MBNMS Program Support Staff

Karen F. Grimmer
Deputy Superintendent
(831) 647-4253
karen.grimmer@noaa.gov

As the Program Operations Coordinator for the MBNMS, Karen oversees facilities, field operations, interns, the annual operating plan, budget tracking and development, and a staff of seven.  Karen brings fifteen years of experience in marine-related positions including experience as an education director, marine policy specialist, aquarist, SCUBA diver and boat pilot.  Karen has worked at the MBNMS office for over five years in a variety of capacities including Program Manager for MERITO, and Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator.

As five-year director of education for a nonprofit on-the-water education program called the Marine Science Institute, she founded MSI’s “Inland Voyage” outreach program, which delivers live marine animals to underrepresented communities in Northern California, and their “Marine Camp Program,” which offers day camps in Redwood City, California and residential camps in Baja California, Mexico.

Karen graduated from California State University, Hayward with a M.S. degree in education, and received her B.S. degree in biology from San Francisco State University. She recently co-authored a research journal “Patterns and Processes of the Chinese Mitten Crab in San Francisco Bay.”

Nicole Capps
Sanctuary Advisory Council Coordinator and Management Support Specialist
(831)647-4206
nicole.capps@noaa.gov

Nicole is the Sanctuary Adivisory Council (SAC) Coordinator, in charge of all the logistical and operational duties of the Council. The second hat she wears is the Management Support Specialist, helping the Superintendent with special projects. Ms. Capps will be attending CSU at Monterey Bay in the fall of 2003 for a B.S. in Biology. Currently she volunteers as a guide for BayNet and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In her spare time she enjoys reading, shopping, playing the piano and going to the beach.

Ray Chisolm
Program Specialist
(831) 647-4216
ray.chisolm@noaa.gov

Sophie De Beukelaer
GIS Analyst
(831) 647-1286
sophie.debeukelaer@noaa.gov

As a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Analyst, Sophie compiles, creates and analyzes GIS data layers and related tools to augment efforts of the MBNMS staff. Since joining the sanctuary in September 2005, she has focused her GIS support on water quality issues, shoreline sensitivity issues, and evaluating the potential for marine protected areas within the sanctuary. Sophie is also developing biological, oceanographic, geologic and thematic layers in order to help inform future management decisions for the sanctuary and contribute to improved characterizations of the region.

Sophie holds a B.A. in Natural Sciences from New College and a M.S. in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. She focused her graduate research on the deep sea ecology of the Gulf of Mexico and combined a variety of remote sensing efforts, including submersibles and side-scan sonar, to identify the locations of chemosynthetic communities on the northern continental slope. Sophie recently completed a 2 year NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship with the Shoreline Management Program at the Washington State Department of Ecology to hone her GIS skills and learn more about coastal policy.

Christian Walters
Operations Specialist
(831) 647-4201
christian.walters@noaa.gov

Christian is the Operations Specialist for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, holds position at the front desk, and is the first point of contact for most people wishing to contact the Sanctuary. He also occasionally takes on additional duties regarding travel and maintenance of the website. Originally from Texas, he joined the MBNMS staff in spring of 2006 and is currently working on a Bachelor's Degree in English through Ellis College, a division of the New York Institute of Technology.