Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is happy to welcome two new Science Communications fellows, Jess Davis and Brian McGreal. As part of the communications team, Jess will contribute to the WSG News Blog, monthly newsletter and social media. Brian will write for the communications team as well as focus on event planning initiatives for WSG’s River & Ocean Film Festival.

Learn more about Jess and Brian below!

Jess Davis (she/her) grew up on the shores of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Her fascination with the ocean began with family trips to the Gulf Islands National Seashore barrier islands and was cemented after witnessing the power of water during Hurricane Katrina. Her interest in the ocean eventually led her to a saltwater aquarium hobby, where she noticed that even incremental changes in the water chemistry altered the behavior of her corals. This hobby inspired her to pursue a degree in marine science with a minor in chemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi. During her time as an undergraduate, Jess conducted independent research investigating estuarine trace metal dynamics and the fate of organic UV filters commonly used in commercial sunscreens in the marine environment. Enthralled with both the organic and inorganic sides of marine chemistry, she sought graduate projects that fell at the intersection of these research interests. Jess is now pursuing her PhD at the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. Her current research explores the interactions between trace metals and the dissolved organic carbon pool, where she aims to identify mechanisms that lead to the stabilization of trace metals in the ocean as metalorganic complexes. In a world where marine carbon dioxide removal is at the forefront of many scientific and governmental minds, Jess is excited to gain experience in making scientific research accessible to those from all walks of life as a Washington Sea Grant Science Communications fellow.

Brian McGreal was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but has since spent time living in Oregon, Arizona and Washington. Brian’s academic focus is on the management of common pool resources with multiple stakeholders. He graduated with a MS in applied econometrics and policy analysis from the University of Arizona’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in December 2021. At Arizona, Brian’s interest in common pool resources led him to study water management, a critical field of inquiry in the arid southwest. He is the primary author of two issues of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center’s annual Arroyo publication, as well as a peer reviewed publication based on his thesis work examining economic and climatic drivers of irrigators’ water use decisions.

Brian is currently pursuing a PhD in quantitative ecology and resource management at the University of Washington, where his research involves habitat driven effects on and best management practices for salmon populations. Like water resources in the southwest, Pacific salmon exist at the intersection of multiple often competing interests, socially, economically and ecologically. While his work is primarily quantitative, Brian is passionate about the integration of quantitative and qualitative science in terrestrial and aquatic ecology and natural resource management, and endeavors to include human perspectives in his work. He is excited to be serving as a 2024 Washington Sea Grant Science Communications fellow.

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Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
www.wsg.uw.edu.