The Team
Dr. Zachary Randell, Ph.D.
Zach grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and started scuba diving when he was 15. His passion for ocean exploration led him to pursue scientific scuba diving at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he eventually worked for academic and federal entities tasked with conducting seafloor monitoring and the small vessel and rebreather diving fieldwork necessary to capture, track and monitor the health and population status of southern sea otters. He completed a Ph.D. at Oregon State University in 2021 focused on long-term kelp forest dynamics, underwater experimentation and dynamical modeling (see the public defense here). Now, as a senior research scientist in the Conservation Programs & Partnerships department at the Seattle Aquarium, Zach leads the Aquarium’s Coastal Climate Resilience (CCR) team. The team uses inexpensive and modular remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology and open-source software to gather data along the seafloor, all to better inform kelp forest conservation, restoration and management.
Megan Williams, M.S.
Megan grew up in Seattle, Washington, where sailing and exploring tide pools fostered an early appreciation for the often-overlooked beauty of Puget Sound. That connection to the marine environment led her to James Cook University in Australia, where she earned a master’s degree in marine biology and focused on how coastal ecosystems respond to change. Since joining the Seattle Aquarium’s CCR team in 2022, Megan has played a key role in advancing the program’s spatial analysis and machine learning work. She develops end-to-end ML pipelines for gathering data and leads the team’s geospatial modeling efforts to support kelp forest conservation and habitat restoration across Puget Sound. As a scientific diver and one of the Aquarium’s primary boat operators, Megan brings a strong field perspective to the CCR team. She remains inspired by Washington’s rugged, green waters and is committed to protecting the natural places that shaped her life for future generations.
Reid Thomson, B.S.
Despite his upbringing in the Midwest, Reid developed an unwavering passion for marine life at an early age. Summers spent constantly in and around lakes and streams fused with a love of nature documentaries to drive his fascination with the mysteries held by even larger bodies of water. Reid’s curiosity led him to pursue a degree in marine science at Boston University, where he refined his passion toward a career in marine research. After completing his degree, Reid joined the CCR team at the Seattle Aquarium as a research technician in 2024. He helps advance the core objectives of this highly dynamic research program with a particular fondness for fieldwork that helps him explore Washington’s beautiful, rugged coast.
ROV Lutris
Lutris is the newer of our two ROVs and is our primary vehicle for research in the field. Its name comes from Enhydra lutris, which is the scientific name for sea otters—a mammal with close ties to kelp forests. Lutris receives power from the Aquarium vessel's dedicated power supply, allowing us to operate it continuously for a full day on the water.
ROV Nereo
Nereo is the first ROV our team assembled when our project began in 2022. Its name is derived from Nereocystis luetkeana, the scientific name of our focal species, bull kelp. Unlike Lutris, Nereo is battery-powered and shines when we are unable to operate from the Aquarium vessel or from shore. We fly both ROVs using an Xbox controller!
