Marissa McMahan and Brian Helmuth

Marissa McMahan is a senior fisheries scientist at Manomet. She received a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology from Northeastern University in 2017. She has studied marine ecology and fisheries in the Gulf of Maine for over a decade. Much of her life has also revolved around working as a commercial fisher. Her research focuses on strengthening and diversifying fisheries opportunities in the Gulf of Maine, in an effort to preserve fishing cultures and traditions, while also promoting a healthy and resilient marine ecosystem.

Brian Helmuth is a Professor at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center in Nahant, where his research and teaching focus on the impacts of global climate change on marine ecosystems worldwide. His lab also produces educational tools including underwater virtual tours to communicate marine science and climate change. Brian has been conducting marine research for over 30 years and on every continent. He has been an aquanaut on several saturation missions in the Aquarius underwater habitat, and in 2014 was a team member and science advisor on Fabien Cousteau’s Mission 31 project. Brian earned his PhD at the University of Washington in Seattle.