Environmental Research, Salmon Recovery, Marine and Freshwater Ecology

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Anne Baxter

Seattle WA

Email: *******@**.***

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experienced fisheries biologist with over 13 years of professional experience.

• Conducted scientific research on marine and freshwater populations of plankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish.

• Effectively communicates scientific research to the general public, constituents and scientific communities through meetings, publications and reports.

• Coordinated fieldwork for numerous fisheries research projects.

• Responsible for the purchase, design, maintenance, and upkeep of laboratory and sampling equipment.

• Mentored seasonal interns in scientific processes including: fieldwork, data collection, laboratory analyses, and data interpretation. EDUCATION

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Bachelor of Science in Zoology (2000)

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Masters of Science in Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences – Microbial Ecology (2010) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

U of W – School of Marine and Environ. Affairs, Seattle WA

(May - Sept 2017)

2

Community Liaison for the Harmful Algal Bloom and Community Health Survey Identified appropriate coastal fishing communities for the survey sample design and established appropriate sampling frames for both online and paper surveys; Communicated with members of selected fishing communities for appropriate survey distribution, and collaborated with state and local officials in order to utilize their communication resources; Created a database with contact information and coordinated the printing and mailing of surveys. NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle WA

(2004 - 2017)

Scientist VI – Lynker Technologies (03/2015– 05/2017) Stream Ecology

• Researched the effects of urban creek restoration on benthic invertebrates and hyporheic microbiota. Helped design and implement a seeding study that re-introduces natural benthic invertebrates and microbes into a newly restored urban creek system. Co-created a bioinformatics pipeline in order to identify hyporheic microbial communities of urban creek systems using 16S high throughput sequence data generated with NWFSC’s Illumina MiSeq instrument. Created and maintained the restoration project database. Marine Toxins

• Assisted in the deployment and maintenance of a McLane Research Laboratories environmental sample processor (ESP) robot. Worked to coordinate deployment logistics with UW’s Applied Physics Laboratory and to ready the robot and its DNA probe arrays for deployment using Linux commands. Processed the real-time data returns for public dissemination.

• Worked with the Wildlife Algal-toxin Research and Response Network (WARRN-West) and other constituents to collect, quantify and analyze harmful algal toxins extracted from bird, whale, and other marine mammal tissues. Streamlined laboratory procedures, coordinated sample intake and toxin analysis, trained additional staff, and improved the database system for the WARRN-West program.

Research Fish Biologist NOAA ZP-0482 (03/2011– 03/2015) Salmon Recovery and Stock Assessment

• Acted as primary pathologist for Redfish Lake ESA-captive broodstock program at NOAA NWFSC by conducting logistic and diagnostic work which included: spawning, necropsy, sample collection, pathogen identification, lab management, equipment maintenance, cell-line and viral stock propagation and cryopreservation. Interfaced with area fish pathologists and worked to troubleshoot mortality events for Sockeye, Chinook, Sablefish and Steelhead. Provided deliverables such as disease reports required for transfer permits. Established protocols for water quality and microbiological monitoring of captive broodstock tanks.

• Worked with acoustics team on Pacific Whiting surveys by maintaining, operating, and training others to use electronic equipment such as underway CTD, digital underwater camera system, and video planktonic recorder; and by carrying out biological assessments, necropsies, and blood draw on Pacific Whiting.

3

Marine and Freshwater Ecology

Planned, conducted and initiated scientific research on water quality and planktonic community dynamics affecting marine and freshwater fisheries. Applied multivariate statistical analyses to identify relationships among biotic and abiotic measures within different ecosystems. All manuscripts are in preparation. Projects encompassed a broad range of ecosystem dynamics that ultimately affect water quality and marine fisheries, including:

• Puget Sound pelagic food web interactions among abiotic, planktonic and fish abundance measures.

• Biotic and abiotic dynamics of hyporheic zones on natural and restored stream systems.

• Effects of wastewater effluent and Skagit River flow on levels of dissolved oxygen in a marine bay.

Fieldwork and data collection for fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, bacterioplankton and abiotic water quality measures required operating and maintaining sampling equipment out in the field and in the laboratory. Post-collection laboratory processes included DNA extraction, radioactive microbial production assays, flow cytometry and high throughput sequencing. Student Trainee NOAA Biological Sciences ZP-0499 (04/2010– 03/2011) Planned, conducted and coordinated field and lab work for the purpose of identifying ecological relationships of estuarine microbes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) in oyster harvesting estuaries. Applied univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to identify the drivers behind presence of Vp. Biologist NOAA ZP-0401 (09/2005– 04/2010)

Sequenced and identified unknown bacterial isolates; purified proteins for antibody production; sampled and processed histological samples of Chinook ovaries and identified stages of development that are susceptible to infection by R. salmoninarum; analyzed shrimp and fish tissue collected in the Gulf of Mexico for Post-Katrina seafood safety reporting and worked on diagnostic multiplex PCR. Fisheries Tech. Pac. States Marine Fish. Commission (09/03/2004– 09/03/2005) Provided technical support through the compilation and summarization of collected data using spreadsheet and database software; supported general laboratory functions including media preparation, reagent dilution, media and tool sterilization and laboratory supply replenishment. SERVICE and AWARDS

• Helped to develop the NWFSC Web Site Policy and Operations Guide; successfully coordinated and implemented content creation and migration of website outreach materials for Environmental and Fisheries Sciences division.

• Co-recipient of the organizational gold medal for customer service with the Groundfish Ecology program; Contribution to group DOC Silver Medal for implementing environmental pathogen analysis for Post-Katrina seafood samples.

4

OUTREACH

NOAA – Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle WA Public Presentations NWFSC (2010 - 2015)

• Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, Portland, OR Characterization of physical and microbial parameters affecting dissolved oxygen in a river-influenced marine bay.

• Salish Sea Science Symposium, Seattle, WA Influence of wastewater treatment plants on water quality and microbiota within Penn Cove.

• NWFSC Science Symposium, Seattle, WA Dynamics of microbial communities in the Puget Sound.

• Conference for Shellfish Growers; Union, WA Landscape and Seasonal Patterns of Fishes and Jellyfish in Puget Sound.

Science Outreach NWFSC (2004 - 2017)

• Collaborated with Seattle Public Utilities and Leaping Frog Films to create an educational animation on stream hyporheic processes (https://vimeo.com/194274475)

• Collaborated with Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) outreach program to produce a webpage that displays near real-time harmful algal bloom data collected by the ESP for public dissemination (http://www.nanoos.org/products/real- time_habs/esp_now/hab_measurements.php)

• Expanding Your Horizons middle school workshop for Girls, 2015 & 2017

• Guest lecturer: UW FISH 404 - Diseases of Aquatic Animals, Seattle WA

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