Our Team
Mary Donovan
Dr. Mary Donovan is the principal investigator of the Donovan Lab and a tenure-track faculty member of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology at UH Mānoa. Dr. Donovan is a quantitative spatial ecologist focused on applied questions that inform conservation and management of coupled human-natural systems. She studies coral reef status and trends by applying quantitative spatial science alongside practitioners and stakeholders who are implementing management and policy. Her research includes studies on complex ecological dynamics, local and global impacts on reefs, marine spatial planning, invasive species, fisheries, and ecological resilience.
mdono@hawaii.edu
CV | Google Scholar | GitHub | Twitter
Kelly Speare
Dr. Kelly Speare is an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the Donovan Lab. She is a community ecologist broadly interested in how local stressors and global change interact to drive community dynamics on coral reefs. Kelly combines hypothesis-driven field experiments, observational approaches, and time-series data in her work. Kelly’s postdoctoral research investigates how climate change and local stressors interact to influence demographic processes of corals after coral bleaching events. Before joining the Donovan Lab, Kelly earned her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
kspeare1@asu.edu
Rachel Layko
Rachel Layko is a PhD student in the Donovan Lab. She is interested in examining the role of human-environment interactions in shaping the development of ecosystem-based management plans and managing vulnerable marine ecosystems. Rachel graduated from William & Mary with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Marine Science. She previously worked with The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, and as a Dangermond Fellow with the National Audubon Society.
rlayko@asu.edu
CV | Google Scholar | GitHub
Morgan Winston
Morgan Winston is a PhD student in the Donovan Lab. She received her MSc in Marine Biology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she studied coral reef fish life history. Her research focuses on assessing how corals respond to the influence of local anthropogenic and environmental factors during large-scale heat stress events in the Hawaiian Archipelago. In light of rising ocean temperatures, Morgan is interested in deepening understanding of how management intervention can foster coral reef resilience.
mwinsto2@asu.edu
CV | Google Scholar | Github
MADELINE BERGER
Maddie Berger is a research specialist in the Donovan Lab working on data products for use in active ocean planning and management processes in Hawaii. Maddie previously worked for the National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis supporting international marine spatial planning projects and researching land-based pollution impacts to tropical marine ecosystems. She has an M.S. from University of California Santa Barbara and a B.A. in Economics from UCLA.
mberge15@asu.edu
Jayslen Serrano
Jayslen Serrano is a research specialist in the Donovan Lab. Jayslen is core staff for our HIMARC (Hawai’i Monitoring and Reporting Collaborative) program, conducting data integration and facilitating partner collaborations. She has a M.S. from California State University Northridge, where she did research with the Mo’orea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Network in French Polynesia.
Jayslen.Serrano@asu.edu
LAB ALUMNI
Steven Mana'oakamai Johnson
Dr. Steven Mana'oakamai Johnson was a postdoctoral research scholar in the Donovan Lab. He is an interdisciplinary marine scientist, interested in the impacts of climate change on socio-environmental systems, particularly in the Pacific Islands. His research investigates how people can use social and environmental data with climate change models to develop conservation actions rooted in justice and equity. Steven is Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and grew up on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
Web | Google Scholar | GitHub | Twitter
Shannon Hennessey
Dr. Shannon Hennessey was a postdoctoral scholar in the Donovan Lab. She is an empirical and quantitatively-trained marine ecologist, broadly interested in the impacts of humans and environmental stressors on marine populations, species interactions, and community structure. Her research focuses on ecological interactions and behavior, the influence of spatial scaling on ecosystem dynamics, and applying ecological frameworks to social-ecological systems towards informing management and conservation goals.
Web | Google Scholar | GitHub | Twitter
NIKA PEARSON
Veronika Pearson was an intern in the Donovan Lab working on structure from motion with Morgan Winston. She assisted with delineating coral, urchins, and algae and tracking coral colonies over time using ArcGIS. She is pursuing her B.S. in marine biology from Hawai’i Pacific University. Veronika is interested in studying effects of taxonomy on bleaching rates and survival of corals, as well as underwater photography and its applications for monitoring, studying, and tracking marine life.
Ellie Jones
Ellie Jones was a science communicator and research specialist in the Donovan Lab, and is working as core staff for our HIMARC program. She graduated with a B.S. from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. Recently, she has worked as a science communicator for NOAA Sanctuaries and a marine science coordinator for Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea. Ellie runs a nonprofit called Everblue that facilitates effective and inclusive marine science communication.
CV | Twitter | ResearchGate
JEIDA OSTROWSKI
Jeida Ostrowski was an intern in the Donovan Lab working on science communication with Ellie Jones. She assisted with designing infographics, social media content, and other communication tools for HIMARC. She received her BS in marine biology from Hawaiʻi Pacific University. As a result of frequent bleaching events occurring around her home islands of Hawaiʻi, Jeida is interested in studying and participating in education and public outreach on coral reef ecology and conservation.
Jade Fujii
Jade Fujii is an intern in the Donovan Lab, working with Maddie Berger to assess land use in Hawai‘i and its effects on surrounding marine ecosystems. Jade is also working with the Vizza Lab of Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Natural Sciences Department. She is conducting research regarding induced carbon sequestration in riparian ecosystems. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies at HPU, and will be graduating in the spring of 2024.
jlfujii@asu.edu