Casey Moorhead, a first-year master's student, graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology. As an undergraduate, she interned with Oceans Research in South Africa, where she contributed to a study involving white shark population dynamics. The following summer, she worked as a student researcher at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center in Michigan. In a ten-week field study, Casey investigated the effects of dissolved organic carbon on the size distribution of bluegill sunfish. To build on her aquatic research experience, she studied abroad in South Water Caye, Belize. While conducting ecological surveys of coral reefs and mangroves, Casey witnessed the destruction of these habitats caused by development and climate change. After learning more about how ecosystem damage has harmed coastal communities in Belize, she was motivated to pursue a career in environmental management. At the Bren School, she is specializing in Coastal Marine Resources Management with a focus in Strategic Environmental Communication and Media. Casey’s post-graduate goal is to help protect natural resources and build resilient coastal communities by working for a government agency such as the EPA or NOAA