Contact COAST

Mailing Address CSU COAST Building 53 California State University, Monterey Bay 100 Campus Center Seaside, CA 93955
Staff Dr. Krista Kamer Director 415-518-2161 kkamer@csumb.edu
Dr. Krista Kamer has led the development of COAST since its inception in 2008, and has served as the program's director since 2011. As the Director she oversees all of COAST's activities with emphasis on implementing programmatic initiatives to serve CSU faculty members and students, increasing student success, developing strategic partnerships and engaging stakeholders, and pursuing extramural funding. Krista joined the CSU in 2003 and initially helped coordinate two large, multi-year, multi-million dollar ocean observing programs in California. Prior to her work with the CSU, she was a project scientist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Krista has a strong background in marine ecology, field work and experimental design. She earned her PhD in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a BA in biology from Connecticut College. Krista lives in Southern California with her husband and son and enjoys hiking and exploring the cultural diversity of Los Angeles.
Ms. Amy Vierra Policy and Communications Consultant 415-806-2666 avierra@csumb.edu
Ms. Amy Vierra has over 15 years of professional experience in ocean and coastal policy. Prior to joining COAST, Amy served as Deputy Director of the California Ocean Protection Council where she supervised a team of 10 analysts, oversaw $50 million in state bond funds, and managed a $2 million annual budget. In her role with the Natural Resources Agency, Amy served as a Commissioner on the SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission and worked on initiatives such as the West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health and the “Thank You Ocean” Campaign. Amy was part of the team who helped implement the Marine Life Protection Act in the first study region, the Central Coast. Amy has a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters of Science from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Ecology from UC San Diego. Amy, her husband, and two kids live in Sacramento where you can often find them at the pool trying to stay cool.
Ms. Kimberly Jassowski Program Analyst 530-919-4830 kjassowski@csumb.edu
Kimberly Jassowski, who joined COAST as the Program Support Coordinator in February 2019, has a strong background in marine research, conservation, and restoration. While earning her Bachelors in Biology with an emphasis in Marine Biology at San Diego State University, she assisted the research of various COAST funded graduate students at the SDSU Coastal and Marine Institute. After graduating, Kimberly served as an AAUS Scientific Diver furthering marine research and restoration project goals for multiple non-profit organizations. During Orange County Coastkeeper’s Living Shorelines Project, Kimberly was part of the dive team that worked on restoring damaged eelgrass habitats in Newport Bay. She also performed numerous underwater surveys, tracking the health of California’s rocky reefs during her work with California Reefcheck and LA Waterkeeper. Before moving to Monterey in 2019, Kimberly worked as a marine educator and was a diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Kimberly can often be found scuba diving in Monterey’s beautiful ecosystems during her free time.
Ms. Georgia Martel Program Assistant 530-941-9456 gmartel@csumb.edu
Georgia Martel earned her MS from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2020 with a focus on deep sea ecology. Prior to joining the COAST team, Georgia worked as a research associate in collaboration with multiple CSU laboratories across California on a statewide study evaluating mid-depth rocky reef systems in the California MPA network. During her graduate career, she discovered a passion for teaching as a laboratory instructor for multiple courses, including General Biology, Ecology of Marine Fishes, and Phycology. With training as a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) pilot and technician, Georgia revived the university’s ROV program, giving undergraduates at Humboldt the opportunity to experience real-world ROV operations at sea. Emphasizing communication and mutual priorities, Georgia worked closely with stakeholders, researchers, and the general public during the baseline monitoring efforts of the recently established MPAs in Humboldt and Mendocino counties from 2014-2018. Georgia has enjoyed living in Humboldt for 11 years, and can often be found on the weekends exploring the great outdoors with her son and husband.

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Student awards funded by COAST