We are pleased to welcome Maxwell Seale as a Coastal Science and Policy PhD designated emphasis student. As such, he will take CSP core courses and dedicate a chapter of his dissertation to a topic that intersects science and policy. Maxwell is a PhD Student in the Department of Ocean Sciences and is advised by Dr. Jerome Fiechter. His research focuses on implementing numerical models to study anchovy responses to shifts in prey availability and habitat conditions, aiding marine sanctuary managers in predicting and mitigating future risks to marine megafauna like whales, tuna, and seabirds. In collaboration with NOAA Sanctuaries, SWFSC, and MBARI, these contributions will be integral to the broader modeling efforts and management of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem. Before beginning at UCSC, Maxwell led a subtidal long-term monitoring program from San Francisco to Point Conception, assessing changes in coastal marine ecosystems for the Reef Check Foundation using scientific diving methods. At Reef Check, he also coordinated a series of kelp forest restoration efforts across the Central Coast Region, ranging from experimental projects to acre-scale operations. Maxwell’s technical experience also includes applications in marine animal telemetry, sonar-based ropeless fishing equipment, and underwater acoustics navigation.