People

I am fascinated by the ways organisms change through time. Be it evolutionary, developmental, seasonal or daily change. I want to know how this change comes about, and what impact the environment has on organisms as they change, and how changes in organisms in turn impact the environment around them. 

I am also passionate about ocean conservation, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Kristen Boddy is fascinated by the evolution of development. Kristen is studying the developmental mechanisms that underly jellyfish metamorphosis. This work will provide insights into how open-ocean species may have evolved modified life cycles in tandem with thier transition from coastal to open ocean ecosystems.

Ari is the leader of our new community scientist iNaturalist program. Ari works with community members to support their exploration and discovery, provide insights and resources, to curate our online data archive, and in data analysis.

Fae Sapsford is a Marine Research Fellow at the Sargasso Sea Commission. Based in Bermuda, Fae coordinates GO-SEA’s first local beachcombing chapter for local ocean enthusiasts. She also runs an ocean-focused science communications instagram account – @sargassogirl.

Colin Anthony is a Master’s candidate at the University of Guam studying the ecology and evolution of Cnidaria-associated communities. He and Dr. Helm are currently working to identify the selective pressures that drove the evolution of invertebrates into the oceanic neuston.

Willow is works with our community science program as the social media coordinator (@goseascience on Instagram and Twitter). Willow generates online content across diverse platforms, engages with community scientists, and co-develops our scicomm program with Dr. Helm.

Kela worked with Dr. Helm while completing her undergraduate degree at Howard University. Kela conducted fantastic research on the metamorphosis of stinging nettle jellyfish. Kela is now a Ph.D. student at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Indigo Edwards conducted his undergraduate thesis research in the Helm Lab, where he studied the distribution and abundance of floating marine life. He is now a Ph.D. student at UNC Chapel Hill.