University of Oregon
B.S. Marine Biology
2024
As part of the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium (MarReCon) project, Sof’s research aims to increase our understanding of factors contributing to juvenile Pacific oyster growth and survival on Southcentral ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥n farms. Using juvenile oysters outplanted on production arrays at nine partnering farm sites representing three regions in Southcentral ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, morphometric and survival data have been collected. In addition to oyster cages, sensors collecting environmental data were deployed on the production arrays. By monitoring the oyster populations at these farms over the course of the first year since their outplanting, we can quantify variability in early growth and survival across regions, farms, and years. The environmental data will allow us to assess contributions of different environmental factors to this variability in oyster growth and survival. The first year of oyster growth and the impact of the environment in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ on this early development is not yet well understood, and findings have the potential to support site selection for future oyster farms.
Originally from Seattle, Sof earned their B.S. in Marine Biology at the University
of Oregon with minors in dance, environmental studies, and science communication.
During their undergrad, Sof completed an honors thesis in the Emlet Lab using genetic
barcoding to investigate the Rostanga pulchra cryptic species complex. Sof also worked
as an Oregon Sea Grant Summer Scholar doing marine reserve interpretation and science
communication for the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve.
They are enthusiastic about human connections to the environment and hope to work
with coastal communities on solutions to increase resiliency against the climate crisis.
Outside of school, Sof enjoys dancing, reading, cooking, and scuba diving.
- Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Rising TIDES Scholar (2025-2026)
- North Pacific Research Board Graduate Student Research Award (2025)
- Northern Gulf of ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Applied Research Award (2025)