Ross Cooper Email & Phone Number

Supervise the daily operations of the Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit (MFSU) with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). MFSU staff manages and provides QAQC on California commercial fisheries landings and logbook data, as well as provides outreach and support to commercial fishermen and fish businesses. Serve as the CDFW Data Liaison by facilitating data sharing for general and confidential data requests, as well as supporting data needs for legal and academic purposes. In addition to operational and personnel management, my role is designed to provide an analytical approach to MFSU by utilizing business intelligence tools and working with CDFW Marine Region’s data management subcommittee. - Facilitate efforts to identify errors and outliers in commercial landings and logbook data by overseeing development of automated data review tools. - Collaborate with subject matter experts on fishery-specific approaches for effective data management and reporting. - Coordinate with the Data and Technology Division to fix and enhance various databases and applications.

Worked with the Scripps Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation to analyze operations, supply chains, eco-certifications, and community impacts of commercial wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture companies to identify sustainable options and guide international seafood purchasers accordingly. - Assessed various fisheries / aquaculture for company-specific, species-specific, and regional patterns. - Developed and facilitated multiple workshops highlighting fishery and sustainability issues. - Created overviews of eco-certifications to compare respective purposes, scopes, and coverage.

Sacramento, California, United States

As a CA Sea Grant State Fellow, I was placed with the CA State Water Resources Control Board, specifically the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) within the Office of Information Management and Analysis (OIMA). - Analyzed fish contaminant and socioeconomic demographic data to assess subsistence angler risks. - Collaborated on a “Safe to Eat” webtool detailing how fish contaminants vary throughout state waters. - Served on several data management subcommittees to manage statewide trash and debris databases. - Created an updated chart of toxins produced by specific genera of freshwater harmful algal blooms.

San Diego, Ca

Funded fellowship by the Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation to continue my graduate research on spatiotemporal patterns of opah (Lampris spp.) landings in pelagic longline fisheries in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. - Used R programming to clean, filter, analyze, visualize, and explain opah CPUE in longline fisheries. - Used ArcGIS to visualize CPUE and effort of respective fisheries for poster-quality figures. - Worked with NOAA fisheries biologists to understand how findings could help guide management.

Long Beach, Ca

Primarily worked hands-on with large elasmobranchs in the Shark Lagoon, local finfish and abalone in the Southern California & Baja Gallery, and sick, injured, and new fish in the Quarantine pad. - Responsible for daily husbandry, including animal feeding, exhibit cleaning, water quality monitoring. - Publicly spoke during feed shows where I explained animal biology and factoids while feeding them. - Led VIP animal encounters involving guests feeding sharks while in-water in the Shark Lagoon exhibit. - Researched algae growth rates on guest-facing acrylic panels in outdoor exhibits. - Assisted with special projects, including animal transports, veterinarian procedures, and field collections.

Long Beach, Ca

Worked on both the public outreach and education aspects of Algalita, a non-profit focusing on the biological, ecological, and “upstream” aspects of plastic pollution in marine environments. - Developed curriculum and interactive workshops to teach students about plastic pollution issues. - Tailored lesson plans and workshops ranging from elementary school through college level. - Interacted with the general public and stakeholders during outreach events and city council meetings.

Santa Ana, California, United States

Conducted field work and served in a support role for various projects with an environmental consulting firm. - Performed surveys of grunion spawning runs at specific sites that could be impacted by development. - Assisted with data collection and creation of technical environmental reports.

Gardena, Ca

Performed general aquarist duties for an aquaria-wholesaler that served public aquariums, aquarium supply stores, and trans-shipment of international marine wildlife shipments. - Feed all animals, cleaned respective tanks, applied medications, and monitored water quality. - Responsible for sensitive species including cephalopods, anemones, and elasmobranchs. - Carefully handled incoming and outgoing shipments of marine wildlife.

Long Beach, Ca

Served as an intern (and subsequently volunteered) in the Southern California & Baja Gallery working with local finfish, elasmobranchs, abalone, and other invertebrates. - Developed husbandry skills including feeding, cleaning, water quality monitoring, and field work. - Participated in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) trainings and informational sessions. - Publicly spoke during routine feed shows to educate guests on animal ecology and interesting facts.

San Pedro, Ca

Helped rehabilitate injured, sick, and malnourished pinnipeds (including California sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals, northern fur seals, and Guadalupe fur seals) that had been stranded and rescued along the Californian coastline and returned them back to the ocean once deemed healthy and releasable. - Worked hands-on with the pinnipeds to restrain and tube feed individuals. - Maintained clean and sanitary enclosures for the animals to rest in and avoid disease and infections. - Prepared a variety of food and vitamins for animals at the rehabilitation center.

Townsville, Qld, Australia

Contributed to husbandry and research efforts of Reef HQ Aquarium, which serves as part of the Education Department of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) governmental division of Australia. - Assisted with husbandry duties including animal feeding, exhibit cleaning, and water quality monitoring. - Conducted research to improve water quality testing through bioassays, published in 2016. - Rehabilitated and released injured, sick, and stranded wild green and hawksbill sea turtles.

San Diego, Ca

Assisted San Diego State University (SDSU) graduate students and faculty at the Coastal Marine Institute and Laboratory (CMIL) working on marine ecotoxicology research in Southern California waters. - Studied effects of various pesticides and concentrations on reaction times of estuarine fish. - Studied how copper affects inducible defenses of intertidal alga that normally reduce predation. - Conducted fieldwork and collections in local estuaries, intertidal, bays, and open ocean. - Maintained several tanks of finfish and invertebrates used for research and educational outreach.

Masters Of Advanced Studies, Marine Biodiversity And Conservation

Capstone Project: Spatiotemporal catch patterns and population distributions of bigeye Pacific opah (Lampris megalopsis) and smalleye.

Bachelor'S Of Science: Biology - Emphasis In Ecology, Marine Ecology

Earned a B.S. in Biology, Emphasis in Ecology, and a Minor in Sustainability Volunteered for 2 years at the Coastal Marine Institute.

Post - Baccalaureate Coursework, Gis

Introductory coursework to learn the basics of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Post - Baccalaureate Coursework, Geography

Graduate level coursework on Watershed Management & Conservation

Post - Baccalaureate Coursework, Data Science

Introductory coursework to learn the basics of Data Science