In college, my interest in coastal marine environments led me to become involved in ecological field research studying blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay.  At that time, I had no idea that I could make a career out of tromping around the seashore but after a summer of permanently pruney fingers, I was hooked!  Today my research takes place in the rocky intertidal zone- a species-rich band of habitat that lies along the coast between the high and low tide mark.   I focus specifically on mussel beds and seek to understand how positive interactions between mussels and other intertidal species can be harnessed for restoration purposes.

I am thrilled to be a part the SCWIBLES team and look forward to all that I will learn from students and teachers at Watsonville High School. I hope I’m able to give students a better understanding of the marine habitats in their backyard and increase their awareness of the many ways humans impact these ecosystems.

deNesnera Poster

Contact: kdenesne@ucsc.edu and Website