Kara Eckley Email & Phone Number

I am currently working as a Fisheries Biologist at A.I.S. Inc. in support of NOAA's Fish Ecology Division.I graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in December 2022 with a Master of Science in Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Studies. During my time at UTRGV I worked as a research assistant, and my thesis research was an assessment of the habitat and communities of seamounts in the Southeast Pacific. Using video footage from ROV surveys and environmental data collected during the same cruise I worked to determine factors impacting the observed patterns in community composition and habitat.Prior to this, I attended Seattle Pacific University and graduated in June 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology. In my time at SPU I focused my coursework on classes that allowed me to explore marine ecology and conservation. I also had the opportunity to conduct research on chemical signaling in aggregating anemones, which I was then able to present at two undergraduate research conferences.During my time at SPU, I was awarded the Causey Scholarship for achievement in biology courses, as well as the Evolutionary Ecology Award for high achievement in extensive coursework of both ecology and evolution.Before I returned to school to pursue a graduate degree, I had the opportunity to join a combined marine conservation internship and divemaster training program with Roctopus Dive on Koh Tao in Thailand. In addition to drastically furthering my diving skills and confidence, I was able to contribute to marine conservation and research to create a first-hand positive impact on the marine ecosystem.