Faculty & Staff
Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty
Dr. Bengt Allen
Marine Community Ecology
EMAIL: Bengt.Allen@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.7553
WEB: Allen Lab
Research in my lab focuses on both the mechanistic links between local environmental conditions and individual physiology and behavior, and how variation at the individual level influences the structure and function of associated populations and communities.
Dr. Michael Carlson
Biological Oceanography
EMAIL: Michael.Carlson@csulb.edu
My research investigates how the interactions between microbes and viruses impact marine ecosystems and the flow of matter in the oceans. My lab studies these interactions both in the lab and at sea using genomic, physiological, and computational approaches with the goal of understanding and predicting the ecology and evolution of microbial life in past, present, and future oceans.
Dr. Jesse Dillon
Marine Microbiology
EMAIL: Jesse.Dillon@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4824
WEB: Dillon Lab
My research focuses on the ecology and diversity of microorganisms in two main marine habitats: coastal salt marshes and coastal sulfur vents. We combine molecular sequence analysis, radiotracer studies and culturing approaches to study environmental factors (e.g., sea level rise) that govern the distribution, abundance and activity of microbes.
Dr. Erika Holland
Aquatic Toxicology
EMAIL: Erika.Holland@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.5389
WEB: Holland Lab
My laboratory researches the impact of pollutants on aquatic organisms using tools spanning receptor, cellular and whole animal endpoints. Research interests span numerous pollutant classes with a particular focus on chemicals that alter calcium signaling pathways essential to such processes as neurodevelopment and striated muscle function.
Dr. Darren Johnson
Evolutionary Ecology of Fishes
EMAIL: Darren.Johnson@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.5602
WEB: Johnson Lab
My lab studies the ecology and evolutionary biology of reef fishes. We are especially interested in understanding how nearshore fish populations will respond to environmental changes such as predator loss and ocean acidification. We use a combination of scuba-based fieldwork and laboratory experiments to answer these questions.
Dr. Brian Livingston
Evolution of Development in Echinoderms
EMAIL: Brian.Livingston@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4806
WEB: Livingston Lab
We study how the controlled expression of genes during embryonic development leads to the formation of specific tissues, and how alterations in that process leads to the evolution of new traits. We are especially interested in how a hard, mineralized skeleton is formed. We study this in echinoderms using a comparative genomic and proteomic approach.
Dr. Christopher Lowe
Physiology and Ecology of Fishes
EMAIL: Chris.Lowe@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4918
WEB: Shark Lab
My research focuses on behavioral and physiological ecology of elasmobranchs and teleost gamefishes. We use a variety of technologies such as acoustic and satellite telemetry, accelerometers, autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles to study the behavior of marine animals with application to conservation and management.
Dr. Douglas Pace
Ecological Physiology
EMAIL: Douglas.Pace@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4825
My lab studies the developmental physiology of marine invertebrates. By learning critical techniques in organismal physiology and biochemistry, students discover adaptive strategies employed by larval organisms for surviving in heterogeneous environments. We are a large research group that utilizes a “team approach” to studying how organisms work.
Dr. Bruno Pernet
Invertebrate Biology
EMAIL: Bruno.Pernet@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.5378
WEB: Pernet Lab
We study how invertebrate animals develop, how they function, and how they have evolved. We are particularly interested in the evolution of form and function in the embryos and larvae of marine invertebrates including annelids, molluscs, and echinoderms. I also serve as the academic advisor to undergraduates in the marine biology program.
Dr. Christine Whitcraft
Wetlands Ecology
EMAIL: Christine.Whitcraft@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4820
WEB: Whitcraft Lab
My research focuses generally on wetland ecology. Specifically, I am interested in the impact of human activities on the structure and functioning of coastal wetlands. Projects in my laboratory include restoration evaluation, invasive species studies, linking fish movement to habitat characteristics, and food web studies.
Dr. Raymond Wilson
Population Genetics and Systematics of Fishes
EMAIL: Raymond.Wilson@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.5867
I study the population genetics of colonizing species of fishes, including invasive ones of California's estuaries, by analyzing genetic diversity differences between colonizers and their respective source populations. A goal is to develop an ability to recognize recently established populations genetically where colonization history is not known.
Lecturers
Lindsay Darjany
Marine Science
EMAIL: Lindsay.Darjany@csulb.edu
I have an extensive background in marine science spanning many years monitoring intertidal invertebrates, performing phytoplankton ecology and harmful algal bloom research at USC, and studying marine microbial ecology at Cal State Long Beach. I have performed fieldwork in many different coastal ecosystems including California salt marshes and rocky shores, tropical reefs, and Antarctic Sea ice environments, and currently study microplastics in marine environments at the local non-profit Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research. Courses taught include BIOL 153, BIOL 213, and BIOL 355.
Dr. Benjamin Perlman
Comparative Biomechanics
EMAIL: Benjamin.Perlman@csulb.edu
WEB: Perlman Lab
I am interested in the form and function of animal body plans and how that informs their behavior and ecology. Marine fishes are my go-to model organisms, where I study their kinematics, kinetics, and muscle physiology. I also have studied flying, jumping, feeding, and swimming biomechanics in birds, frogs, and insects. Courses taught include BIOL 208, BIOL 211, BIOL 350, and BIOL 419.
Emeriti Faculty
Dr. Charles Galt
Zooplankton Biology
Dr. Gwen Goodmanlowe
Marine Mammalogy
EMAIL: Gwen.Goodmanlowe@csulb.edu
My prior research focused on the feeding ecology of pinnipeds and on contaminant bioaccumulation in pinnipeds and cetaceans.
Dr. Ju-Shey Ho
Biology of Parasitic Copepods
Dr. Andrew Zed Mason
Applied Ecotoxicology
Dr. Alan Miller
Ecology of Marine Invertebrates
Staff
Yvette Ralph
Marine Lab Technician
EMAIL: Yvette.Ralph@csulb.edu
PHONE: 562.985.4907
I manage the CSULB Marine Laboratory. My responsibilities include collecting any live marine specimens used for instruction, and training graduate student assistants and undergraduate student volunteers in the husbandry of local marine organisms. I am also the Boating Safety Officer for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
