PEOPLE
WHO WE ARE
People are the heart of a thriving research group. We believe in providing equal opportunity to all, creating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and safe environment, building a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and supporting a healthy work-life balance.
Below learn about our current and past lab members.
DR. MATTHEW MCLEAN
Assistant Professor at UNCW
Matt became fascinated with aquatic ecology playing in Wisconsin lakes and rivers as a child, and after seeing a coral reef, he set his heart on a career in marine biology and conservation. After earning a BSc from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, Matt worked as a fisheries observer in the Bering Sea and a fisheries technician on the shores of Lake Michigan. Still captivated by coral reefs, Matt pursued his MSc at the University of Guam Marine Lab (Mangilao, Guam), conducting research on coral reef ecology and small-scale fisheries in Micronesia. Eager to learn more about ecosystem functionality, Matt conducted his Ph.D. at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Boulogne-sur-Mer, France), studying the functional-trait dynamics of fish communities in the North Sea and English Channel. Before joining UNCW, Matt completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) where he evaluated the status and drivers of fish-mediated ecosystem functions on shallow reefs worldwide.
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
ADRIÁN GONZÁLEZ ORTIZ
PhD Student at UNCW
Adrián’s passion for marine ecology developed from his childhood spending time around mangrove keys, seagrass beds, and shallow reefs in Puerto Rico. Having these interests from early on, Adrián went on to study Ecology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. There, he worked with the US Geological Survey to research the effects of seasonality and habitat quality on coastal fish communities in the Great Lakes. After graduating from Michigan in 2020, Adrián spent time back home in Puerto Rico working for an environmental nonprofit, Caras con Causa. Then, he went to Utah State University for his Master’s in Ecology. There, his thesis focused on the role of industrial fisheries in extracting nutrients from marine systems. As part of the McLean Lab, Adrián now works as a PhD student studying the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of fish-mediated ecosystem functioning
JARED OVIATT
PhD Student at UNCW
Jared combines his many passions for gardening, plant ecology, diving, underwater photography, and all things under the ocean as a specialist in North Carolina reef ecology. After a nontraditional path back to college that took him from Seattle to Australia, to Texas, and eventually to North Carolina, Jared graduated from the UNCW Honors College in Spring 2023 with Honors in Marine Biology as a Distinguished Undergraduate Research Scholar. In the McLean Lab, Jared researches the composition and functioning of marine communities as they relate to changing reef structure and marine urbanization. Here he pursues questions which combine functional trait ecology, reef surveys, and the quantification of physical structure on reefs using structure from motion technology (https://sketchfab.com/jaredhenryoviatt/models).
TIANA DEGRANDE
Master’s Student at UNCW
Hi, I'm Tiana DeGrande. My passion for marine biology has deep roots in my upbringing in northern Minnesota, where I spent my childhood camping, fishing, and immersing myself in nature. This early connection to the natural world inspired me to study invasive carp during my undergrad and I’ve always been fascinated by how fish communities interact and thrive. With that, I’m currently working on my master’s in Marine Biology, focusing on fish community ecology at Frying Pan Shoals off Cape Fear, North Carolina. My research is all about understanding fish communities before dredging events that come with beach renourishment projects. By studying these marine fish communities beforehand, I hope to get a clearer picture of how dredging might impact them and how we can better manage these changes.
When I’m not working on my research, you’ll often find me hiking, reading, running along the coast, or enjoying the beach. SCUBA diving is a particular passion—it’s where I truly connect with the underwater world I’m so dedicated to studying!
EMMA NANI
Undergraduate Student at UNCW
Since middle school, Emma has wanted to pursue the path of marine biology at UNCW because of her affinity for water and from learning how climate change affects our oceans. Growing up in North Carolina, she often visited beaches along the south east coast and attended camp on Lake Gaston in the summer sailing and wake surfing. At UNCW she is an undergraduate Honors College student majoring in marine biology with a concentration in conservation. Because of her love for tropical marine ecosystems, she spent a semester studying abroad in Costa Rica taking marine biology courses as well as exploring Costa Rica's beaches and national parks. Additionally, she participated in a molecular biology internship studying the genetics of commercially sold sharks in Costa Rica to identify endangered species and aid in conservation practices. In the McLean lab, she is working on obtaining her AAUS Scientific Diver certification and her Honors thesis researching the relationship between fine-scale structural metrics and cryptobenthic fish biomass across reefs in south Florida.
PAST LAB MEMBERS AND STUDENTS
MARK LEAVITT JR.
Former Undergraduate Student at UNCW
Mark Leavitt Jr. started his education at Jacksonville University. While taking a break from academia, Mark pursued a career building custom sport fishing boats in Virginia. He recently completed his bachelor's at UNCW where he continued his love for all things involving the ocean. Through working with Dr. McLean, his focus has included functional diversity of reef fish located on natural and artificial reefs of the coast of North Carolina.
AARON JUDAH
Former Undergraduate Student at Dalhousie University
Aaron fell in love with the ocean by travelling to visit reefs, aquariums, and relatives around the world. Dreaming of being immersed in marine biology, Aaron moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to pursue his BSc in Marine Biology at Dalhousie University. There, under the supervision of Dr. Aaron MacNeil and Dr. Matthew McLean, Aaron worked on a range of projects, spanning coral reef fisheries to the global shark meat trade. Aaron’s primary interests focus on the functional roles and services supported by marine biodiversity. Aaron currently conducts research on the effectiveness of marine protected areas in supporting functionally distinct reef fishes, as well as drivers of trait dynamics and functional vulnerability in coral reef shark and ray communities. Looking into the future, Aaron hopes to unravel the functional importance of marine life, support equitable and inclusive science and outreach, as well as advocate for biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management - especially in the deep sea and on coral reefs.
SUCHINTA ARIF
Former PhD Student at Dalhousie University
Suchinta always had a general passion for nature and conservation, but became particularly fascinated with the marine world while taking undergraduate field courses at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in British Columbia, Canada. She recently completed her PhD in Marine Biology at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. Aaron MacNeil and Dr. Matthew McLean. Her PhD research focused on applying novel observational causal inference methodologies to better understand climate and other anthropogenic impacts on coral reef ecosystems. Suchinta is now pursuing her postdoctoral research at the Future of Marine Ecosystems Lab at Dalhousie University, where she will work with local community members and stakeholders to co-create scenarios of future ocean use for Atlantic Canada, with the hopes of providing climate-adaptive solutions for this region. In addition to marine conservation research, Suchinta remains involved in teaching, community outreach, and mentoring the next generation of scientists.
EMMA TOUCHIE
Former Undergraduate Student at Dalhousie University
Born and raised in Hudson, Quebec, Emma cultivated an early interest for marine ecosystems during her yearly summer holidays on the Manicouagan Peninsula on the north shore of the St-Laurence River. It is here that her fascination with the diversity of marine life began. After graduating from Dawson College in Pure and Applied Science in 2017, Emma travelled to Queensland, Australia, where she volunteered at the Cairns Turtles Rehabilitation center. Emma then enrolled at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia where she majored in Marine Biology with Honours. She completed her undergraduate research under the supervision of Dr. Matthew McLean and Dr. Aaron MacNeil. Her research focused on assessing differences in trait diversity between fisheries landings and reef fish communities in Kosrae, Micronesia. During her undergraduate, she also completed a semester abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where she had the opportunity to study estuarine ecosystems. After graduating, Emma assisted in instructing a field-work course on marine mammals with Dr. Darah Orbach. She also worked as a research technician at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography under Dr. Laura Feyer. Emma is now purusing her master’s degree at St-Andrews, UK in Marine Mammal Science and wishes to continue gaining skills in research and science communication.
JULIETTE MURGIER
Former Master’s Student at IFREMER
Juliette earned her master's degree in Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of the University of Bourgogne, in Dijon, France, during which she conducted research at IFREMER under the supervision of Dr. Arnaud Auber, Dr. Matthew McLean, and Dr. Anthony Maire. Her work focused on the dynamics of functionally rare fish species in the North Sea. After completing her degree, she worked in civic service in the Vosges Mountains where she became increasingly interested in plants. She then studied botany at Amiens University and took a job at the National Botanical Conservatory. She is in charge of flora and vegetation studies (Chargée d'études flore et végétations au Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien). She is responsible for drafting regional action plans for the conservation of sandy grasslands and ponds of the Grand Est region (LIFE Biodiv'Est program). Her work combines scientific thinking and methodologies with plenty of fieldwork