Michael Boze

Michael Boze is part of the ATI Resolution Unmanned Aerial System development team. He is involved in airframe development and prototyping as well as company communications. Mike has been a pilot for 35 years, with hundreds of hours in coastal aerial survey work.

Joe Chojnacki

Born in Wisconsin, Joe Chojnacki spent his childhood overseas and majored in Biology at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He moved to Hawaii in 2001 to join NOAA Fisheries' marine debris removal program in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Joe participated in three seasons of marine debris removal at the remote Kure and Pearl & Hermes Atolls. During this time he also began participating in marine ecosystem survey cruises around the Pacific, specializing in benthic (seafloor) habitat surveys using SCUBA. In 2003 Joe shifted his focus to benthic habitat mapping, which uses ship-based multibeam sonar to develop topographic maps of the seafloor and collects information on the seafloor's physical makeup - whether it's hard reef, or rubble with algae growing on it, for instance. In 2007 Joe began working for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, where he uses SCUBA to assist in the mapping of benthic habitats, and conducts the planning and acquisition of the boats, equipment, and resources needed to conduct field operations.

Kelly Gleason

Kelly Gleason is a maritime archaeologist with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Kelly was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, where she decided to combine a love for the ocean and history into a career in maritime archaeology. Following graduate work at St. Andrews University in Scotland and East Carolina University in North Carolina she began working for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Hawaii. She has spent time working on shipwreck sites in Scotland, North Carolina, Northern California, the Great Lakes and the Caribbean in addition to her experience working in the Main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. She is hoping to combine her interest in technical diving with her work as a maritime archaeologist to pursue work on deeper shipwreck and aircraft sites.

Evan Howell

Evan Howell is a Research Oceanographer in the Ecosystem and Oceanography Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu, HI. Evan began working for NMFS in 1997 after receiving a degree in Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Miami. Evan's current interests include studying the movement and migration patterns of large pelagic animals as well as their relationship to large-scale oceanographic features such as the North Pacific Transition Zone.

Kyle Koyanagi

Kyle Koyanagi is Chief Scientist for the cruise. He graduated from Chaminade University in Honolulu, HI with a B.A. in Biology and has been with NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division's (CRED), Marine Debris Program since 2001. Kyle currently serves CRED as the JIMAR Marine Debris Operations Manager. He has helped lead many successful multi-agency marine debris removal operations in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) and Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) surveying and removing derelict fishing gear from shallow coral reef environments. Born and raised in Hawaii Kyle has a strong interest in preserving the Hawaiian Archipelago's precious coral reefs.

Stephanie Lachance

Stephanie Lachance has worked for the office of National Marine Sanctuaries since 2004. Her position includes working in education/outreach and administration for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Born and raised in Michigan Stephanie enjoyed year round outdoor activities from cross country skiing on frozen lakes in the winter to spending summers in the water. Seeking a warmer climate her travels took her to Atlanta, GA for eight years and she has been living in Hawaii for the last five. This is her first research cruise and she will be working on the "Big Eyes" along with being the outreach contact for the Monument.

Barbara Mayer

Barb earned a Bachelor's degree in biology from Agnes Scott College in Georgia, an M.S. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, and a teaching certificate from Lesley University in Massachusetts. In 1976 Barb moved to Hawai'i; for over 20 years she has been kept on her toes with mostly 13-year-olds in science classrooms at Punahou, La Pietra and Kamehameha. Recently, Barb has been privileged to be an educator on board NOAA's 2005 cruise for education to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Natinal Monument and a science leader on a 2006 Teachers Without Borders project to South Africa. She now does contract science/nature curriculum writing for NOAA, Bishop Museum, and the National Park Service.

Kris McElwee

Kris McElwee earned a master's degree in marine resource management from Oregon State University in 2001. She has worked with NOAA in Hawaii for the last six years. Her principal responsibilities are to NOAA's marine debris and coral programs. Kris's role is to help provide locally relevant products and services to the Pacific Islands region, which includes Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. To this end, Kris's activities include consulting with state and territory representatives, identifying and building partnerships, expanding technical assistance and training efforts, and coordinating marine debris, coral, and emergency response activities across the Pacific Islands. Kris's previous, decennial at-sea experiences were a biological sampling cruise off the coast of Oregon in the 1990s and a sediment-trap cruise from San Diego to Peru in 1980.

Russell Reardon

Russell Reardon is the Resource Protection Specialist with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. After graduating from the University of Florida in 1994 with a B.S. in Forest Resources and Conservation, he gained diverse research experience in the wetlands of North Florida, the piney uplands of Georgia, and the barrier islands of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Russell most recently spent 12 years working in the marine environment of the Florida Keys. He directed six years of a sea turtle monitoring program while living at Dry Tortugas National Park, the 'remote' outpost accessible via boat or seaplane only, located 70 miles offshore of Key West. He spent six years working as a Damage Assessment and Restoration Biologist with NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, where he logged many hours underwater assessing and repairing reef damage from vessel strikes. Russell recently decided to head for bluer and deeper waters and jumped at the opportunity to begin his position with the Monument in June 2007. His resource protection work is now primarily focused in three areas: Emergency Response, Marine Debris, and Alien Species. In his free time, Russell enjoys exploring his new surroundings in Hawaii.

Elaine Stuart

Elaine Stuart is Senior Survey Technician for the NOAA Ship OSCAR ELTON SETTE. Elaine has been onboard since February 2006 when she met the ship in American Samoa to help out with an oceanography cruise. She has been working on NOAA ships since graduating from college in 2000 and has done work all over Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, as well as parts of the South Pacific including Kwajelein, Johnston Atoll, and the islands around Samoa. On the Sette, Elaine is responsible for the collection of a wide variety of fisheries data that ranges from oceanography to marine mammal studies to long-line operations. She has always enjoyed working on the water and being able to travel as part of her job.

Max Sudnovsky

Originally from Massachusetts, Max Sudnovsky joined the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) in April 2007 as a Marine Debris Specialist. Scouring the reef for marine debris at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Laysan, Lisianski, French Frigate Shoals and Kure Atoll, Max has participated in four out of the last six cruises on the Oscar Elton Sette. Max has been diving in the Hawaiian Islands since 2003 and currently holds a P.A.D.I Master Scuba instructor rating as well as a U.S.C.G 100 Ton Masters license.

Tim Veenstra

Tim Veenstra is president of Airborne Technologies, Inc. located in Wasilla, Alaska. He has over 20 years of coastal water flying experience in both fixed wing and helicopter providing aerial surveys for Alaskan fisheries and various research projects. Tim holds a FAA commercial pilots license for fixed wing and helicopter, an airframe and powerplant mechanics license and an Aircraft Inspectors rating. His electrical and mechanical engineering experience along with his flying and ocean research work have helped develop the Resolution Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).