Principal Investigator
Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg
Associate Professor
Director, Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences
Ben has been at Cal Poly since 2013, and he loves living and working on the central coast. His research interests are very broad, and range from coral reef ecology, coastal and nearshore fisheries, offshore renewable energy, applications of artificial intelligence to marine science, and lots of other conservation topics that he doesn't have really have time to tackle. He's been Director of the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences since 2018.
Ben is originally from Chicago, and in his free time, he likes to surf, dive, hike, camp, travel, work in the garden, and root on his once and future hapless baseball team.
Contact: bruttenb (at) calpoly (dot) edu
Associate Professor
Director, Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences
Ben has been at Cal Poly since 2013, and he loves living and working on the central coast. His research interests are very broad, and range from coral reef ecology, coastal and nearshore fisheries, offshore renewable energy, applications of artificial intelligence to marine science, and lots of other conservation topics that he doesn't have really have time to tackle. He's been Director of the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences since 2018.
Ben is originally from Chicago, and in his free time, he likes to surf, dive, hike, camp, travel, work in the garden, and root on his once and future hapless baseball team.
Contact: bruttenb (at) calpoly (dot) edu
Current Lab Members
Dr. Yi-Hui Wang
Post doctoral researcher
Yi-Hui got her BS in Atmospheric Sciences from the National Taiwan University and her PhD in Earth System Science from University of California, Irvine. She was a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow in Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her past research focused on physical mechanisms behind climate variability and air-sea interaction. Since she joined Cal Poly in 2017, she has been studying offshore wind energy along Central California Coast. See Yi-Hui’s research website at yihui-wang.com
During her free time, she likes to read, photograph, and play volleyball and badminton.
Post doctoral researcher
Yi-Hui got her BS in Atmospheric Sciences from the National Taiwan University and her PhD in Earth System Science from University of California, Irvine. She was a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow in Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her past research focused on physical mechanisms behind climate variability and air-sea interaction. Since she joined Cal Poly in 2017, she has been studying offshore wind energy along Central California Coast. See Yi-Hui’s research website at yihui-wang.com
During her free time, she likes to read, photograph, and play volleyball and badminton.
Alexandria Marquardt
Master's student, Biology
Alex graduated from Oregon State University in 2013 and worked as a shellfish, marine phytoplankton, and biotoxins biologist for the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife before joining the lab in Fall 2017. Broadly, she is interested in applied research and species management. Her research is focused on understanding population trends and seasonal patterns of reproduction in Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) within California. She hopes this information will help inform local management of an iconic, understudied species. See Alex's research website at alexandrium.weebly.com/
In her downtime, Alex enjoys hiking, camping, reading scifi/fantasy novels, and adventuring in new places.
Master's student, Biology
Alex graduated from Oregon State University in 2013 and worked as a shellfish, marine phytoplankton, and biotoxins biologist for the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife before joining the lab in Fall 2017. Broadly, she is interested in applied research and species management. Her research is focused on understanding population trends and seasonal patterns of reproduction in Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) within California. She hopes this information will help inform local management of an iconic, understudied species. See Alex's research website at alexandrium.weebly.com/
In her downtime, Alex enjoys hiking, camping, reading scifi/fantasy novels, and adventuring in new places.
Hannah Rempel
Master's student, Biology
Hannah graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2016. She worked as an assistant biologist for the Bonaire National Parks Foundation before joining the Ruttenberg lab in Fall of 2017. Hannah is researching the ecological drivers of parrotfish predation on corals and the recovery of the threatened Boulder star coral (Orbicella annularis) from parrotfish bite scars on St. Croix and Bonaire.
In her free time, Hannah enjoys both making and dancing salsa, rock climbing and painting.
Master's student, Biology
Hannah graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2016. She worked as an assistant biologist for the Bonaire National Parks Foundation before joining the Ruttenberg lab in Fall of 2017. Hannah is researching the ecological drivers of parrotfish predation on corals and the recovery of the threatened Boulder star coral (Orbicella annularis) from parrotfish bite scars on St. Croix and Bonaire.
In her free time, Hannah enjoys both making and dancing salsa, rock climbing and painting.
Erin Johnston
Master's student, Biology
Erin received her BS in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego in 2017. Previously, she has worked on aging and life history of California yellowtail (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), the California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CDFW), and impacts of invasive quagga mussels to freshwater systems (Ecomarine Consulting). Erin joined the Wendt and Ruttenberg labs in Fall 2019, and her research is focused on impacts of climate change and major oceanographic events on nearshore groundfish species using data collected through the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Project (CCFRP). Her research interests include fisheries management and policy, effects of recreational fishing, and science communication.
Master's student, Biology
Erin received her BS in Marine Biology from the University of California, San Diego in 2017. Previously, she has worked on aging and life history of California yellowtail (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), the California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CDFW), and impacts of invasive quagga mussels to freshwater systems (Ecomarine Consulting). Erin joined the Wendt and Ruttenberg labs in Fall 2019, and her research is focused on impacts of climate change and major oceanographic events on nearshore groundfish species using data collected through the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Project (CCFRP). Her research interests include fisheries management and policy, effects of recreational fishing, and science communication.
Ali Wolman
Project Administrator, Deep Sea Artificial Intelligence Project
Ali graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Biology and concentration in Marine Biology and Conservation and worked in the Ruttenberg lab in 2017 as a dive technician collecting data on coral cover in St. Croix, USVI. Ali works as the project administrator for the Deep Sea Artificial Intelligence Project, which seeks to develop A.I. tools to facilitate identification of deep sea organism. This technology will greatly improve efficiency of environmental review for offshore-wind projects. Ali spends her free time scuba diving, writing comedy and singing Vision of Love by Mariah Carey (to the best of her ability).
Project Administrator, Deep Sea Artificial Intelligence Project
Ali graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Biology and concentration in Marine Biology and Conservation and worked in the Ruttenberg lab in 2017 as a dive technician collecting data on coral cover in St. Croix, USVI. Ali works as the project administrator for the Deep Sea Artificial Intelligence Project, which seeks to develop A.I. tools to facilitate identification of deep sea organism. This technology will greatly improve efficiency of environmental review for offshore-wind projects. Ali spends her free time scuba diving, writing comedy and singing Vision of Love by Mariah Carey (to the best of her ability).
Lab Alumni
Madelyn Roycroft
Master's student, Biology 2018
Madelyn graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014 and joined the Ruttenberg lab as a master’s student in Fall of 2015. Madelyn’s research focused on understanding the foraging ecology of parrotfishes in the Greater Caribbean. She conducted research in St. Croix, USVI and the Florida Keys to understand the impacts that parrotfish specialization and dietary preferences can have on marine benthic communities.
Master's student, Biology 2018
Madelyn graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014 and joined the Ruttenberg lab as a master’s student in Fall of 2015. Madelyn’s research focused on understanding the foraging ecology of parrotfishes in the Greater Caribbean. She conducted research in St. Croix, USVI and the Florida Keys to understand the impacts that parrotfish specialization and dietary preferences can have on marine benthic communities.