Verena Gill, one of the Principal Investigators of the project, is currently employed as a sea otter biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Mammals Management office in Alaska. Since 1992 Verena has worked on marine ecosystems with a focus on sea otters, seabirds, and shorebirds. Her current projects range widely across the Pacific Ocean from working with Chinese Crested Terns in Taiwan to a study on how you can use sea otter whiskers to identify their diet in Southeast Alaska. Since 2002 Verena has conducted sea otter captures in Alaska and Russia to understand demographic and pathologic aspects of this keystone species.

Ginny Eckert is one of the Principal Investigators. She holds a PhD in Ecology, is on the Fisheries faculty at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and is based in Juneau. She has conducted research in Alaska on commercially important marine invertebrates (sea cucumbers, Dungeness crab, snow crab, and king crab) and marine habitat ecology since 2000.

Zac Hoyt, project Research Associate, is currently enrolled as a Fisheries PhD student at University of Alaska Fairbanks. Zac has studied deep sea and nearshore ecosystems in Alaska for over 10 years and current interests include the dynamics of nearshore ecosystems in SE Alaska. The focus of his dissertation is recolonization, prey selection and resource competition by sea otters in southern southeast Alaska. Prior to enrolling at UAF in 2010, Zac was employed by the ADF&G as a research biologist in Petersburg, Alaska.

Sunny Rice is an Extension Agent with the Marine Advisory Program, a university-based, statewide outreach and technical assistance program designed to help Alaskans wisely develop, use, conserve and enjoy Alaska’s marine and coastal resources. Sunny assists with applied research and acts as a link between the University of Alaska and Alaska Sea Grant.