Biography

Zoe Welch
Pronouns: (she, her, hers/ they, them, theirs)
I have two hometowns -- Madison, WI and Williamsburg, VA-- and subsequently have an enduring love for both cheese curds and collard greens. I received my B.A. from The College of William and Mary, where I double majored in Anthropology and Environmental Studies and had a wonderful time participating in the Student Environmental Action Coalition’s Sustainable Agriculture working group, campus radio (WCWM 90.9FM), and Women’s Rugby. After graduation, I gained valuable experience volunteering for a Tidewater region environmental nonprofit, as well as working as a research technician and manager for a molecular and developmental biology lab. I obtained my M.S. in Marine Science from UCSB in 2016, where I researched environmental microbiology and nanomaterial-based toxicology. Together, these experiences helped crystallize my interest in examining human-environment interactions as a career, with special focus upon understanding how anthropogenic stressors influence population health, ecological resilience, and biogeochemical cycling. In addition to my marine-based dissertation work which includes collaboration with and support from the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research (SBC LTER) group (https://sbclter.msi.ucsb.edu/) and a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) (https://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/), I am also a member of The California Grizzly Research Network (https://www.calgrizzly.com/home-1). In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, and roller derby.

Research Area

My dissertation explores the impacts of ocean acidification and hypoxia on the health and biology of carbonate-producing marine organisms (calcifiers) in California marine systems. Through the lens of calcifiers/calcification, I examine how human actions (directly and indirectly) influence broader potential patterns of change, stability, vulnerability, and resilience in these systems over time and with a mind towards California’s future ocean conditions. My work implements an interdisciplinary, mixed-method approach combining laboratory experimentation with historical and contemporary field observations and datasets. In addition to Dr. Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez (Biological Oceanography), I am also advised on environmental history and historical ecology by Dr. Jennifer Martin.