SONGS Mitigation Monitoring Program
Salt-marsh fish and invertebrate monitoring at Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve and Point Mugu Lagoon. Field surveys, species ID, lab processing, and data QA/QC supporting long-term restoration reporting.
Current Projects
Slot Limits and MPAs — California Spiny Lobster
Stage-structured population model testing slot-limit harvest rules and MPA coverage for Panulirus interruptus in Southern California.
Microbial Hydrocarbon Cycling — Coal Oil Point
Incubation experiments at Coal Oil Point testing whether Marine Group II (MGII) archaea consume biogenic alkanes and how petroleum exposure alters communities—using liposome+alkane/oil treatments, archaeal-inclusive 16S amplicons, and MGII-targeted qPCR.
Selected Research and Fieldwork
Nicothoid Copepod Parasite — Cancrid Crabs
First description of a nicothoid copepod egg predator in Pacific rock crabs; brood-stage intensity modeling; manuscript in review.
Kelp Forest and Nearshore Fisheries Surveys
Benthic and fish surveys across Northern Channel Islands MPAs and nearshore stock assessments with CCFRP; included small-boat and data QA/QC training.
Pacific Manta Research Group — Outreach
Helped design the PMRG site and photo-ID submission workflow; built diver-facing guidance and catalog support for Revillagigedo mantas.
Publications
Orli, Jaden E., Sophia M. Lecuona, Gabrielle O. Plewe, Carson N. Gadler, Armand M. Kuris, Danny Tang, and Zoe L. Zilz. 2025. “Discovery of an Unidentified Species of Nicothoid Copepod Infesting Cancrid Crabs in Santa Barbara, California.” Ecology 106(12): e70263. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70263
In review: Zilz, Zoe L., Hascall, E., DiBartolo, A., Flores, D., Cameron, S., Orli, Jaden E., and Kuris, A. M. “A Parasite-inclusive Food Web for the California Rocky Intertidal Zone.”
Open-source and Analyses
Marine-Aquaculture (IMTA siting • U.S. West Coast EEZ) — R geospatial workflow combining NOAA Coral Reef Watch SST (2008–2012), GEBCO bathymetry, and VLIZ EEZ with FishBase thermal/depth tolerances to map candidate IMTA areas; includes interactive species-by-region maps and a suitability heatmap.
Live analysis: https://jadenorli.github.io/marine-aquaculture/code/marine_aquaculture.html
Repo: https://github.com/jadenorli/marine-aquacultureHouston-Storms (Texas Freeze 2021) — Uses VIIRS night-lights to detect blackout timing/extent, OSM buildings/roads to reduce traffic-light bias, and ACS 2019 tract-level data to quantify socioeconomic disparities; outputs animated night-light change, tract vs. home-level comparisons, interactive maps, and summary tables.
Live analysis: https://jadenorli.github.io/houston-storms/code/houston_extreme_storms.html
Repo: https://github.com/jadenorli/houston-storms
