April 29, 2026
Hello Crab Team Community!
I’m excited to be back with you all as the new Crab Team Outreach Specialist! I had the pleasure of meeting some of you and entering lots of your data during the 2022 and 2023 seasons when I was a student assistant. In my new role, I’m looking forward to reconnecting, meeting those I haven’t yet, and finally putting faces to all the familiar names. I’ll be here to support you from trainings through the muddy monitoring season and into year-end wrap-up. If you ever have questions, run into challenges at your sites, or have ideas for how we can better support you, please reach out, I’m always happy to help!
Sharing fun space weather facts and NOAA’s role in monitoring solar activity. Photo: Eric Walters
European green crab outreach flyer. Photo: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
Before returning to Crab Team, I was in DC for my Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s Legislative Analysis Team. In that role, I supported congressional communications, helped coordinate a staff delegation to the Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 launch in Cape Canaveral, and explored how NOAA data products are used within the Chesapeake Bay oyster industry. I also continued to pursue my passion for science communication by engaging the public on space weather at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and discussing the coast-to-coast green crab issue at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
While I do love our critters, I came back for you all! I feel incredibly lucky to work with such wonderful dedicated stewards of our shorelines. I’m excited to keep connecting, learning from you all, and maybe swapping good field stories along the way. I’m looking forward to a great season ahead! – Aina Hori
Header Photo: Watching the sunrise while waiting for the Space Weather Follow On – Lagrange 1 launch at Cape Canaveral. Photo: Aina Hori
APR
2026