MBC Applied Environmental Sciences
August 1997 – October 2006

Below is a synopsis of some of the major projects I worked on while at MBC.

Coastal Generating Station NPDES Monitoring Studies. Group Scientist for biannual NPDES water quality monitoring studies at 11 coastal generating stations from Ventura County to Orange County. Clients include the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Edison Company, AES Corporation, Houston Industries, NRG Energy, Inc., and Sempra Energy. These studies, ongoing since 1977, include water quality measurements, sediment sample collection and analysis, intertidal and subtidal surveys, fish and macroinvertebrate trawls, fish transects, and benthic infauna and macrobiota studies. The results of all analyses and trends are presented in annual monitoring reports to the regulatory agencies.

Communications Cable Landfalls Biological Assessment. Group Scientist responsible for a marine and terrestrial biological reconnaissance of 20 potential cable landfall sites from Nadonna Beach, Oregon to Del Mar, California. Assisted in the preparation of a CEQA document including a review of existing biological conditions along proposed alignment routes, evaluation of potential impacts to biological resources, and suggested mitigation measures where there could be significant impacts.

Eelgrass Habitat Restoration. Group Scientist for eelgrass habitat restoration projects in harbors, bay, and estuaries throughout southern California. Responsible implementation of eelgrass surveys, restoration projects, and monitoring programs. Recent studies include an extensive 5.6 acre eelgrass restoration and monitoring program for Teledyne Ryan at Convair Lagoon in San Diego Bay, an eelgrass survey off Tidelands Park in San Diego Bay for the Port of San Diego, and a shoreline stabilization and habitat restoration and monitoring program at several sites within the Mission Bay complex for the City of San Diego.

Golden Shore Marine Reserve Monitoring Program. Group Scientist for a five-year program to monitor progress of the newly created Golden Shore Marine Reserve mitigation park in Long Beach Harbor for the City of Long Beach. The Reserve is mitigation for impacts caused by construction of the Queensway Development Project. The program includes monitoring of water quality, currents, fish and intertidal/subtidal invertebrate communities, use by resident and migratory birds, and establishment of planted salt marsh vegetation.

Queensway Bay Dredge Monitoring Program. Group Scientist for a dredge monitoring program in Long Beach Harbor for the City of Long Beach. The program included sediment dredging in Shoreline Lagoon to create Rainbow Marina.

Upper Newport Bay Dredge Monitoring. Group Scientist responsible for management of water quality turbidity testing and data analysis studies for dredging operations in Upper Newport Bay. Dredging was conducted to remove sediment buildup within the Bay. Dredged material was taken to the LA-3 disposal site in Newport Canyon.

Upper Newport Bay Stream Augmentation Project, Irvine Ranch Water District. Group Scientist for benthic infaunal studies associated with a three-year biological monitoring program to assess the effects of discharged reclaimed wastewater on the infaunal and fish communities in San Diego Creek and the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve.

Beach Replenishment Monitoring Studies. Group Scientist providing biological diver support services for the U.S. Navy's San Diego Bay dredging and beach replenishment program. The monitoring studies are designed to assess the impacts of sand placement on northern San Diego County Beaches. Tasks include biological surveys of the kelp beds including identification of a wide range of benthic macroinvertebrates and algae.

Oil Spill Emergency Assessment. Group Scientist for a water quality sampling study to assess the impacts of an accidental oil seep from Platform Irene near Point Arguello, California in 1997.

Fish Impingement Monitoring. Group Scientist for fish impingement studies conducted for Southern California Edison Company, and City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power at their southern California coastal generating stations. Responsible for the identification and cataloging of fish and invertebrate species during fish impingement monitoring, data analysis, and report preparation.

Huntington Beach Coliform Sampling. Group Scientist involved in the data collection of physical oceanographic measurements and water sampling in the extensive study in the summer of 2001 of bacteria levels in the waters off Huntington Beach, California. This required the live-time operation of a Seabird Electronics CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) and an electronically triggered water collection rosette.