Marine Conservation Scientist
Research Associate at the
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California

Mombasa Outer Reef, Kenya

_1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey, CA 93940           joleary@ucsc.edu

I am a marine ecologist working with communities and agencies to integrate science with conservation and management.  I focus on how human disturbances affect marine ecosystems through both direct and indirect mechanisms and ways we can mitigate impacts.  My previous empirical work has focused on trophic cascades (how the removal of top predators changes grazer abundance and consequence for ecosystem structure and function) and on invasive species dynamics. I am currently the lead scientist for a non-profit OneReef, helping communities develop locally managed marine protected area monitoring plans in the tropical Pacific. I am also the co-director of the Adaptive Management Program for the Kenya Wildlife Service. This program (currently in the Mombasa Marine Park and Reserve and expanding to the Kisite park) helps marine protected area managers use data to make proactive management decisions.  As a Research Associate at the University of California Santa Cruz, I  am working on several publications related to coral resilience and which genera have survived over geological time.  I am also collaborating with the California Department of Fish and Game on the response of crustose coralline algae to ocean acidification, and which species have a role in abalone and other invertebrate settlement. I recently helped develop another collaborative effort to investigate the roles of large and threatened herbivores (bumphead parrotfish) on coral reef community structure in the Solomon Islands.
                                                                        RESUME 

BREAKING NEWS!
"Where have all the Reef Fish Gone?"
I'm participating in a new way to  to support scientific research and raise awareness called the SciFund Challenge!  In a 3 minute video, I describe one of my current research projects focused on fish tagging in Kenya. The objective is to determine if fish movement beyond park boundaries into fished areas               is preventing full recovery of the Mombasa Marine Protected Area.
Watch the video at the following link, consider a small donation (and receive a thank you prize), or simply spread the word!!

http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7521-where-have-all-the-coral-reef-fish-gone

Publications                                                   

O'Leary, JK and T McClanahan.  2010.  Trophic cascades result in large scale coralline algae loss.  Ecology: 91(12), 2010, pp. 3584–3597  PDF

O'Leary, JK and DC Potts.  2011.  The use of hierarchical sampling to understand spatial scales of variation in coral recruitment.  Coral Reefs30(4); 1013-1023. PDF

Darling, ES, SJ Green, JK O'Leary,and I Cote. 2011  Indo-Pacific lionfish
are larger and more abundant on invaded reefs: A comparison of Kenyan and Bahamian lionfish populations.  Biological Invasions13 (9): 2045-2051. PDF

O'Leary, JK, J Braga, D Potts, T McClanahan.  2012.  Indirect effects of fishing:  reductions in crustose coralline algae suppress coral recruitment.  Coral Reefs 31: 557-559 PDF

Van Woesik, R, E Brown, JK O'Leary, T McClanahan, J Klaus, A Budd. 2012. Hosts of the Plio-Pleistocene past reflect modern-day coral vulnerability. Proceedings of  the Royal Society B In Press. PDF

Kulbicki  M, J Beets, P Chabanet, K Cure, E Darling, S Floeter, R Galzin, A  Green,  M Harmelin-Vivien, M Hixon, Y Letourneur, T de Loma, T McClanahan, J     McIlwain, G Moutham, R Myers, JK O’Leary, S Planes, L Vigliola, L Wantiez.            2012.  Distributions of Indo-Pacific lionfishes (Pterois spp.) in their native ranges: implications for the Atlantic invasion.  Marine Ecology Progress Series 446: 189–205.  PDF

In Review
Halpern B, C Longo, D Hardy, K McLeod, J Samhouri, S. Katona, K Kleisner, S        Lester, JK O'Leary, M Ranelletti, A Rosenberg, C Scarborough, E Selig, B              Best, D Brumbaugh, F Chapin, L Crowder, K Daly, S Doney, M Fogardy, S                Gaines, K Jacobsen, L Bunce Karrer, H Leslie, D Pauly, S Polasky, K Martin,         G Stone, U. Sumaila, H Tallis, D Zeller.  2012.  An Ocean Health Index to assess global marine social-ecological systems.  Nature In Review.

Edmunds P, M Adjeroud, M Baskett, I Baums, A Budd, R Carpenter, N Fabina, T-Y Fan  E Franklin, K Gross, X Han, L Jacobson, J Klaus, T McClanahan, JK O’Leary, M van Oppen, X Pochon, H Putnam, T Smith, M Stat, H Sweatman, R van Woesik, R Gates. 2012. Persistence and change in community composition of reef corals through past, present, and future climates. Ecology Letters In Review.

K McLeod, B Halpern, ARosenberg, J Samhouri, C Longo JK O’Leary, M Ranelletti, CScarborough, L Crowder, M Fogarty, DBrumbaugh, F Chapin III, K Daly, S Doney, S Gaines, L Bunce Karrer, S Katona, H Leslie, S Lester, E Neeley, S Polasky, K St. Martin, E Selig, H Tallis. 2012. The Ocean Health Index: A New Approach to Inform Comprehensive Ocean Policy. PLoS Biology. In Review

Technical Reports
California Department of Fish and Game. 2002.  Abalone Recovery  and              Management Plan. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/armp/index.asp

Parasi, JR, PC Selmants, H Young, JK O'Leary, and ES Zavaleta. 2010. Nitrogen    Enrichment.  In M. Rejmanek and D. Simberloff, editors. The Encyclopedia of         Invasive Species. University of California Press.  PDF

Adaptive Management Program Team interviewed by Kenyan National TV News (KTN)

Journal Reviewer

PLoS ONE
Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS)
Coral Reefs

Professional Experience

I was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Science Foundation's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) where I worked with a team of international scientists on a global model of the ecosystem services provided to humans by maintaining healthy oceans. As part of this work, I developed a case study using the model for the island nation of Fiji.

I was a postdoctoral researcher at the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.  In this capacity, I worked with the Kenya Wildlife Service to develop the Adaptive Management Program in the Mombasa Marine Park and Reserve.  The program integrates science with management and is now used as a model for all of Kenya's marine parks.

I was formerly a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game (1999-2002).  In this capacity, I was a principle co-author on the state management plan for seven species of abalone.  I was also the first biologist hired by the Napa County Resource Conservation District and developed a watershed wide salmonid habitat assessment program and a volunteer monitoring program.  I am a former AmeriCorps volunteer with the Watershed Stewards Project and was a volunteer with Children International in Ecuador, where I developed and carried out a project to transform a dumping site to a community park.

Surveying salmonids in California watersheds

Invited Working Group Participant

• 2012: Women in Academic Science.  NSF sponsored at University of Oregon
  
• 2011: Ecosystem Services.  National Academy of Keck Futures Initiatives working conference.  Developed research directions focused on how societies can respond to abrupt changes in ecosystem services.
  
• 2010: Reefs for the Future.  National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis working group.  Evaluated global data to determine the likely trends in coral communities facing climate change.

Press

2012: United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), ScienceDaily (top
         environmental story for Feb. 27); e! Science News, Sciencenews online        
         and 18 others.  "Coral reef study traces indirect effects
         of overfishing"     Feb. 27 : Link
2011: ScienceDaily, United Press International, and 12 others.
            "Sea urchins destroy reef building algae on overfished sites on the
            Kenyan Coast."  Jan. 14: Link
2010: Kenya National TV News.  Mombasa Marine Park Adaptive Management
            May. 9
2010:   The Standard Kenyan national newspaper: "Adaptive Management
             Program adopted in Mombasa Marine Park."  May 6.
2009:  Seychelles Conservation Magazine: "Adaptation: How the Mombasa      
             Marine Park is doing it."  July, Number 20, p. 27.

Monitoring sand crab populations with students

Teaching

• Completed a 3-year NSF sponsored program on teaching science using inquiry (active) learning.
• Designed a marine ecology course for the California State Summer School for Advanced Math and Science (COSMOS) program and taught it to advanced high school students for 3 years.
• Taught university-level introductory biology course at UC Santa Cruz
  
• Teaching assistant for 8 university courses (in cellular/molecular biology, plant physiology, invertebrate zoology, ichthyology, marine ecology, kelp forest ecology) at UC Santa Cruz
• Currently teaching university and high school level biology at the Santa Catalina School.
  

Awards and Funding (partial list)

• Oceanic Society Conservation Research Support (2011)
  
• Switzer Foundation Conservation Leadership Award (2009)
  
• Sigma Delta Epsilon Graduate Women in Science Award (2008)
• PADI Foundation Award (2008)
• SeaSPACE Scholarship (2008)
• Swizer Environmental Conservation Graduate Award (2006)
• Achievement  Award for College Scientists (ARCS; 2006)
• American Association of University Women Award (2005)
• Center for Tropical Research, Agriculture and Development Award (2004)
• STEPS Institute for Innovation in Environmental Research Award (2004)
  
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Graduate Fellowship (2003)

Training rangers at the Mombasa Marine Park on coral reef ecology and management

Professional Training

• Science Communications Training (COMPASS) 2011

• SCUBA: NAUI - basic, advanced, rescue, NITROX.  Scientific Diver 2000
  
• Motor boat operation (NOAA) 2007
  
• Meeting Facilitation (Napa County Resource Conservation District) 1999
• Grant Writing (State of California) 1999

Nyali Marine Reserve, Kenya

Collaborators

Dr. Dan Brumbaugh (Senior Scientist, American Museum of Natural History)
Dr. Laura Rogers-Bennett (Senior Marine Biologist, CA DFG)
Chris LaFranchi (Director, OneReef)
Dr. Don Potts  (University of California)
Dr. Tim McClanahan (Senior Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Society)
Arthur Tuda (Senior Warden, Kenya Wildlife Service)
Dr. Ruth Gates (University of Hawaii)
Dr. Stacy Jupiter (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Dr. Pete Raimondi (University of California)
Dr. Mark Carr (University  of California)  
Dr. Juan Carlos Braga (University of Granada, Spain)
Emily Darling (Simon Frasie University)
Kate Schoenrock (University of Alabama, Birmingham)
Dr. John Pearse (Professor Emeritus, University. of California)

Local fishers, Gazi, Kenya