Hello! I am Rachael and I recently graduated with my masters from the Hughes Lab. Prior to becoming a Seawolf I received my B.S in Marine Biology from UC Santa Cruz. As an undergraduate I fell in love with both SCUBA diving and kayaking. Both of these experiences along with my classes further enhanced my passion for marine community ecology. Now, I am honored to be a part of a collaborative effort studying the Northern California bull kelp population. The bull kelp forests are diminishing and as a team we are looking at how temperature affects the growth throughout kelp life history stages and the possibility of reforestation. I am continuing my work as the laboratory technician, helping manage large grant projects, carry out long-term datasets, and assist new students.