Current lab members and volunteers
Tim Davidson (PI)
Dr. Davidson studies marine ecology, conservation biology, and human impacts in the marine and aquatic environment. He received his BS in Environmental Science at Oregon State University, MS in Biology from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, and PhD in Environmental Sciences and Resources at Portland State University. Davidson also completed post-docs at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. When he is not exploring wetlands, reefs, or the intertidal, he enjoys surfing, travelling, and practicing Judo as an assistant instructor at the Sacramento State Judo Club.
Sarah Albright (MS student)
Sarah studies marine ecology, phycology, and invasive species. She received her B.S. (Honors) in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she studied the nutrient uptake and partitioning of a green invasive alga on Oʻahu, Avrainvillea lacerata. Sarah also worked for NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a scientific communications intern during her time in Hawaiʻi. Her Master’s thesis investigates the vegetative fragmentation and dispersal of algae in the San Francisco Bay. When she’s not working or adventuring along shorelines of the Pacific, she is doing science outreach and education, camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains, or writing fantasy novels and leading games of Dungeons and Dragons with her friends.​



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Jessica Nichols (MS student)
​Jessica is interested in conservation biology, wildlife conservation, and fisheries management. She completed her BS in Biology from California State University San Marcos.  Nichols is studying how wood-boring ecosystem engineers alter wood habitat structure and invertebrate community composition in the Florida mangroves.  


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Carla Cruz Medina (New MS student)

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Rebecca Pilakowksi (New MS student)

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Ethan Roberts (undergraduate researcher & volunteer)
Ethan is a recent graduate of our evolution ecology and conservation program (BS, 2020) and is now finishing up his project while also working full time for the state! He has spent most of his undergraduate career working with Dr. Davidson to investigate how burrows formed by an invasive ecosystem engineer affect intertidal invertebrate communities in the San Francisco Bay. He is also working on a small genetics project to study the relatedness of several species of Gnorimosphaeroma isopods in collaboration with Dr. Davidson and Dr. Lani Gleason at Sac State. While much of his time is spent between school and research, Ethan moonlights as a science illustrator, portrait artist, jazz pianist, and piano instructor.
Volunteers & new research students:
  • Jenna Grossman - Studying the impacts of invasive marine algae (2019-20)
  • Cassandra Rodriguez - Conducting meta-analysis of marine invasive species impacts (2020)
  • Jane Simeon - Creating biological illustrations for an educational plant ecology game (2018-20)​
Former lab members & volunteers at Sac State:
  • Jessica Agajan - Analyzed patterns of leaf herbivory in native and invasive mangroves (2019)
  • Alyson Bender - Researched methods to quantify microplastics & impacts (2020)
  • David Boelen - MS student from OSU - studied the biogeography of marine wood boring crustaceans and mollusks (2018)
  • Allyson Bricker - SURE Award recipient - investigated how ecosystem engineering isopods affect predation rate in the intertidal (2018-19)
  • Danielle Nestler - Analyzed patterns of leaf herbivory in native and invasive mangroves (2017-2019)
  • Erika Ornouski - Researched mangrove ecology ​and mangrove-sea grass connectivity (2020)
  • Aliyah Penn - Examined marine debris and plastic pollution abundances in the intertidal (2018)
  • Jonathan Semkiw - ​Examined marine debris and plastic pollution abundances in the intertidal (2018)
  • Anthony Ziba - LSAMP Award recipient - studied patterns of leaf herbivory and predation in Florida mangroves (2018-19)