Queensland. She owes everything to her smart, talented, and loving parents Candace and Chip, who live in San Rafael, California and an inspiring older sister, Cole, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Kristen will support the field research team as a marine scientist and scientific diver and will be involved in all aspects of the field research from preparing and organizing sampling gear to diving transects to data wrangling.
