California Sea Grant welcomes new CalCOFI coordinator

California Sea Grant and the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) are pleased to welcome Dr. Erin Satterthwaite. Satterthwaite will serve as CalCOFI Coordinator with the California Sea Grant extension program, based in San Diego.

Satterthwaite is a marine ecologist who works at the interface of applied marine research, policy engagement, and science communication to advance ocean knowledge for sustainability. She works on ocean sustainability issues related to marine biodiversity, fisheries and mariculture, social-ecological systems, citizen science, and biological oceanography.

"I am very excited to join California Sea Grant to coordinate one of the longest marine ecosystem time series, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), because of its vibrant community of people, rich history, and broad relevance to California's coastal communities," says Satterthwaite.

Satterthwaite’s appointment marks the beginning of a new partnership between California Sea Grant and CalCOFI. In this new role, she will focus on engaging with key stakeholders within California, nationally, and internationally within the North Pacific and conducting applied research relevant to sustainable marine resources in the context of a changing climate.

 “We are excited for Erin to join the California Sea Grant team. As a former state fellow with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and with her strong background in applied marine research and ecosystem dynamics, Erin brings invaluable experience to this role,” says California Sea Grant Director Shauna Oh.

After obtaining her bachelor's degree in biology from Juniata University, Satterthwaite pursued a PhD in ecology at UC Davis. Her research focused on understanding the movement of marine larvae, to better identify habitats that are priority marine conservation areas and ensure that areas will maintain healthy populations. As a 2018 California Sea Grant state fellow, she then went on to assist the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Environmental Research Division with the development of an ecosystem-based fishery management plan.

Following a postdoctoral position in the Program for Early-stage Grants Advancing Sustainability Science (PEGASuS) with Future Earth at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Satterthwaite is now returning to California Sea Grant to take on this new position.

"I am especially looking forward to working with the CalCOFI partners, the Sea Grant network, and local community members to collaboratively conduct research and co-design solutions that can help move us toward a sustainable connection with our coastal and marine resources," says Satterthwaite.

Satterthwaite will be working with the CalCOFI Directors, Committee, and California Sea Grant to organize and strengthen CalCOFI’s state, federal, and academic connections, and will facilitate new programmatic elements that strengthen the connections between data and constituents. As part of this effort, she will organize annual scientific meetings and twice-annual meetings of the CalCOFI Scientific Advisory Board.

"CalCOFI's partnership with California Sea Grant is all about increasing data impact,” says CalCOFI-Scripps Institution of Oceanography Director Brice Semmens. “Erin is the perfect person to usher CalCOFI into a new era of broader engagement with government agencies, the general public, and the academic community.” 

Follow Erin on Twitter: @evsatterthwaite