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.

Tayler is a graduate student at the University of Southern California and holds an undergraduate degree from California State University, Long Beach. Growing up on the west side of Los Angeles instilled in her a deep affinity for coastal living from an early age. Her interest in environmental policy was sparked during her undergraduate studies, where she engaged in sustainable energy engineering research through an interdisciplinary lens— focusing on risk communication and the sociological dynamics of outreach. An adept communicator, Tayler is passionate about and experienced in coordinating technology, science, and education programs and is always eager to manage positive change and advocate for justice. In her free time, she’s a huge busy bee. She often attends live music events and travels to find the best food and outdoor adventures the world has to offer.

Zoë manages LA County’s Coastal Cleanup Day efforts. Her work includes planning and coordinating all cleanup sites, training and recruiting volunteers, and developing educational materials. In addition, she joins our outreach efforts through beach cleanups, public education, and more. 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 experience has brought her from tabling for environmental bills stuck in the assembly all the way to the ocean floor in the deep-submergence vehicle Alvin as part of a research expedition studying microbial mats. Outside of her passion for the ocean, she loves pottery, writing, and 2000’s rom-coms.

Lili is the Beach Programs Associate. She graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biology. She was raised in Los Angeles after immigrating to the United States from Iran at an early age. She has a strong passion for ocean conservation and coastal resource management. Coming from a pre-med background, Lili understands the important connection between environmental health and human health. She spends most of her time reading and hanging out with her puppy.

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.

Alexia was born and raised in Southern California and spent her youth discovering her love for marine biology. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology and Environmental Science from Chapman University and Masters in Marine Conservation from the University of Miami in Florida. She has spent the last decade working in marine science education, working with several conservation organizations on science communication, outreach, and policy, and as a naturalist on a whale watching boat. She continues to share her passion for conservation at Heal the Bay as Senior Watershed Coordinator. In her free time, she enjoys working out, hiking, going to the beach, scuba diving, tidepooling, and traveling.

Stephanie takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving environmental problems. To her, truly sustainable solutions are equitable for all, dynamic and resilient to change, and based in nature. You may have seen Stephanie previously out on the beach, leading Heal the Bay’s cleanups. Stephanie pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies at Wellesley College and received her Master’s of Science in Regenerative Studies from Cal Poly Pomona’s Lyle Center. As a SoCal native who has lived on both coasts, Stephanie is proud to say the West Coast is the best coast. After graduate school, she took a slight hiatus from the non-profit sector and became an Anheuser-Busch Craft Master Brewer at Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, California. What the beer industry and total watershed health have in common is a strong demand for protected water quality and people who care deeply about the purity and consistency of what pours out of their tap. Now, when she’s not working to protect our watersheds, you may find her at the barn with her horses or enjoying a local beer with her wife and pups.

Crystal (She/Her/Ella) was born and raised in Los Angeles. She earned her B.S. in Aquatic Biology at UC Santa Barbara. She works at Heal the Bay as their Senior Community Science and Outreach Coordinator, working as part of the MPA Watch program to recruit and train community scientists on how to monitor our marine protected areas (MPAs) and organizing eDNA (environmental DNA) water sampling events with our partners from UCLA. She advocates for green nature based solutions when monitoring sea-level rise and protecting EJ communities against climate change. She plans to one day have a career in marine ecology/ ocean conservation. On her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, wanting to learn to surf, and spending time with friends and family.

Kayleigh (she/they) is Heal the Bay’s Senior Manager of Outreach and is proudly from Lynwood, CA. She earned her BA in Chicana/o Studies and LGBTQ Studies from UCLA in 2016. With 10 years of organizing experience, her commitment to social justice has played out in a variety of spaces – from organizing with fellow students at Santa Monica College to prevent the privatization of general education courses, to organizing closely with youth of color on environmental justice issues in Southeast LA, to supporting girl-identified youth at the coolest rock camp of all time, Chicas Rockeras de Sur Este Los Angeles. She is a volunteer with Latino Outdoors and partakes in water recreation with Queer Surf. In their spare time, she likes going to restaurants, reflecting on water justice’s connection to her environmental work, cooking for loved ones, taking up new skills like fly fishing, going on walks around the LA River, and hanging out with her pet babies Penny and Oats.

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.