Marine Reserves News: New Program Leader and 2022 Highlights!

A Deeper Dive

Congratulations to Our New Program Leader!

Captain Lindsay

Photo: New Marine Reserves Program Leader Lindsay Aylesworth leads a longline survey at Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve.

There is a new captain at the helm of the Marine Reserves Program, Dr. Lindsay Aylesworth. With the departure of Cristen Don, the former program leader earlier this year, Lindsay, the former Ecological Project Leader is ready to guide the program into the future.

Lindsay Aylesworth is the newly appointed Marine Reserves Program Leader, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife based in Newport, OR. Lindsay has been serving in the interim role since June 2022 and prior to that served as the Marine Reserves Ecological Project Leader over the previous 5 years. She has worked for over 13 years at the interface of science, policy, and marine resource management issues. Prior to coming to ODFW, Lindsay worked on a variety of marine issues including international policy and trade of marine species, bycatch in Pacific Island fisheries, endangered species research, and coral reef ecology. Lindsay received her doctoral degree from the University of British Columbia, where she studied data-poor marine species in Southeast Asia. She has a Master’s degree in coastal environmental management from Duke University, and served as a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil. Lindsay brings with her excellent communication skills, and interdisciplinary experience in social-ecological systems.  

When not in the office, Lindsay enjoys walking her dog, teaching spin (indoor cycling) classes, and fishing.


2022 Marine Reserve Program Highlights

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Photo: 2022 Marine Reserves Program Highlights

This year we were back out in the field, released a whopping 87 reports and publications, and participated in 8 virtual and in person outreach events – to name just a few highlights. See more of the activities and accomplishments from this past year in our 2022 Marine Reserves Highlights Infographic


Top 5 Stories of 2022

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In case you missed them or want to read again, here are the 5 most popular stories from this year.

  1. Marine Reserves Program Synthesis Report: 2009-2021

ODFW announces the release of the Marine Reserves Program Synthesis Report, providing a comprehensive overview of the first 10 years of marine reserves implementation in Oregon.

  1. Providing a Platform for Graduate Research

This hook-and-line season we worked with two Oregon State University graduate students to support research focused on improving data for management and harmful algal blooms.

  1. Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve Highlights

Curious about what makes Redfish Rocks unique among Oregon’s marine reserves? Wonder what types of survey methods we employ to sample subtidal communities? Interested in learning how we use longline gear to supplement our hook-and-line sampling efforts? Then you should check out our One-Pager to learn about these discoveries and other interesting findings from Redfish Rocks.

  1. Otter Rock Marine Reserve Highlights

We invite you to explore Otter Rock Marine Reserve as we share our One-Pager of findings from the first 10 years of research. Otter Rock is the shallowest and smallest of Oregon's marine reserves and serves as an important nearshore ‘Living Laboratory.’ Come learn about what makes Otter Rock unique and how collaborative research partnerships have helped us understand trends in sea stars and juvenile fishes.

  1. Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve Highlights

We are excited to release the Cape Perpetua One-Pager! We invite you to read this snapshot overview of our findings from the 2022 Synthesis Report as we report key findings at the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve. Learn about long-term collaborations that have led to insights about oceanography and invertebrates at this special site.

Be sure to also check out the Cascade Head One-Pager and the Cape Falcon One-Pager.

Ecological Monitoring Reports - Did You Know?

We’ve created a user-friendly website for sharing the 43 ecological monitoring reports referenced in the Marine Reserves Program Synthesis Report. These are the most up to date analyses from each of our monitoring tools used at each marine reserve site.


Popular Videos from 2022

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Video: 2022 Intertidal Sea Star Surveys

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Video: Exploring a Sunken Barge Near Cape Falcon

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Video: ODFW Deploys Mini ROV Near Cascade Head Marine Reserve


Ecological Team Update

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Photo: Staff member Ryan Fields reviews trends in temperature data collected during the 2022 field season

While the marine reserves team did not have any field work this month, we have all been hard at work with data management and processing with the data we collected this past summer and fall. Stay tuned for future insights and updates in 2023! We look forward to another productive year conducting science inside Oregon's marine reserves.  Happy Holiday's everyone!


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