Kerstin Wasson is currently accepting applications from students seeking a Masters of Science degree. Please contact her by email to set up an appointment if you are interested in applying.

Wasson lab students have a rigorous undergraduate background in ecology and a strong interest in coastal conservation biology. Some or all of their graduate fieldwork is conducted at Elkhorn Slough, since this is where she is based, and their research should focus on a topic in coastal conservation science.

Examples of potential Masters research topics of relevance to conservation of estuarine ecosystems at Elkhorn Slough:

Marsh sustainability: investigation of physical and biological correlates of marsh persistence vs. degradation

Recovery from invasion: restoration experiment to track salt marsh recovery following removal of non-native ice plant

Eutrophication and salt marshes: experimental manipulation of macroalgal cover to determine whether there are negative effects on salt marsh plants

Oyster restoration: restoration experiments to track survival in different habitats and under different levels of competition from non-native species

Estuarine snail conservation: genetic and geographic analysis of populations of a potentially threatened brackish water snail throughout coastal California

Kerstin Wasson is currently accepting applications from students seeking a Masters of Science degree. Kerstin currently has one doctoral student and will not be taking any more PhD students until the current student finishes.