- Nicholas Donlou
- California State University Monterey Bay
I grew up in Southern California and spent just about every free moment at the beach either surfing or swimming. I knew from an early age that I wanted to have a career that focused on the marine environment and since coming to California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) I have been exposed to the different types of careers in this field. As an undergraduate, I became a certified SCUBA diver and have recently obtained a scientific diving certification, which I hope to use on future projects. I am expected to graduate in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Technology & Policy, and I am currently working on my final senior project using passive acoustic monitoring to plot the movements of blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) in Carmel Bay. Using the data from this study, I will characterize the site fidelity of blue rockfish for use in the placement of marine protected areas. Blue rockfish are an important game fish to the Central Coast of California and it is imperative that we collect data on their movements in order to ensure a healthy and stable population.
I am very excited to be a part of this Aquarius mission, not only because it is the 100th mission but also because it is rare that an undergraduate is invited to participate. I am honor and privileged that I was asked to join and will take the lessons I learn from this experience and apply it to my future work.
