College of Science

Graduate student recounts her effort to remove marine debris from California’s Channel Islands

September 26, 2018

Michaela Miller, 2nd year graduate student in the Applied Marine and Watershed Science (AMWS) master’s program, is working hard to combat marine debris on California's Channel Islands as part of her Professional Science Master’s (PSM) project.

Photo credit: Sherry Lippiatt, NOAA
Photo credit: NOAA

In collaboration with California State University Channel Island’s Santa Rosa Island Research Station, Michaela has been working to remove large amounts of debris from the remote islands.

Reflecting on how her time at CSUMB has assisted with this project, Michaela recalls

Throughout my time in the AMWS Program I have learned new skills such as proper database management, technical writing, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis techniques that have taken this marine debris project to the next level. I hope to continue to broaden my skillset throughout my last year here at CSUMB so I can apply what I’ve learned to better understanding the types and potential sources of marine debris on the Channel Islands and to future projects throughout my career.

To learn more about Michaela and her team’s efforts, check out her recent blog post on NOAA’s Marine Debris blog or visit the Channel Islands Marine Debris Instagram page.