Marisa Litz (she/her) is a BIPOC research scientist in the Fish Program at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and leads the Coast Ecology and Life Cycle Monitoring Unit focused on Pacific salmon and steelhead. Marisa has 15 years of experience studying Pacific salmon ocean ecology and has sailed on several dozen research cruises in the northeastern Pacific, collaborating with researchers from NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University. She earned a B.A. degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia in 1998, B.S. in Marine Science from the University of Maine in 2005, M.S in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University (OSU) in 2008, and Ph.D. in Fisheries Science from OSU in 2017. Marisa’s graduate studies were supported by the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/epp-msi). Marisa joined WDFW in 2017 and uses environmental indicators to forecast marine survival of Pacific salmon to help manage fisheries resources. She also oversees research that monitors how climate change affects freshwater production of Pacific salmon and steelhead.

To learn more about Marisa’s work visit:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marisa_Litz

This is event is apart of a virtual campaign highlighting Black contributions to the world of science in collaboration with the Thurston ECO Network’s DEI Subcommittee. The campaign highlights BRAIN STEM Heroes (Black researchers, activists, inventors and naturalists in STEM) who have overcome great adversity to pursue their passion for learning about the natural world and seeking justice for marginalized communities. Follow the hashtag #brainstem on Facebook and Instagram throughout the month of February to view profiles on pioneering Black figures in STEM shared by members of the Thurston ECO Network.