Below is a list of UCI staff members and their areas of expertise. Additional biographical information can be found on the Who We Are page.
Media inquiries may be directed to Communications Director Karl Vilacoba at kvilacob@monmouth.edu or 848-469-0832. See a full list of experts at Monmouth University.
UCI Expert Guide
Tony MacDonald, Esq.
Expertise: Ocean resources management issues and public policy, beach access law, ocean planning, federal environmental legislation and congressional affairs
Dr. Jason Adolf
Expertise: Water quality, harmful algal blooms, red tides, phytoplankton ecology and evolution
Randall Abate, Esq.
Expertise: Climate change law and justice, domestic and international environmental law, constitutional law, animal law
Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, USN (Ret.)
Expertise: Ocean exploration, federal ocean policy, Naval meteorology and oceanography
Dr. Thomas Herrington
Expertise: Coastal resilience and sustainability, hazard mitigation, ocean engineering, storm surge and wave impacts, beach/sand management, climate change
Jim Nickels
Expertise: Marine science, fisheries, plankton, benthic organisms, sediment, water quality, mitigation, geophysics, marine GIS and GPS mapping.
Karl Vilacoba
Expertise: General inquiries about UCI programs, projects and activities; the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal and regional ocean planning
News Releases
Visit our frequently updated UCI Blog for additional news and features
Ocean Wind 1 Funds Nearly $13 Million in Fisheries Monitoring Surveys, July 27, 2022
Monmouth U. Receives Federal Funds to Improve Coastal Resilience in Naval Weapons Station Earle and Socially Vulnerable N.J. Communities, April 19, 2022
National Poll: Fires, Floods Linked to Climate, Oct. 4, 2021
Monmouth University Awarded Grant to Monitor Health of County’s Coastal Lakes through 2023, July 8, 2021
Analysis of Pitch Data Shows Climate Change May Strike Baseball Umpiring, June 23, 2021
Sea Grant’s COVID-19-inspired #BEachSAFEly Wins “Best Public Awareness Campaign” Award, April 30, 2021
Study proves bits of DNA in seawater correlate to the weight of netted fish, Dec. 3, 2020
Gaffney Named to National Academies Committee Tasked with Advancing Defense Research at HBCUs and MSIs, Sept. 14, 2020
Humpback Whale Disentangled off New York Thanks to Team Effort, July 31, 2020
DNA surprises surfacing in the Atlantic: Species far from their usual southern homes, May 12, 2020
‘An Ocean for All: Ecosystems, Economies & People’ Oct. 22 at Monmouth University, Oct. 1, 2019
Mixed Views on Plastic Bag Ban: New Jersey Public Largely Unaware of Microplastics Pollution, Sept. 30, 2019
Exhibition Explores Economic and Emotional Toll of Superstorm Sandy through Art, Multimedia, Sept. 17, 2019
Monmouth University and Rumson to Host Two River Seminar Series, Sept. 4, 2019
Monmouth University to Study Water Pollution at Surfing Beaches, May 13, 2019
Monmouth Poll: Strong Support for Wind Energy in New Jersey, April 3, 2019
Monmouth U. Welcomes World-Renowned Climate Change Experts for Symposium April 17-18, March 18, 2019
Sen. Kyrillos Leads ‘Our Ocean and Beaches: A Record of Success and New Challenges to Face’ Panel at Monmouth University, March 15, 2019
Urban Coast Institute Director Named to National Academies Ocean Studies Board, March 5, 2019
President Emeritus Paul Gaffney Inducted into Naval Oceanography Hall of Fame, January 19, 2019
Found Nemo, found Dory with DNA in the seas; Experts prescribe way ahead for new ocean science, January 16, 2019
Climate Concerns Increase; Most Republicans Now Acknowledge Change, November 29, 2018
Marine species quickly revealed by new ‘Go Fish’ tool, highlights potential of emerging eDNA science, November 28, 2018
Monmouth University Christens Research Vessel as the Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, October 18, 2018
Commissioner McCabe Announces Launch of Comprehensive Coastal Resilience Plan During Summit at Monmouth University, October 9, 2018
Former Govs. Kean, Florio and Other Coastal and Ocean Champions to be Honored Oct. 9 at Monmouth University, September 28, 2018
Monmouth University Appoints Inaugural Rechnitz Family UCI Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy, September 18, 2018
UCI Receives $150,000 Plangere Foundation Grant to Improve Stewardship of Coastal Lakes, July 30, 2018
Monmouth University Unveils 49-Foot Research Vessel Nauvoo, June 27, 2018
Report Assesses Mid-Atlantic Coast’s Economic Vulnerability to Climate Change, April 17, 2018
Science Building Renovation and Expansion Project Completed, Feb. 21, 2018
Mid-Atlantic Residents See Ocean Health as Major Economic Issue, December 5, 2017
Rumson and Monmouth University Announce Partnership to Build Marine Field Station on Navesink River, October 2, 2017
Urban Coast Institute to Assist in Researching Sediment Contamination in New York Harbor Channels, May 23, 2017
Herrington Joins Urban Coast Institute as Associate Director, May 11, 2017
Naked DNA in water tells if fish have arrived, April 12, 2017
UCI’s MacDonald Joins Team Researching How Chemical Cues Influence Marine Life Habitat Selection on Coral Reefs in Belize, March 21, 2017
UCI Director Tony MacDonald Statement on the Release of JOCI Ocean Action Agenda, March 7, 2017
Scientists release final report, recommendations from the 2016 US National Ocean Exploration Forum, February 20, 2017
UCI Director Tony MacDonald Statement on the Federal Approval of Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Ocean Plans, December 7, 2016
Symposium to Explore America’s Ocean Future: Recommendations for the Trump Administration and Congress, November 30, 2016
Exploring vast ‘submerged America,’ marine scientists discover 500 bubbling methane vents, October 19, 2016
Moore Foundation Grants $1.2 Million to Monmouth U. to Support Progress on Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, August 18, 2016
Public Open House at Monmouth University for Mid-Atlantic Ocean Action Plan July 14, June 23, 2016
Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute Joins Mid-Atlantic Coastal Resilience Project Team, May 17, 2016
Urban Coast Institute Report Examines How Mid-Atlantic Boaters Spend Time and Money, April 22, 2016
Public Says Climate Change Is Real, January 5, 2016
Urban Coast Institute Director Headed to Paris Climate Change Conference, November 18, 2015
Two Renowned Ocean Advocates To Speak at Monmouth University on October 29, October 7, 2015
Portal Redesign Links Users to Each Other via Stories, Data, Mapping, June 17, 2015