Charlene in a BS/MS student in the marine biology program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She is in the process of finishing her undergraduate program at UC San Diego before moving forward with her master's in the Decima Lab. For her undergraduate independent research project, she utilized CCE LTER data to analyze trends in phytoplankton community structures in the California current. She is interested in salp bloom cycles and ecological modeling. Outside of the lab, Charlene enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and has a fledging butterfly garden.