Welcome to the TWS Coastal and Marine Wildlife Working Group
The Coastal & Marine Wildlife Working Group (CMWWG) encompasses both coastal and marine biology, including a diverse array of topics and species including marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, sea/shorebirds and more. We welcome students and professionals to join our mission of increasing collaboration and knowledge of the marine/coastal wildlife field.
Announcements
Credit: Zaara Kidwai
Are you looking for, or want to share a professional development opportunity? We have a living document of jobs, internships, fellowships, grants, conference opportunities, mentorships and more! Check out our ‘Opportunities’ document to learn more or contribute. We also have an archive of our old webinars that are available to watch.
The working group has developed many new positions and ways to get involved! Being an officer for the working group is a great way to learn more about the field, add to your resume and get more involved with conservation efforts. Check our officers list below for open positions!
On Monday April 6th, we will be hosting a “Meet the CMWG Membership” webinar, where you can learn more about the working group and those who keep it afloat, and how to get involved! Join us at 7:00pm ET by registering here.
Become a member
Membership is available to all current TWS members. You may join our working group by logging in to your TWS account.
Officers
Open Positions:
Treasurer: Manages CMWG finances. Secures sponsorships and funding for events and programs. Oversees funding opportunities and awards (i.e. conference travel scholarships), ensuring financial support for students and professionals.
Committees
Policy & Conservation Committee
Chair: Anna Dubey
Anna Dubey is an environmental researcher and advocate based in NYC. She graduated from Brown University in 2025 with B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology. Currently, she works at environmental nonprofit Adamah as a youth engagement coordinator. She’s excited to spread awareness about conservation policy!
Open Positions:
Policy Liaison– Tracks and responds to policy developments. Monitors public comment periods and informs the committee of important deadlines. Reports findings to the Committee Chair and shares updates with Outreach.
Policy Education & Outreach Coordinator – Develops fact sheets, infographics, and policy summaries to ensure members are informed.
Outreach & Communications Committee
Chair: Samantha Hamilton
Samantha is a research intern at Sea Otter Savvy and has supported the nonprofit with research efforts since 2022. She is passionate about improving human-sea otter coexistence on our coasts through a combination of research and outreach.
She graduated with a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University in 2023. When she isn’t busy with research, she enjoys walking on the beach, baking and practicing yoga.
Social Media Coordinator: Gracie Triplett
Gracie Triplett is an undergraduate student studying at Tarleton State University to get her Bachelor’s in Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences. Gracie is a part of the Tarleton Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and also is the social media officer for that as well! She is working on research with microplastics in nestling songbirds in Stephenville, Texas and after she graduates hopes to go to graduate school for marine science! Her goal is to work in coral habitat restoration and conservation. She has been having lots of fun creating social media posts and helping spread the word on the pages!
Newsletter Coordinator: Margherita Silvestri
Margherita Silvestri is a PhD candidate in Marine Biology at the Universidad Austral de Chile. Her research focuses on how underwater noise and vessel traffic affect the behavior of the Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchuseutropia) in Northern Patagonia. She is passionate about marine mammals behavior and communication and now she is dedicated to connecting local communities with science through coastal conservation initiatives. In her free time she loves being outdoors, experimenting with new food recipes, gardening and playing music.
Blog Coordinator: Sonia Duran
Sonia earned her B.S. in Wildlife Biology with minors in Geology and Nature & Heritage
Tourism from Texas State University in May 2019. While pursuing her degree, she served as
Historian, Vice President, and President of her dedicated student chapter of The Wildlife
Society.
Sonia first became employed as a biologist for a small consulting firm in February 2019 and
was granted the title of Associate Wildlife Biologist® in December 2020. In January 2023, she
began her pursuit of an M.S. in Ocean, Coastal, & Earth Sciences at the University of Texas
Rio Grande Valley. Sonia is a NOAA Center for Coastal & Marine Ecosystems-II (CCME-II)
graduate scholar, and the program funds her schooling and research efforts.
Her research is centered on the ongoing monitoring of a ~6,500-acre coastal wetland
restoration project. She analyzes water quality parameters, habitat and vegetation dynamics,
and benthic invertebrate community assemblages at the Far South Texas site, Bahia Grande,
which is part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
Website Coordinator: Jackie Ganter
Jackie Ganter is a graduate student in the Environment, Ecology and Energy program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently studying the differences in space use of wild and rehabilitated sea turtles, as well as mammal community structure in coastal ghost forests. She also works with the Atlantic Marine Energy Center to investigate the potential interactions between marine energy and wildlife. When she is not studying, she enjoys hiking, kayaking and rock climbing.
Membership & Professional Development Committee
Chair: Stephanie Crawford
Stephanie completed her MS in Biological Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She has worked with a variety of amphibians and mammals in Virginia, and various Pacific species such as sea otters, seals, walruses, whales, and porpoises. She is currently part of UAF’s Marine Ecotoxicology and Trophic Assessment Laboratory studying mercury concentrations of sea birds in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. In her spare time, she likes to decorate cakes, and spend time with her 10 dogs.
Webinar & Training Coordinator: Faith Adeshola
Networking Coordinator: Amanda O’Brien
Student & Early Career Professional Representative: Hailey Grossman
Open Positions:
Opportunities & Resources Coordinator – Updates and manages website postings for scholarships, jobs, internships, and grants to ensure members have access to relevant career and funding opportunities.