The Ramirez Lab
The Team
Dr. Matthew D. Ramirez
Assistant Professor of Coastal and Marine Biology (he/him/his)
​Dr. Ramirez is a marine ecologist whose research seeks to elucidate the links between demography, consumer-resource interactions, and ecosystem change, with an emphasis on using ecogeochemical tools (e.g., stable isotopes) to study these processes. He is particularly interested in understanding how multiple stressors interact to influence sea turtle demography and food wed dynamics. Outside the lab you can find him gardening, traveling, and/or spoiling the lab mascots Ruby and Tusc.
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You can learn more about Matt and his career path HERE.
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E-mail: ramirezmd [at] uncw.edu | Twitter: @Matt_D_Ramirez
Graduate Students & Staff
Jamie Clark
Ph.D. Candidate
Jamie (she/her) is a Ph.D. researcher who aims to study the detectable biological differences as animals age (e.g. counting growth rings in hard structures [bones, otoliths, teeth, etc.], near-infrared spectral signatures, and DNA-methylation levels). Jamie received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of South Carolina in Marine Science, with an emphasis in Biological Oceanography. After earning her Master’s in 2018, she worked at the NOAA Fisheries Beaufort, NC Lab for 5 years. Initially, Jamie researched population ecology and age estimation techniques as a Fisheries Biologist II on the Sea Turtle Team. In 2020, she transitioned to the Fisheries Life History and Biology Team becoming a Senior Research Associate II exploring predictive aging with near-infrared spectroscopy for White Grunt otoliths. During her Ph.D., Jamie is particularly interested in the development, validation, and application of aging techniques on live sea turtles and their significance for sea turtle conservation. Outside the lab, you’ll find Jamie beach combing, building things in the garden, or at the dog park with her pup, Dexter.
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Follow her research journey on various socials below:
Taylor Mannes
Ph.D. Student
Taylor (she/her) is a PhD student interested in marine invertebrates (especially sponges) and primary producers. Her dissertation will evaluate how these groups support the larger food web using ecogeochemical tools (e.g., stable isotopes). She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s at Northeastern University as part of their Three Seas program.
Taylor has two cats (Pete and Millie) and enjoys reading and exploring new restaurants in her free time.
Samantha Sanders
M.Sc. Student
Samantha (she/her) is a M.S. student who graduated in May of 2023 with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Before joining the lab, she spent the last year working with Dr. Michael Polito in his stable isotope lab through the NSF Ramp Program LAGNiAppE, where she built a foundational knowledge stable isotopes and their applications in research. Samantha is eager to expand her understanding of stable isotope biology and apply her work towards coastal conservation and restoration. During her MS program in the Ramirez lab, she looks forward to using stable isotopes to understand the utilization and importance of the Frying Pan Shoal to coastal fishes, through food web dynamics
Outside of the lab Sam enjoys stay active outdoors, walking or running with her roommate’s dog Finn, and discovering her favorite coffee shops and restaurants.
Bo Huff
M.Sc. Student
Bo (he/him) is an M.S. student in Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a researcher in the Ramirez Lab. His research interests focus on marine wildlife conservation, sea turtle ecology, and environmental contaminant exposure, with a particular interest in how contaminants such as PFAS are accumulated in sea turtle tissues. Bo's pathway into marine biology has included extensive hands-on experience in wildlife care, sea turtle conservation, field research, and biological sampling with multiple non-profit organizations working closely with loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles. His sea turtle research has included post-release satellite telemetry of rehabilitated olive ridley sea turtles, allowing him to investigate movement, behavior, and potential factors contributing to strandings in the western Atlantic. At UNCW, he is continuing to develop his interests at the intersection of marine ecology, toxicology, and conservation, with the goal of pursuing a career in marine wildlife research and conservation.
Outside of the lab Bo is typically at the beach not being good at surfing or at home hanging out with his cat Linus.
Gracie Semmens
Research Technician
Gracie (she/her) graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in May 2025 with a B.S. in Environmental Biology. She joined the Ramirez Lab as a technician in July, assisting with sample processing, field work, and undergraduate management while maintaining active research collaborations with the University of Alabama and Oregon State University. These projects focus on clownfish behavior analysis through video imaging and population modeling of the North Atlantic right whale. Looking ahead, Gracie hopes to pursue a Ph.D., with a particular interest in amplifying the natural resilience of coral reef ecosystems by combining skills from her previous work with those gained in the Ramirez Lab.
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Outside of the lab, Gracie can always be found knitting, watching Jeopardy!, photographing and developing her own film, and spending as much time underwater as possible.
Undergraduate Students
Cheyenne Collins
Honor's Student
Cheyenne is a Senior working on a B.S. in Marine Biology. Her honors thesis scalloped and Caroline hammerhead shark resource use through stable isotope analysis. Cheyenne joined the lab in Summer 2025 and works on the fish team.
Samantha Paul
Honor's Student
Sam is a Senior working on a B.S. in Marine Biology and an Honor's student in the lab. Sam joined the lab in Fall 2025 and works on the fish team. Her Honor's work is studying PFAS bioaccumulation patterns in marine fish species at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.
Lizzy Ross
Honor's Student
Lizzy is a Senior working on a B.S. in Marine Biology. Lizzy joined the lab in Fall 2025 and works on the turtle team. For her thesis, she is evaluating the impact of decomposition on sea turtle DNA quality.
Rianne Lee
Honor's Student
Rianne is a Senior working on her Bachelors in Marine Biology and joined the Turtle Team in 2025. Her this is examining drivers of green sea turtle growth variation.
Andrew Horstkamp
Andrew joined the lab in Fall 2024 and works on the turtle team, assisting with developing our lab database.
Ella Goldberg
Ella joined the lab in Fall 2025 and works on the turtle team.
Kayla Padua
Kayla joined the lab in Fall 2025 and works on the fish team. She also is developing outreach materials for the lab.
Clara Rojas
Clara joined the lab in Fall 2025 and works on the turtle team.
Jackson Chandler
Jackson joined the lab in Summer 2026 and works on the fish team processing fish for stable isotope analysis.
Sage Coykendall
Sage joined the lab in Fall 2026 and works on the fish team processing fish for stable isotope analysis.
Emily Merfeld
Emily joined the lab in Fall 2026 and works on both the fish and sea turtle teams, helping with various lab projects.
Ciara Toporowski
Ciara joined the lab in Fall 2026 and works on both the fish and sea turtle teams, helping with various lab projects.
Hillary Mills
Hillary joined the lab in Summer 2026 and works on the turtle team, assisting various age and growth projects.
Ola Ombach
Ola joined the lab in Dall 2026 and works on the turtle team, assisting various age and growth projects. She was previously a Marine Quest Sea Scholar working in the lab in Summer 2024!
Jocelyn Allread
Jocelyn joined the lab in Fall 2026 and works on the turtle team, assisting various age and growth projects.
Rylee Young
Rylee joined the lab in Fall 2026 and works on the turtle team, assisting various age and growth projects.
Past Students
2026
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Olivia Trahan, Honor's student, UNCW, 08/2024–05/2026 (Current: M.Sc. Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University)
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Jessica Hufham, DIS student, UNCW, 08/2024–05/2026
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Lindsey Campbell, DIS student, UNCW, 08/2024–05/2026
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Dalton Bostian, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2025–05/2026
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Ava Fuller, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2025–05/2026
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Caitlin Wallace-Giddings, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2025–05/2026
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Allison Oberlin-Pope, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2026–08/2026
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2025
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Dannette Dunavent, Honor's student, UNCW, 01/2023–12/2025 (Current: M.Sc. Biology ECU)
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Elizabeth Grace Norris, Honor's student, UNCW, 08/2024–12/2025
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Cole Johnston, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2023–06/2025
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Hailee Reinke, DIS student, UNCW, 08/2024–05/2025
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Dana Rosas-Tenorio, DIS student, UNCW, 01/2025–05/2025
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Sophia Sonkiss, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2025–08/2025​
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​2024
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Kira Stokoe, Honor's student, UNCW, 01/2023–12/2024
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Sierra Hershberger, Honor's student, UNCW, 05/2023–05/2024
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Tanner Murray, Honor's student, UNCW, 08/2023–05/2024 (Current: M.Sc. Marine Bio, UNCW)
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Deedra LaFon, Post-bacc, UNCW, 06/2023–05/2024
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Meghan Burkey, DIS student, UNCW, 06/2024–12/2024
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Mary Brandle, DIS student, UNCW, 05/2023–05/2024
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Thao Nguyen, DIS student, UNCW, 08/2023–05/2024
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Christian Richter, DIS student, UNCW, 09/2023–05/2024 (Current: M.Sc. Marine Bio, UNCW)
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​2023
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Justin Jenkins, Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Miami, 06/2023–08/2023 (Current: Ph.D. Biology, Texas A&M-Galveston)
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Ashley Dees, DIS Student, UNCW, 06/2023–09/2023