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. See a full list of experts at Monmouth University.
Media inquiries may be directed to Communications Director Karl Vilacoba at kvilacob@monmouth.edu or 732-571-3688 (cell: 848-469-0832).
UCI Expert Guide
Dr. Jason Adolf
Expertise: Water quality, harmful algal blooms, red tides, phytoplankton ecology and evolution
Meredith Comi
Aquaculture, oyster restoration and living shoreline projects, coastal community resilience
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
Tony MacDonald, Esq.
Expertise: Ocean resources management issues and public policy, beach access law, ocean planning, federal environmental legislation and congressional affairs
Jim Nickels
Expertise: Marine science, fisheries, plankton, benthic organisms, sediment, water quality, mitigation, geophysics, marine GIS and GPS mapping
Jay Odell
Expertise: Fisheries, ocean planning, climate change impacts to ocean ecosystems, marine life and dependent fishing communities
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
N.J. Poll: Support for Wind Energy Plunges, Aug. 29, 2023
Comi to Lead Oyster Restoration and Resilience Initiatives at Urban Coast Institute, Aug. 16, 2023
Monmouth University Study Finds Rain-Driven Microbial Pollution Persists at Surfing Beaches in Colder Months, Aug. 9, 2023
Urban Coast Institute to Host Symposium Exploring Oceans and Climate Change April 13, March 30, 2023
Study: Deal Lake Caught in Seasonal Cycle of Harmful Algal Blooms, Jan. 11, 2023
Monmouth Receives Funding to Establish Consortium of N.J. Universities to Conduct Research on Coastal Resilience, Sept. 27, 2022
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