Melissa Abderrahim

Science Officer

she/her/hers

Melissa Abderrahim focuses on convening collaborative projects and initiatives aimed at finding practical solutions to issues facing California’s coast and oceans. With a strong belief in partnership, inclusion, and equity she approaches her work with enthusiasm and dedication.

At OST, Melissa works on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) projects contributing to OST’s internal DEI initiative and convening a series of Roundtable discussions aimed at identifying continued barriers to DEI as well as exploring, and elevating common denominators of institutional advancement in improving DEI in the ocean sciences in California’s academic institutions. Melissa also supports the work of the Ocean Protection Council Advisory Team (OPC-SAT).

Melissa joined OST in 2018 as a California State University COAST intern, primarily working with the California Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Task Force (OAH Task Force), supporting their contribution to the California Ocean Acidification Action Plan. In 2020, Melissa became a California Sea Grant fellow with OST. As a fellow, Melissa continued to support the convening of the OAH Task Force, co-lead OST’s internal DEI initiative, and worked with the OPC-SAT to strengthen partnerships with the academic community through the Academic Roadshow.

Melissa holds an M.S. in Applied Marine Sciences from California State Monterey Bay University and a B.S. in Environmental Biology from McGill University.

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