Anya Štajner is a PhD student in the Biological Oceanography program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She completed her undergraduate’s degree at the University of California, Davis where she studied Marine and Coastal Sciences with an Emphasis in Organismal Biology and Ecology. She did undergraduate research on teleost fish morphology as well as factors affecting the consumption rates of larval fish by juvenile velella velellas.

Currently, Anya studies zooplankton ecology focusing on pteropods (aka "sea butterflies) in the Southern California Current System as bioindicators for ocean acidification. Additionally, she is a co-coordinator and tour guide for Scripps Community Outreach for Public Education (SCOPE) and enjoys posting on her science-focused instagram account (@PlanktonPrincess).