About Us
Located in Santa Cruz, CA, we conduct pioneering research on the interconnection between oceans and human health. The focus of our current research is on ocean conservation engagement.
Read our Publications
Meet our Team
Chris O’Halloran, PhD, MPH, MSc, MSW, LCSW
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Chris is an ocean enthusiast. Her research focuses on oceans and human health connections. She is currently investigating whether Tiny Habits methodology increases ocean conservation actions. Her interdisciplinary research interests intertwine the fields of epidemiology, oceanography, sociology, and psychology. She spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala working on public health and conservation projects. She earned a PhD in epidemiology with a focus on ocean and human health at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
chris@healthyoceanshealthypeople.org
Michelle Lesar, PhD, MPH
Chief Financial Officer
Michelle was born and raised in a small coastal town in California where she developed a passion for the ocean environment. She earned a BA with honors in human biology from Stanford University and received both an MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley. After leaving her hometown for college, Michelle remained involved in her childhood community via her research in the health field and volunteer work in education. In 2003, she returned to the same small beach town in which she was raised. She and her family cherish living near and playing in the ocean.
Mary Silver, PhD
Research Scientist
Mary’s research interests include oceans and human health, toxic phytoplankton and food webs, pelagic detrital communities, particle dynamics and plankton ecology. Mary has won numerous awards including the Mary Sears Woman Pioneer in Oceanography Award and the Ricketts Memorial Award. Mary is a Professor Emerita at University of California, Santa Cruz, Oceans Science Department. She earned a PhD in oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. msilver@ucsc.edu
Volunteers
Paulo Brandao
Volunteer
Paulo is a technical product manager and game designer with a passion for the ocean and conservation. He runs a indie game studio developing a mobile game called Tap Ocean Reef Rescue and consults for start ups. He lives with his family in Westlake Village, California where he is raising two young boys.