Brianna Shaughnessy is a PhD student in Environmental Biology with Dr. Jarrett Byrnes’ Lab. Prior to joining the 2017 IGERT cohort she completed a Master’s of Professional Science through Northeastern University’s Three Seas Program. Her past research has included resource utilization by primary consumers in Northeast Atlantic eelgrass beds, marine predator-prey interactions, and investigating the effects of ecotourism in the San Juan Islands. Most recently, through the Kelp Ecosystem Ecology Network (KEEN), she has been surveying kelp forests with the purpose of assessing the impacts of global change on such critical ecosystems. As a native to Cape Cod, MA an integral part of Brianna’s upbringing involved constantly questioning and developing a deep respect for coastal communities. She looks forward to incorporating her future research into the development of sustainable fisheries practices in hopes of acting as liaison between the community that raised her and the scientists aiming to understand and protect it.