Meet Our Staff

Rob Lee, PhD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Rob is a conservation ecologist with a B.Sc. from University of California, Irvine, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. from University of Oregon who has 25 years of professional experience working in over 40 countries on issues related to coastal, marine, forest ecology; wildlife trade; climate change; collaborative management of protected areas; payment for environmental services; and empowerment of civil society organizations and communities. He has worked as a senior scientist and executive for National Geographic, Wildlife Conservation Society, and UNESCO as well serving as a faculty member at academic institutions and board member on non-profit organizations. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, hiking, diving and cooking. He is based in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Deena Harros

OPERATION & ADVANCEMENT MANAGER

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Deena joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in February 2024, where she oversees Operations, Human Resources, Accounting and Financial Reporting. She brings over twenty years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in the Laguna Beach area, with a strong background supporting both environmental and arts-focused institutions.

Prior to joining Laguna Ocean Foundation, Deena served as Communications Manager at Crystal Cove Conservancy and Operations Manager at Laguna Dance Festival. She has also held leadership roles with other local environmental and arts organizations, where she contributed across organizational operations, development, communications, and administrative
Management.

Deena’s career reflects a long-standing commitment to mission-driven work and the Laguna Beach community, combining practical leadership with deep local nonprofit expertise.

Patricia Salem

EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP MANAGER

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Patricia is a marine biologist originally from Brazil and holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from James Cook University in Australia. Her background includes extensive work in research and conservation, notably contributing to a Pink river dolphin research project in the Amazon rainforest. She also served as the Head Biologist at the largest marine aquarium in South America, where she led initiatives in education and scientific research.

Patricia joined the Laguna Ocean Foundation a little over a year ago, beginning as a volunteer before becoming a valued member of the Biologist Team. Her favorite tidepool organism is the ochre sea star, a species she loves sharing with visitors.

Outside of her professional work, Patricia enjoys spending time at the beach, where she feels deeply connected to the ocean and its remarkable biodiversity.

Carissa Rice

EDUCATION FIELD COORDINATOR
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Carissa is an experienced high school science teacher with 17 years in the classroom. Education is at the heart of everything she does and Carissa would describe herself as a lifelong learner. She was raised in Orange County and temporarily relocated to obtain her B.S. and M.S from Oregon State University in Marine Biology, emphasis on Phycology, and Chemistry minor. Carissa also holds teaching certificates in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Health. When she is not asking questions or sharing science information, Carissa enjoys traveling with her partner, SCUBA diving locally and abroad, and listening to audiobooks of all topics while cuddling her corgis. She is looking forward to strengthening the partnerships LOF has and building new ones. She loves providing lessons for students and the community to help further ocean stewardship and appreciation of our great natural resources.

Amanda Mertens

BIOLOGIST AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

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Amanda is originally from Minnesota and holds a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Science from Luther College in Iowa. After working in various marine science roles across the U.S., she moved to California in 2022 to be closer to the coast.

Amanda joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in May 2025 and is excited to apply her experience to support and protect our local marine ecosystems. Her favorite tidepool organisms are nudibranchs, which she loves for their incredible diversity and color. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys freediving in the Laguna Beach kelp forests.

Dorado Barrios

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION BIOLOGIST 

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Dorado is from Davis, CA and has earned his B.S. in Marine and Coastal Sciences with a minor in Wildlife Conservation from University of California Davis.

He Joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in June 2026 as a biologist. Dorado loves being out in nature and educating visitors about ocean conservation and marine life. His favorite tidepool organisms are sea slugs, in particular, the opalescent nudibranch. When not at work, you might still see him at the beach freediving or scuba diving. Dorado also bakes and is on the mission to bake the perfect snickerdoodle.

 

Jessica Clark

BIOLOGIST TRAINER

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Jessica joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in June of 2021 as a Tidepool Biologist and has since become the Biologist Trainer. Jessica grew up in Michigan, visiting family in Southern California where her love for the ocean began. She studied biology at Grand Valley State University and is now getting her masters degree at CSU Fullerton. Jessica loves working in our ocean ecosystem and teaching others about the wonders of the intertidal zone and Marine Protected Area.

Isabela Moro

GIS TECHNICIAN

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As LOF’s GIS Technician, Isabela brings experience in spatial analysis, environmental research, and data-driven strategy to support our coastal restoration and monitoring programs. She works with raw field data to create maps that reveal meaningful patterns, changes, and connections across our coastline. Her passion sits at the intersection of storytelling, science, mapping, environmental protection, and collaboration, and Isabela is especially excited about using data to meaningfully connect people, places, and solutions. At LOF, she looks forward to strengthening our data systems, supporting field teams, and creating geospatial tools that help our community understand and protect Laguna’s unique coastal ecosystems.

McKenna Farrell

BIOLOGIST & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

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McKenna is from Sacramento, California, and earned her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.

She joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in October 2025 and is excited to connect with tidepool visitors, volunteers, and staff who share her love of the ocean. Her favorite tidepool organism is the sea urchin, and she spent a year researching their eating habits in correlation with invasive algae. Outside of work, McKenna loves traveling and hopes to explore the world’s oceans one day.

Gretchen McKay

VOLUNTEER TRAINER
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Gretchen joined the Laguna Ocean Foundation as a Tidewater Docent in October 2016, and accepted a promotion to Volunteer Trainer in 2021. Gretchen is a retired elementary school teacher who has actively been educating children and adults about the environment and sustainable living since the 1970s. Her love of the ocean ecosystem led her to begin volunteering for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach in 2015 and then for LOF in 2016.

Evelyn Brown

BIOLOGIST
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Evelyn is a lifelong Orange County resident with degrees in Biological Anthropology and Environmental Science from Cal State Fullerton. She has spent the past 20 years working in conservation and environmental education, and also volunteers with the Bolsa Chica Conservancy and the American Cetacean Society.

She joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in March 2023, seeking a role that allows her to be in nature, educate others, and stay present for her two kids. Her favorite tidepool organisms are snails and slugs, especially unusual species like the California Chromodorid Nudibranch and the Yellow Umbrella Slug.

Outside of work, Evelyn enjoys adventures with her family—this past summer, she even watched 1,200-foot lava fountains erupt at Kilauea with her kids.

Christopher Bui

BIOLOGIST

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Christopher grew up in Orange, CA, not far from Laguna Beach. He holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from CSU Fullerton and an M.S. in Biology from CSU Los Angeles. Encouraged by mentors during his studies and driven by a long-standing passion for marine science, he joined Laguna Ocean Foundation about three years ago—though he jokes he’s spent so much time on the rocks he may have lost count.

His favorite tidepool organisms are the two-spotted octopus and the moray eel for their curiosity and personality. Outside of work, Christopher has been brewing his own mead (honey wine) for just over a year.

Cailin Holt

BIOLOGIST

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Cailin is originally from Connecticut and holds a B.S. in Marine Biology and a minor in Science Communication from the University of Oregon. 

She joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in June 2026 and loves helping visitors connect with and discover the amazing diversity of tidepools across the Laguna Coast. Her favorite tidepool organism is a green anemone she spent a year researching their abundance across the Oregon coast compared to other anemone species. Outside of work, Cailin enjoys baking, photography, hiking, spending time at the beach, and hanging out with family and friends. 

Ashley Haas

BIOLOGIST

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Ashley is from San Clemente, California and holds a B.A. in Biology from DePauw University in Indiana. She joined the Laguna Ocean Foundation to contribute to protecting the ocean that she loves and has called home her entire life. Ashley aspires to hold a career in marine biology research, and thinks this position is an amazing part of her journey. She loves watching young kids have their “wow” moments like she did growing up, and hopes she inspires the next generation of ocean stewards.
Ashley’s favorite tidepool organism is the California Sea Hare. She said “it all started during a beach day at San Onofre where I saw what looked like a lifeless blob on the sand. You can imagine my surprise when after putting it back in the water, it sprung back to life, adorned with the bunny ears (rhinophores) that give it its name.” 
Outside of work Ashley enjoy spending time with her family, looking for sea glass, and finding fun coffee shops to try.

 

Curran Allison

BIOLOGIST

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Curran Graduated from Olivet Nazarene University with a B.S. in Zoology in 2025.  He grew up in Laguna Niguel and plays ice hockey for the US Men’s Deaf Olympic team. In addition to being a Laguna Ocean Foundation Biologist, Curran volunteers at the Orange County Birds of Prey Center.
Outside of his role as a biologist, Curran enjoys birding and wildlife photography.

Raquel Ibarra

BIOLOGIST

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Raquel holds a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Sciences from California Baptist University, located in Riverside, California. While attending, she completed two publications: Carbon Sequestration via Heavy Metal Mitigation of Coal Ash Soils and Assessing the Growth of Algae in Freshwater and Marine Water Systems. Through her experience conducting research, she decided to pursue this path in Marine Biology.
Raquel joined Laguna Ocean Foundation at the beginning of 2026 as a volunteer and worked her way up to the Biologist team. Her favorite tidepool organism is the Spanish Shawl, a species that is always a breathtaking sight at first glance! When she is off the rocks for the day, she helps tutor students in Chemistry and Biology. Raquel is a proud student-athlete at Orange Coast College and is currently looking for a master’s program to study elasmobranchs.

Abigail Raether

BIOLOGIST

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Abigail is originally from Centerville, Ohio and earned her B.S. in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in Aquatic Ecology from the University of Montana. After graduating, she returned to Southern California to be closer to family and pursue her passion for marine conservation.

Abigail joined Laguna Ocean Foundation in October 2026 and is excited to share her love for marine life while helping educate others about the importance of protecting coastal ecosystems. Her interest in marine biology grew through scuba diving, which gave her a greater appreciation for the ocean and its wildlife. Outside of work, Abigail enjoys scuba diving, exploring the outdoors, and crocheting.