Originally hailing from the great state of Iowa, Naomi came to sunny California to complete her BA at Pomona College, where she studied environmental analysis with a focus in biology. She spent some time working as a research coordinator at a cancer center before heading to Heal the Bay, where she is a Water Quality Data Associate Specialist. Naomi works to maintain the weekly Beach and River Report Cards as well as the NowCast models. She is interested in the intersection between the environment and public health, and is always excited to use data to help us understand this connection! Outside of work, you may find her playing soccer, rock climbing, searching for the best restaurants this city has to offer, or making pizza with friends and family.

Zoë coordinates Heal the Bay’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) programming. Her work includes overseeing the MPA Watch Community Science Program as well as MPA advocacy, education, and outreach. She graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Biology and has an avid passion for connecting people to their waterways, advocating for environmental conservation, and creating a Los Angeles more resilient to our changing climate. Her research background primarily revolves around marine biogeochemistry with a specific focus on both deep-sea microbial mats and constraining planetary habitability models through aquatic analogs. Outside of her passion for science and the ocean, she loves pottery, writing, and 2000’s rom-coms.

Dr. Pineda-Enriquez was born and raised in Mexico and has been passionate about marine sciences for as long as she can remember. Tania is an evolutionary biologist with a B.S. in Biology from UNAM, a M.S in Marine Biology from UNAM-ICMYL, and a Ph.D. from University of Florida in 2022. She’s fascinated by the diversity of marine invertebrates, especially how brittle stars or ophiuroids from tropical reef habitats across the oceans can help understand global biodiversity patterns, and so far she has named nine species new to science. Tania has been an active member of research labs, have actively mentored students, participated in field expeditions (across Latin America, US, and Thailand) and conducted research in more than eight countries. She now serves as a Water Quality Data Associate with Heal the Bay to provide the public with science-based recommendations about the quality of the water. In her free time, Tania likes to explore nature and travelling with her husband and two kids.

Emily works to keep our oceans and marine ecosystems healthy and clean by advocating for strong legislation and enforcement both locally and statewide. She focuses on plastic pollution, marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and climate change related issues. Before arriving at Heal the Bay, Emily earned a M.A.S in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, where she conducted research on sea turtle conservation in El Salvador. When not advocating for ocean rights, Emily can almost always be found on the shore catching a wave or soaking up some LA sunshine.

Annelisa helps to keep L.A. water clean and safe by advocating for comprehensive and science-based water quality regulation and enforcement. She currently oversee Heal the Bay’s Water Quality efforts, including science, research, policy, and advocacy, as well as the Beach Report Card, NowCast, and River Report Card programs. Before joining the team at Heal the Bay, she worked with the Regional Water Quality Control Board in both the underground storage tank program and the surface water ambient monitoring program. Annelisa completed her master’s degree in geological sciences at CSU Northridge. In her free time she enjoys caving, canyoneering, and scuba diving.