The Team
An international team of scientists, students, educators, volunteers and community participants from Canada, the U.S. and the South Pacific is carrying out the Yaqara Bay Biodiversity Inventory Project. Supported from various sources, the YBBIP is bringing academic and educational institutions, government and private industry together in an effort to understand what kind of invertebrate animals inhabit the shallow coral reefs of Fiji’s Yaqara Bay.
Volunteers constitute some of the most important people on the YBBIP team. Some are involved with collecting, sorting and identifying, while others are responsible for facilitating our educational outreach programs. Other volunteers help organize logistics for the team, teachers and students involved in the project.
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Dr. Stephen G. Dunbar is the project leader. Dunbar is Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Biological Sciences at Loma Linda University. He has worked in Fiji and Australia. |  |
Ms. Leslie Harris is Collections Manager of the polychaete collection at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She is well known for collecting and identifying polychaetes. | |
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Dr. Chris Tudge is Co-PI on the project and is a specialist in anomuran crustaceans. He is currently a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institute, Wa. D.C. |  |
Mr. Rick Ware is an environmental consultant and Principal of Coastal Resources Management. He has extensive experience in coastal impact assessment. | |
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Professor Leon Zann is Director of The Marine Studies Program at the University of the south Pacific in Suva, Fiji. He is Co-PI on the project and contributes much South Pacific expertise to the team. |  |
Mr. Rob Lee is the team’s computer coordinator and organizes the project database. Rob is one of the team divers and underwater videographer. | |
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Dr. Arthur Anker is a post-doc at the University of Alberta, Canada. His special interest is in alpheid shrimp. He is assisting in collecting and identifying shrimps and other crustaceans. |
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Jone Vakarewa, Ba Rarawa and Peni Drodrolagi are Fisheries Officers that join the team courtesy of the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests, Fiji. | |
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Ms. Teri Faught is a high school science teacher at Mountain View High School. She continues to direct the development and implementation of the educational outreach programs for the project. |  |
Mr. Sele Tagivuni is CEO of the Yaqara Pastoral Company and is helping to coordinate on site volunteers and community relations with local and federal governments. | |
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Ms. Darolyn Striley is a member of the LA County Museum’s Marine Biodiversity Processing Center. Darolyn joins the team as a specimen sorter and assists in data tracking and identifications. |  |
Mr. Richard Hargrove is the logistics coordinator for the project. As a citizen of Fiji, Hargrove is helping to coordinate diving activities, meeting schedules and press releases. | |
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Mrs. Bui Tagivuni is the ‘team mom’ and organizes accommodation and meals for project team members through the local community women’s group. |  |
Ms. Julia Brownlee from Maryland, volunteered for the project during the first expedition. She assisted in geo-referencing study sites and building substrate platforms. | |
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Ms. Michelle Shouse is currently a biologist with the USGS located in Sacramento, CA. She is happily assisting the YBBIP with field collections and processing of specimens. |  |
Ms. Dot Norris assisted the project as part of the dive collection team and underwater photographer. She also helped to photograph live specimens. | |
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Mr. Stephen Whitaker is a marine biologist at Coastal Biome Consulting in San Clemente, CA. Steve has been a part of the YBBIP dive collection team and assisted in specimen data entry. |
