I currently work for the California Academy of Sciences coordinating their citizen science programs, working with the public to answer large-scale questions about California biodiversity. Before this, I was working with the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, running a long-term coastal monitoring program. I also spent six years as an environmental educator at an outdoor school in the Santa Cruz mountains.

My training is in intertidal invertebrates but I also have a great fondness for algae and birds.

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kestrel's favorite taxa

Diatoms - Photo (c) pali_nalu, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) CC
Diatoms Info
Diatoms are a major group of algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons (e.g. Fragilaria), fans (e.g. Meridion), zigzags (e.g. Tabellaria), or stellate colonies (e.g. Asterionella). Diatoms are producers within the food chain. A characteristic feature of diatom cells is that they are encased within a unique cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide)... (From Wikipedia)
Octopuses, Squid and Relatives - Photo (c) Felipe Ortega, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) CC
Octopuses, Squid and Relatives Info
A cephalopod (Greek plural Κεφαλόποδα (kephalópoda); "head-feet") is any member of the mollusc class Cephalopoda, characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the mollusk foot, a muscular hydrostat, into the form of arms or tentacles. Teuthology, a branch of malacology, is the study of cephalopods. (From Wikipedia)
Nudibranchs - Photo (c) Nazir Erwan Amin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) CC
Nudibranchs Info
A nudibranch ( /ˈnjuːdɨbræŋk/) is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The clade Nudibranchia is the largest clade within the heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species. (From Wikipedia)
Sandpipers and Allies - Photo (c) Vitaliy Khustochka, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) CC
Sandpipers and Allies Info
The Scolopacidae are a large family of waders, (known as shorebirds in North America). Many of the smaller species are often called "sandpipers", especially members of genera Calidris, Tringa and Actitis. Other well-known groups include curlews and snipes. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. (From Wikipedia)
California Mussel - Photo (c) kqedquest, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) CC
California Mussel Info
The California mussel, Mytilus californianus, is a large edible mussel, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mytilidae. (From Wikipedia)
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aka Alison Young