María Velazquez
Kelp Restoration Coordinator
María (she/her/ella) earned a double B.A. in Environmental Studies and Sociology from UC Santa Cruz, where her passion for science, field research, and science communication first took root. While investigating urchin-algae cover threshold relationships in Monterey Bay kelp forests for her senior thesis, she also collaborated with the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum to design educational outreach curriculum based on her research. She solidified her passion for ecology and conservation during her work with CDFW and USFWS on various long-term native and endangered fish monitoring projects under the Interagency Ecological Program in the San Francisco Bay-Delta. She went on to obtain her M.S. in Biology at Sonoma State University, where she was lead/assistant scientific diver on various monitoring and kelp restoration projects along the Sonoma-Mendocino coast. Her thesis investigated post-disturbance community composition dynamics in a persistent kelp forest recently transitioned into an urchin barren. She is thrilled to be a part of the kelp team at GFA and continue working towards restoration of bull kelp forests in northern California. Outside of science, she enjoys biking, hiking, climbing, puzzles, creating art, and winding down with a good movie, book, or a long walk exploring urban green spaces.