Faculty and Staff
Philip O. Yund
Director - Marine Science Center, Director - Center for Land-Sea Interactions
Marine Science Center 207
Phone: 207-602-2440
Fax: 207-602-5945
Email: pyund@une.edu
Expertise
Marine Ecology; Fertilization Ecology; Land-Sea Interactions; Oceans & Human Health
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Evolutionary ecology of sessile and sedentary marine invertebrates; fertilization ecology; integrative biology; ecology of marine mammal, fish, and invertebrate pathogens; fisheries ecology.
James Sulikowski
Associate Professor
Marine Science Center 220
Phone: 207-602-2730
Email: jsulikowski@une.edu
Expertise
Life history and population dynamics of sharks, skates, and rays; composition and spatial/temporal distribution of fish communities; physiological responses to stress and how this influences by-catch mortality; environmental adaptations in fish; conservation of fish communities; and trophic interactions between fish species.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
My research focuses on the biology and physiology of fish. This research includes aspects of fisheries biology such as reproduction, maturity and age and growth in elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and stingrays). Recent interests have also included the physiological responses to stress and how this influences by-catch mortality and aquaculture practices in teleosts. The composition, movements, and spatial/temporal distribution of fishes and fish communities within the Saco Bay Estuary system is also of great interest to me.
Stephan I. Zeeman
Professor and Chair, Department of Marine Sciences
Marine Science Center 205
Phone: 207-602-2410
Email: szeeman@une.edu
Expertise
Oceanography, phytoplankton, primary production, remote sensing, geographic information systems, Bering Sea ecosystems.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Phytoplankton, primary production, remote sensing, GIS, satellite tracking, food web dynamics, habitat selection by marine animals (whales, basking sharks), K-12 science education
Aurora C Elmore
Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow
Marine Science Center 212
Phone: 207-602-2514
Email: aelmore@une.edu
Expertise
Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Climate Change, Ocean Circulation Changes, Water-mass Tracers (δ13C, 14C, εNd)
Markus Frederich
Associate Professor
Marine Science Center 218
Phone: 207-602-2406
Email: mfrederich@une.edu
Expertise
Temperature physiology; polar biology; energy metabolism; crustacean biology; marine invertebrates.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Temperature thresholds and adaptation in marine invertebrates, regulation of energy metabolism under stress.
Kathryn A. Ono
Associate Professor
Marine Science Center 206
Phone: 207-602-2814
Email: kono@une.edu
Expertise
Behavioral ecology and animal behavior, marine mammal behavior and biology, marine mammal policy, evolution.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Behavioral ecology of pinnipeds (seals and sea lions); diving behavior and life history studies in seals; breeding behavior of pinnipeds; reproductive biology of pinnipeds.
Charles Tilburg
Interim Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Associate Professor, Department of Marine Sciences
Marine Science Center 219
Decary Hall 407
Phone: 207-602-2130
Email: ctilburg@une.edu
Expertise
Physical oceanography, numerical modeling, coastal oceanography, larval transport, river plume dynamics
Research Interests/ Scholarship
The circulation of estuaries and the coastal ocean. I am particularly interested in climate change and the physical factors that govern the distribution of river plumes, the transport of crab, fish, and mussel larvae, and across-shelf transport on the continental shelf. My work involves a combination of field observations, remote-sensing techniques, and numerical modeling.
A. Christine Brown
Chair and Professor, Department of Biology
Decary Hall
Phone: 207-602-2371
Fax: 207 602-5973
Email: sbrown@une.edu
Expertise
Osmotic and ionic regulation and metabolism of crustaceans and fish; physiological ecology of marine invertebrates and fish; respiratory physiology, developmental biology; examination of effects of diet on metabolism and development of juvenile lobsters; examination of development of osmoregulation in decapod crustaceans and Arctic charr.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Osmotic and ionic regulation and metabolism of crustaceans and fish; physiological ecology of marine invertebrates and fish; respiratory physiology, developmental biology; examination of effects of diet on metabolism and development of juvenile lobsters; examination of development of osmoregulation in decapod crustaceans and Arctic charr.
Timothy Ford
Dean of Graduate Studies
Linnell Hall 111
Phone: 207-221-4204
Email: tford@une.edu
Expertise
Source and drinking water microbiology, marine microbiology, waterborne disease, environmental health. Specific areas include microbial cycling and transformation of pollutants, biofilm microbiology, microbiologically influenced deterioration of materials, use of microbial populations as biomarkers of environmental stress, and exposure assessment to both chemical and microbiological contaminants in drinking water.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Ford has both directed and participated in water quality related projects in the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico, India, Russia and the Philippines, and am currently building collaborations with colleagues in Hong Kong and China. In terms of scholarship, he has more than 150 papers, chapters and review articles published and in press and has received funding from the NIH, NSF, EPA, NASA, the Office of Naval Research and the US Air Force.
As a faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health, he both founded and directed the School’s Program in Water and Health. He was also supported through the NIEHS Superfund program to examine marine microbial communities in sediments from an EPA-designated superfund site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, as potential ecological biomarkers of exposure to high levels of contaminant chemicals. After moving to Montana State University as head of Microbiology in 2002, Ford served as Principal Investigator for the NIH-funded Montana Idea Networks for Biomedical Research Excellence Program (MT-INBRE). This five year, $17 million program was designed to build research infrastructure in infectious disease and environmental health research throughout the state of Montana.
David M. Koester
Professor of Anatomy
Alfond Center 232
Phone: 207-602-2207
Fax: 207-602-5931
Email: dkoester@une.edu
Expertise
Vertebrate anatomy, human embryology, cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates and rays).
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Functional morphology of vertebrates with emphasis on the anatomy and development of the electric organs of skates; pelvic fin locomotion in skates
Pamela A. Morgan
Associate Professor
Decary Hall 223
Phone: 207-602-2227
Email: pmorgan@une.edu
Expertise
Salt marsh conservation/restoration/ecology;
Wetland conservation/restoration/ecology;
Conservation and Preservation; Environmental education
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Salt marsh conservation and ecology; Environmental education
Steven Edward Travis
Associate Professor
Morgane Hall 120
Phone: 207-602-2715
Fax: 207-602-5956
Email: stravis@une.edu
Expertise
Molecular ecology; population, community, and landscape genetics
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Investigations of the interactive effects of genotypic and species diversity on the emergent properties of biological communities; GIS-based approaches to understanding landscape features limiting gene flow and constraining evolutionary trajectories in species comprising distinct ecological guilds; molecular marker-based assessments of population structure and adaptive evolutionary potential, inbreeding/outbreeding depression, and mutational load as a function of genetic diversity; the role of heterosis/hybridization in population persistence/extinction; population estimation by non-invasive genotyping; molecular characterizations of invasive genotypes.
Gregory P. Zogg
Associate Professor
Phone: 207-602-2884
Email: gzogg@une.edu
Expertise
Terrestrial and wetland plant ecology; soil microbiology and plant physiology; carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Primary research interests are in the effects of human-induced environmental change on the biogeochemistry of forests and saline, tidal wetlands (i.e., marshes and mangroves),
Tim Arienti
Research Technician
Marine Science Center 204
Phone: 207-602-2717
Fax: 207-602-5945
Email: tarienti@une.edu
Anna Lee Bass
Research Assistant Professor
Marine Science Center 212
Phone: 207-602-2481
Email: abass@une.edu
Expertise
Molecular ecology, phylogenetics, population genetics, conservation genetics, evolutionary biology, disease ecology, natural history of vertebrates and invertebrates, oceans and human health
Research Interests/ Scholarship
My research interests are broad, but mainly focus on the use of molecular techniques to answer questions related to aspects of population biology and the natural history of species. I have studied animals as diverse as marine turtles, ocean sunfish, and sea slugs.
Shaun M Gill
Manager, Marine Science Center
Marine Science Center 213
Phone: 207-602-2671
Fax: 207-602-5945
Email: sgill1@une.edu
Expertise
Research facility management, vessel operations management, field logistics, scientific diving, flowing seawater systems, fabrication, troubleshooting, manual machining, video and imaged-based coral reef methodologies.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
My work focuses on providing specialized operational, logistical, and technical support for researchers and students. I especially enjoy utilizing a blend of scientific, trade, and technical comprehensions to deliver cross-disciplinary solutions that enable marine research and academics. Some of my other research-related interests also include marine technology, ROV's, educational outreach, and mentoring.
Keith A. Matassa
Marine Animal Rehabilitation Coordinator
Marine Science Center 132
Phone: 207-602-2670
Fax: 207-602-5945
Email: kmatassa@une.edu
Expertise
Marine Animal Rehabilitation,
Marine Animal Composting
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Composting Methods, Breakdown of Pharmaceuticals in Compost, Disease in Marine Mammals, Immunology of Marine Mammals
Kristen Patchett
Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center (MARC) Senior Animal Care Technician, Volunteer Supervisor
Marine Science Center
Phone: 207-602-2347
Email: kpatchett@une.edu
Expertise
Veterinary technology, management of marine mammal and sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation programs, volunteer coordination, animal husbandry and handling, marine mammal necropsy, grant writing.
Research Interests/ Scholarship
Kristen helps facilitate researcher and student research projects at MARC. Kristen's personal interest involves monitoring established and emerging diseases in marine mammal populations through screening of stranded animals.
Shannon Prendiville
MARC Animal Care and Laboratory Technician
Marine Science Center
Phone: 207-602-2750
Email: sprendiville@une.edu
Expertise
Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation
Marian Reagan
Administrative Assistant, Marine Science Center and Center for Land Sea Interaction
Marine Science Center 204
Phone: 207-602-2856
Fax: 207-602-5945
Email: mreagan@une.edu
Asheley Simpson
MARC Animal Care and Laboratory Technician
Marine Science Center
Phone: 207-602-2232
Email: asimpson2@une.edu
Expertise
Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation.
Courtney Wallace
Marine Science Center 109
Phone: 207-602-2660
Email: cwallace1@une.edu
Expertise
Genomics, Microbiology and Disease Ecology
Research Interests/ Scholarship
As a technician for the Center for Land-Sea Interactions, my research focuses on pathogen transmission between the terrestrial and marine environments. Pathogens of interest, so far, have been the protozoans Giardia and Cryptosporidium, as well as bacterium such as E.coli.