College of Science

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME-II)

Through funding provided by NOAA’s Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI), CSUMB is an institutional partner of the NOAA Cooperative Science Center (CSC): the Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME-II). The objective of the CCME-II is to educate and train a new generation of scientists, particularly from underrepresented minority communities, in NOAA-relevant STEM disciplines and social sciences, equipped to utilize interdisciplinary approaches to address issues confronting marine and coastal communities. CCME forms a collaboration between the following academic institutions:

  • Florida A&M University (Lead Institution)
  • Bethune Cookman University
  • California State University, Monterey Bay
  • Jackson State University
  • Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

CCME research is conducted in support of NOAA's line office, the National Ocean Service (NOS), and focuses on the following key NOS research priority areas:

For additional information, visit the CCME website or contact Dr. Cheryl Logan, clogan@csumb.edu

  • Students applying to the thesis program in Environmental Science MS at CSUMB or the Marine Science MS at Moss Landing Marine Labs are eligible for funding. Prospective students must have a CSUMB faculty member as their primary advisor. Graduate students are eligible for two years of funding. Applications due Friday, February 14, 2025.

    Please note: This program aims to recruit students from backgrounds underrepresented in NOAA disciplines as part of a strategy to diversify NOAA's future workforce.

    Student Support

    • $30,000 annual stipend
    • $7,535 in State tuition support
    • $8,000 research account
    • $4,000 travel support
    • $10,000 NOAA internship funds for summer 2026
    • Additional travel and research support available

    Eligibility Requirements

    Application Instructions

    To begin the application process, follow the steps below.

    1. Contact a participating faculty member from the list below about your interest in graduate school and the NOAA CCME funding.
    2. Contact the coordinator for your preferred graduate program (contact information below), Environmental Science at CSUMB or Marine Science at Moss Landing. The CSUMB College of Science graduate coordinator Kierra Rambonga (krambonga@csumb.edu), can provide you with information on admission requirements for each program.
    3. Complete all three key parts of the application, outlined below. If you have any CCME-specific application questions, please contact Dr. Cheryl Logan (clogan@csumb.edu).

    Part 1: Application Form

    • The NOAA CCME Fall 2025 Graduate Student application form will go live on December 15, 2024. This form asks for Applicant Information, Faculty Mentor Preferences, and Academic Background. You will also need to have your supporting documents ready to upload at the time of submission. 
    • Please review the mentors list below and consider who you are most interested in working with and why.

    Part 2: Contact Info for Two Recommendations

    At the time of submission, your application requires contact information for two persons who can assess your academic abilities, academic accomplishments and motivation, work habits, potential as a researcher, and your ability to participate in and benefit from a research internship program in marine geosciences. Please be sure to ask your recommenders for permission to include their information before final submission of your application.

    We do not require letters at the time of submission. Upon application review, if your application is shortlisted and you are invited to an interview, only then will we contact references to submit a letter after the application deadline. Recommenders will be contacted by email and asked to complete an online form, where they can upload their letter. Recommenders: Please do not send letters directly via email.

    Part 3: Supporting Documents

    You will need four key documents to support your application:

    • A) Statement of Purpose 
      • This essay covers four areas: Motivation, Achievement, Research Interests and Career Goals. Use our REU Application Resources/Guide for further guidance. 
      • The personal statement submitted as part of your graduate school application will suffice.
      • Format: 2 pages maximum, 12-pt font, standard margins, single or double spacing will be accepted and is up to the applicant
    • B) Most Recent College Transcripts (Unofficial)
      • Please include Fall 2024 grades and Spring 2025 registered courses, if currently enrolled.
    • C) CV/Academic Resume (see guideline in REU Application Resources/Guide)
    • D) Proposed Research Plan (2 pages max): This should cover your proposed graduate research and how it aligns with at least one of the research focus areas of the NOAA CCME. Visit the NOAA CCME research page for a comprehensive review of the center's research areas.

    Faculty Mentors

    Marine Science

    Terra Eggink (terra.eggink@sjsu.edu), MLML Graduate Coordinator, (831) 771-4401

    Dr. Alison Haupt (ahaupt@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Kelp Forest Ecology, Anthropogenic Effects on Marine Ecosystems, Population Connectivity, Conservation Genetics

    Dr. Cheryl Logan (clogan@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Marine Environmental Physiology, Global Change Biology, Ecological Physiology, Ecological Modeling & Forecasting, Climate Change Physiology, Coral Reefs

    Dr. Gerick Bergsma (gbergsma@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Species Interactions and Community Dynamics, Organismal and Population Ecology

    Dr. James Lindholm (jlindholm@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Sub-Tidal Ecology, Approaches to Image Analysis, Science-Policy Interface

    Dr. Liz Alter (ealter@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Population and Ecological Genomics of Fishes and Marine Mammals, Environmental DNA, Conservation Genetics 

    Dr. Lydia Baker (lybaker@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Scientific Outreach and Education, Molecular and Bioinformatics, Microbial Ecology and Ecosystem Health, Symbiont Evolution

    Dr. Sherry Palacios (spalacios@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Phytoplankton Biodiversity, Meso-Scale Ocean Features, Remote Sensing, Aquatic Optics

    Environmental Science

    Kierra Rambonga (krambonga@csumb.edu), ES Program Coordinator

    Dr. Arlene Haffa (AHaffa@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change, Microbial Bioremediation

    Dr. Daniel Fernandez (dfernandez@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Physics, Sustainability and Alternative Energy, Fog Water Collection

    Dr. John Olson (joolson@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Freshwater Ecology, Water Quality, Bioassessment

    Dr. JP Dundore-Arias (jdundorearias@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Role of Native Microbial Communities on Plant Community Assembly in Coastal Marshes, Influence of Plant-Invasion and Establishment of Non-Native Species

    Dr. Nathaniel Jue (njue@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Functional, Evolutionary, and Ecological Genomics, Bioinformatics

    Dr. Victoria Derr (vderr@csumb.edu), Research Interests: Place-Based and Community-Engaged Environmental Education, Green Schools and Green Space Planning, Participatory Action Research

    Dr. Jimmy Guilinger (jguilinger@csumb.edu) Research Interests: Coastal geomorphology and sand budgets, coastal watershed sediment/water dynamics, topo-bathymetric remote sensing