About the Class
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| Taught by Kaitlyn Nichols |
Marine heatwaves are reshaping ocean ecosystems from California to the Pacific Northwest. These extreme warming events disrupt food sources for California sea lions, driving them north and creating ripple effects through new and existing marine communities. Participants will investigate how the movement of these iconic predators intersects with broader ecosystem changes, and how waves of heat-driven events can cascade through species, habitats, and ecological relationships. Through science, observation, and shared discovery, this session highlights the interconnectedness of distant oceans and the Salish Sea, emphasizing the role of local stewardship in a rapidly changing marine environment.
| About Kaitlyn Nichols |
Kaitlyn Nichols holds a B.S. in Marine Biology and a Master of Advanced Studies in Climate Science and Policy from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her graduate research examined marine heatwave impacts on California sea lions in Southern California, with a focus on how global warming reshapes the way heatwaves are defined and experienced in marine ecosystems.
She has worked with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) researching PADDD (Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettemen), which involves legal changes to marine protected areas that open the door to increased human activity. Kaitlyn is also publishing a paper on PADDD in marine protected areas and its overlap with offshore industrial infrastructure. Currently, she is with the Marine Conservation Institute, contributing to the development of a global database tracking marine protected areas and their levels of protection.
