Principal Investigator
Dr Taylor Chapple (he/him)
Research
Over the past 15 years, Taylor has been studying sharks and other large marine predators around the world focused on their movements, behaviors and population dynamics. From South Africa to Australia to California, using state of the art technology, he electronically tags animals to gain insights into their lives when we aren’t there to observe them. At OSU, Taylor studies the sharks off our coasts and works with local communities to better understand sharks in Oregon. Relatively little is known about how White, Salmon and Sevengill sharks affect our coastal ecosystems, but Taylor and the BFL plan to change that.
Bio
Taylor grew up in the great state of Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. He received his BA from Boston University in biology with a concentration in marine science in 2001. Taylor then worked designing experimental fishing nets to limit bycatch of New England and taught marine science aboard a sailboat in the Puget Sound. In 2002 he first began working with sharks off the coasts of Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Taylor received his Ph.D in 2009 from the University of California, Davis, developing ways to estimate and assess shark species with little data. At UCD his work focused on the Common Thresher shark and the White shark. In 2010 Taylor began an appointment with the Max Planck Institute in Germany, studying the energetics and behavior of highly nomadic species. He also studied how sharks navigate by developing a magnetic tag, which can manipulate the ambient magnetic field around a shark. In 2012 Taylor began a second post-doctoral appointment with Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. At Stanford Taylor worked on a continuing assessment of white sharks as well as their behavior and movements. Taylor started at OSU in 2019 and currently runs the BFL at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.
If Taylor had spare time it would be a miracle, because when he’s not out chasing sharks he’s chasing his two very energetic kids.
Other:
Research Staff
Alexandra McInturf, PhD (she/her)
Bio:
Alex McInturf is a Research Associate in the Big Fish Lab. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Alex’s interest in sharks began when she was very young. She credits her initial fear of sharks and unfamiliarity with the ocean for prompting her exploration to better understand this environment. While in Ohio, she volunteered at the local Newport Aquarium (KY) and read every book she could find on sharks, skates, and rays. She then attended Williams College for her undergraduate education, where she enrolled in the Williams-Mystic Coastal and Ocean Studies program to learn a more interdisciplinary approach to studying the sea. Following graduation, she was an intern with Oceans Research (South Africa) and the Bimini Shark Lab (Bahamas), where she studied white sharks, tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, and sandtiger sharks. She obtained her PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis, for which she examined physiology, behavior, and distribution of basking sharks, sevengill sharks, and salmon. In addition to research, Alex is an avid science communicator, soccer player, trail runner, reader, baker, and dog mom.
Fun facts:
Alex has an English degree from Williams College.
Research interests:
Alex is interested in the movement and behavior of sharks and their relatives, and how these are influenced by biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in the environment. She uses a combination of methods, including stomach content analysis, biologging, and spatial modeling, to explore these topics in a wide variety of threatened or data deficient species. Her current work in the Big Fish Lab spans a wide range of topics, but includes research on the diet and habitat use of salmon sharks, the movement of Pacific spiny dogfish, distribution of Chinook salmon, and the social lives of basking sharks in Ireland.
Other:
- Social media: @DrSurfNTurf
- Personal website
Graduate Students
Jessica Schulte (she/her)
Bio
Jess graduated with honors from the University of Florida in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Science focusing on climate change and other global anthropogenic impacts. She interned in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark lab, working in the International Shark Attack Files, as well as the US Geological Survey’s Benthic Ecology Lab, processing deep sea coral samples for stable isotope analysis. This work led to full-time opportunities in USGS’s Invasive Fish lab where she worked across a variety of research including ecophysiology, foraging ecology, and genetics of non-native species in Florida. She then served for 2.5 years in the Peace Corps where she collaborated with communities on coastal resource management and conservation in the Philippines. After returning to the States, she worked at the State Department in Washington DC, handling international climate change programs and diplomacy before starting graduate school in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University.
Jess was awarded the 2021 Oregon Sea Grant Robert E. Malouf Marine Studies Scholarship, the 2021 Marine Studies Initiative Advancement Award, the 2021 and 2023 Mamie L. Markham Endowment Award, the 2022 McNeil Award, the 2023 Next Swell award, and the 2024 Women Diver's Hall of Fame Graduate Conservation Award. She also received Honorable Mentions for the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship award in 2022 and 2024.
Research
Jess’s research aims to understand fisheries as part of a larger cultural picture in the Pacific Northwest and contribute to critical outreach and engagement with the broader public. She is broadly interested in the movement and foraging ecology of top predators. Combined with a variety of anthropogenic stressors, fisheries in this region have experienced significant drops in stock, followed by ecosystem effects and repercussions on local economies. Despite their often significant roles in local ecosystems though, large sharks have been conspicuously absent from modeling and management efforts in the region. Using bio-logging, genetics, stable isotopes, and stomach content analysis, Jess’s research provides critical insights into the trophic ecology of an abundant apex predator in these marine ecosystems, the Broadnose Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus). Her project is helping determine how predators maintain productive marine ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest from a quantitative and cultural lens while informing management of critical fisheries through top-down interactions.
Fun Fact
Jess loves photography, diving, yoga, hiking, and all forms of dogspotting. She is also an adventurous eater...just ask her sometime!
Other:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @JessSchulte
Maddie English (she/her)
Bio
Originally from Davis, California, Maddie graduated from Oregon State University in 2021 with a degree in Environmental Science, concentrating in Aquatic Biology, and a minor in Marine Conservation and Management. Before joining the lab as a master’s student, she interned with the Coral Restoration Foundation in the Florida Keys, where she gained experience in the nonprofit sector of marine conservation, with a focus on hands-on restoration of coral reef ecosystems. Maddie also interned with the Big Fish Lab, working on a project using photo identification to study connectivity between white shark populations off the coast of California and Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Maddie recently completed her Master’s degree in 2025, where her research focused on microplastic and anthropogenic microparticle contamination in salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis).
Research
Maddie’s current research focuses on the movements and behavior of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in and around the waters of Ireland’s southwestern coast. She uses a combination of acoustic and satellite tagging to track large-scale and fine-scale movements, drone-based video to quantify basking shark behavior and responses to vessel activity, and muscle tissue sampling to measure reproductive hormone levels and assess reproductive status.
Maddie was awarded the 2023 Mamie L. Markham Endowment Award.
Fun Fact
Maddie enjoys hiking, scuba diving, foraging, and taking care of her 130+ houseplants.
Other:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @MaddieEnglish_
Ethan Personius (he/him)
Email: [email protected]
Bio
Ethan Personius developed his passion for marine ecosystems growing up on the island of Oahu, where he spent his early years exploring tide pools and freediving along coral reefs. After moving to Washington State, he witnessed firsthand the critical importance of sustainable fisheries management in a rural community heavily reliant on aquaculture and fishing. Ethan graduated with his B.S. in Ecology from The Evergreen State College, where he conducted multiple research projects, including his honors thesis focused on identifying the influence of environmental factors on the within-estuary movement of broadnose sevengill sharks. Now, as a PhD student in the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University, Ethan continues to build on his extensive field experience and passion for marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management.
Ethan was Awarded the 2023 ODFW Marine Reserves Graduate Student Scholarship and the 2024 Mamie L. Markham Endowment Award.
Research
Ethan is interested in understanding the ecological role of data-deficient marine predators in the region. Ethan’s research focuses on the soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus), a large highly migratory marine apex predator. After capturing and tagging the first soupfin shark in Puget Sound, Ethan is taking a closer look at the ecology of this species in the waters off of Oregon and Washington. His research investigates the movement, habitat utilization, population size, and foraging ecology of soupfin sharks using stable isotope diet reconstructions, genetic analyses, and satellite and acoustic tagging. This project will offer the first insights into the foraging behavior and migratory movements of male soupfin sharks in the North Pacific
Fun Fact
If you can’t find Ethan in the lab, check the nearby surf breaks.
Publications
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1420721/full
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1430962/full
Undergraduate Students
Deven Guerrero (they/them)
Bio
Originally from Central California, Deven moved to Oregon to join the Big Fish Lab after starting off as Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) intern. Growing up in a coastal state and visiting every science museum in driving distance, Deven developed a deep passion for science and the ocean. The first project they ever worked on was studying post-stress behavior of California bat rays (Myliobatis californica) and they knew then that elasmobranch research was right where they wanted to be. When not in the lab, Deven loves reading, rock climbing, misidentifying birds, and playing video games.
Research
While on their first project, Deven worked closely with former graduate student Joshua Bowman to study post-stress behavior of California bat rays (Myliobatis californica) and assisted on his project aimed at understanding chemical signaling in elasmobranchs. They also assisted graduate student Maddie English on her masters project to investigate microparticle ingestion in Salmon Sharks (Lamna ditropsis). Currently, they are working with a small research team on a literature review of shark social behavior. Overall, Deven is interested in the movement, habitat use, behavior, and diet of sharks.
Fun fact
Deven is named after the first Broadnose Sevengill Shark they helped dissect!
Other:
- Email: [email protected], [email protected]
- Instagram: @KiwisandLilies
Natalie Donato (she/her)
Bio
Natalie is a fourth-year Honors undergraduate student studying marine biology at Oregon State University. She grew up in Folsom, California and loves it here in Oregon but misses the sunshine back home. She has had a lifelong passion for marine science, which led her to take an URSA (Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts) position with Big Fish Lab during her first year at OSU. That experience has sparked her interest in the sensory systems of elasmobranchs and how they interpret and respond to changes in their environment, leading to her Honors Thesis work on shark electroreceptor pore distributions. Natalie also has a dual career as an artist and dedicates time working with the lab to create hyper-realistic artwork of the species studied in the lab as well as figures, diagrams, and more for science communication. When she’s not in class, the art studio, or the lab, Natalie likes to draw outside, practice martial arts, do wildlife photography, ski, and scuba dive.
Research
The first project Natalie joined investigated how big skates and longnose skates responded to geomagnetic fields (Earth’s magnetic field) and electromagnetic fields to better understand how electromagnetic fields from cables in offshore renewable energy installations may affect their behaviors and movements. Inspired by topics from her first experience, Natalie is currently working on her Honors College Thesis developing a non-destructive method to map shark electroreceptor pores with 3D photogrammetry (photograph-based 3D modeling). After refining the method, she will collect photographs and generate 3D models of a variety of elasmobranch species to map their electroreceptor pores, since each species of shark has a unique distribution of electroreceptor pores influenced by aspects such as habitat, foraging strategies and evolutionary lineage. Comparing the electroreceptor pore distributions to those various aspects of the shark species can help explain why variations exist and can help better understand how sharks use electroreception and how human impacts may affect the capabilities of this unique sensory system.
Fun fact
Natalie has a second degree black belt in taekwondo.
Other:
- Instagram: @nataliedonato.art
Auggie Tveit (he/him)
Bio
Auggie is an undergraduate studying environmental science and aquatic biology with a chemistry minor at Oregon State University. He lived in Hartford, Connecticut for a short time, but mainly grew up in the Seattle area of Washington. Auggie has known he wanted to work in shark science ever since his older brother made him watch Jaws. Auggie got his start doing research in Washington through the Ocean Research College Academy, where he explored the seasonality of phytoplankton populations in the Puget Sound. After coming to OSU, he took on a undergraduate position studying intertidal organisms during his first year before becoming a Branch Experiment Station intern with the Big Fish Lab. While not in the lab, Auggie loves indoor rock climbing, paddleboarding, SCUBA, and playing video games with his friends back home.
Research
Auggie has done research with many organisms, including phytoplankton, mussels, and sea stars, but sharks are definitely his favorite! Recently, Auggie assisted graduate student Maddie English with her project on microparticles in salmon sharks and their prey. Currently, Auggie is working with Dr. McInturf on a study investigating the movement pattern of dogfish. Auggie is most interested in studying the movement and behavior of sharks, especially in conjunction with human interaction and fisheries.
Fun fact
Auggie graduated highschool with his Associates degree.
Other:
- Email: [email protected]
Sydney Johnson (She/her)
Bio
Sydney has an associates degree in Anthropology and is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Marine Studies. Growing up on a small family farm in the Willamette Valley, and annual trips to the Oregon coast sparked a lifelong love for agriculture, anthropology, and marine science. While Sydney is passionate about all aspects of marine science, her fascination with sharks began after taking a class where she learned to tag broadnose seven-gill sharks. The hands-on experience was unforgettable, and she has been hooked ever since. Eager to immerse herself in shark research, Sydney began volunteering any extra time she could find, which led her to join the lab. Sydney loves learning everything she can about shark research and contributing in any way possible. Beyond research, Sydney enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for marine science through educational outreach. When shes not working or volunteering, you can find her crafting, reading, line dancing, or learning West Coast swing.
Research
Sydney assisted Reilly in researching the diet and feeding ecology of salmon sharks and is eager to expand her knowledge across various research areas, particularly those focused on behavior. Additionally, Sydney is interested in exploring the human dimensions of shark research, including public perceptions. Passionate about educational outreach and hands-on-experience, Sydney is interested in diverse forms of science communication to foster collaboration, teamwork, and leadership.
Fun fact
Sydney loves Shipwreck history! She also helps her dad make BioDiesel by recycling used cooking-oil.
Past Lab Members
Joshua Bowman (he/him)
I am investigating physiological and behavioral stress responses to chemical cues in sharks, skates, and rays with Dr. Taylor Chapple's Big Fish Lab.
As a Master’s student in the Big Fish Lab, Josh is investigating the physiology and behavior of sharks as they relate to predator-prey dynamics. As large predatory fish, sharks have few natural predators and therefore are...
Ph.D, Fisheries Science
Reilly Boyt (she/her)
Bio
Originally from Colorado, Reilly’s passion for the marine world was sparked at an early age while visiting the ocean and exploring the tidepools during family vacations. Her deep love for feeding ecology studies grew from her first job at the National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, CO where she dug around in Coyote stomachs for a diet and feeding ecology study. She then attended the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) from the University of California San Diego where she earned her undergraduate degree in Marine Biology. During her final year at SIO she interned at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego where she assisted in diet studies of various keystone shark and fish species using traditional stomach analysis.
Reilly was awarded the 2023 Ocean Solutions grant.
Research
Reilly's research explores the foraging ecology of salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) by integrating DNA metabarcoding and fatty acid analysis to assess habitat use and dietary patterns across sexes, life stages, and habitats. By identifying prey composition and tracking short-term dietary shifts, she aims to refine understanding of their ecological role and improve ecosystem-based fishery management.
Fun Fact
Reilly is a Paralympian, prior to joining the lab she swam with the Paralympic Swim Team for 10 years and swam at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Other:
- Email: [email protected], [email protected]
- Instagram: @SunBaby124
- BlueSky: @ReillyBoyt
Kiki Kappos (she/her)
Bio
Kiki majored in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences with a minor in Marine Biology. She has been passionate about sharks since before she can remember, which, according to family video, was first apparent in self-composed songs; in recent years, her passion has manifested itself in her shark conservation awareness Instagram account, an overabundance of shark merchandise, and in her academic endeavors. Kiki took her passion from California to OSU, where she’s had opportunities to experience different forms of elasmobranch science by volunteering with the BFL. Kiki strives to pursue graduate studies, and is interested in the physiological responses, biological traits, and movement patterns of oceanic fish, with the goal to improve management strategies and mitigate anthropogenic stressors.
Research
Kiki is working to fill the knowledge gap on the distributions of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Oregon waters. She is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology to generate a predictive model for locating individuals; this involves curating data on their historical occurrences and assessing environmental elements of habitat suitability along the coast. The goal of her project is to enhance various research endeavors with a more substantial foundation of understanding regarding the seasonal distributions of white sharks in the Pacific Northwest.
Fun fact
Kiki is a nationally-ranked player on the Oregon State Women’s Lacrosse team – and her teammates call her Sharkbait!
Other:
- Instagram: @voice4sharks
- Website: https://voice4sharks.wordpress.com/
Chloe K. Hemelstrand
Research
As of January 2022, Chloe has been assisting with Alexandra McInturf’s research project on Salmon Shark foraging ecology. She is responsible for performing stomach content analysis alongside fellow undergraduate Charlotte Hussain.
Bio
Chloe Hemelstrand is a first-year undergraduate student studying Marine Biology at Oregon State University. She grew up in Turner, Oregon, a small town just outside of Salem, with her mother, father, and four younger brothers. Chloe has loved the sea since before she can remember. As a child, she spent hours flipping through her father’s collection of fish identification books and exploring tide pools during her family’s beach visits. However, it wasn’t until she began watching shark documentaries that Chloe discovered her passion for these apex predators. The more she learned about sharks, the more Chloe realized how misunderstood and important these creatures were. Upon graduating, Chloe hopes to obtain her Master’s and PhD degrees. Her goal for her future career is to work as a marine scientist studying shark behavior and ecology.
Fun Facts
Chloe loves to surf, sing, dance, and learn new songs on her guitar!
Charlotte Hussain
Bio
Charlotte was excited to be working as an undergraduate intern at the Big Fish Lab. She majored in Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Agriculture at Oregon State University and was a member of the Honors College.
Research
In 2022, she performed stomach content analysis for Alexandra McInturf’s research project on salmon shark foraging ecology. Charlotte hopes to continue pursuing research careers related to marine megafauna.
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Jordon Mercer
Bio
Jordon studied Biology at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She hopes to do graduate work in Animal Behavior and do marine science outreach to children in her career.
Research
Jordon was an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) Intern at Hatfield over the summer of 2022. Her current project is on determining hunting strategies for white and tiger sharks via tag footage.
Fun Fact
Jordon loves running, dancing, and baking.
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Taryn Goucher (she/her)
Bio
Taryn is originally from Gracemont, Oklahoma and has wanted to move to Oregon since she was 11 years old. Taryn joined the lab through an opportunity with the STEM Leaders program at OSU. She has always been fascinated by large animals that live in the ocean and was very happy to be able to help with the research of sharks!
Research
Taryn helped Maddie English with her research involving microplastic consumption and trophic transfer in Salmon Sharks. This included the digestion, filtering, and microscopy of Salmon Shark stomachs. Taryn also helped Jess Schulte with the organization of photos of Broadnose Sevengill Sharks for Identification purposes in future research.
She is interested in doing research involving any larger animals but prefers researching animals that live in oceans. Microplastic research has become increasingly interesting to Taryn and she would like to understand more about this growing problem and how it affects larger animals.
Fun fact
Taryn's childhood room was ocean themed and had two large sharks on the walls.
Other:
- Email: [email protected]
Lab Pets
Rey
Rey (affectionately named by her STARWARS-crazed 5 and 7 yr old people) is a black lab/blue heeler mix. Rey is one of the most patient dogs ever known and spends equal parts of her time chasing children and running away from them. And, while she’ll chase a ball down at a full sprint, she rarely brings it back.
Mako & Luka
Mako Maximus McInturf is a 7-year-old Russian spaniel originally adopted from Sacramento, California. He enjoys sleeping in the car or on the couch while Alex is at work. Other hobbies include running, playing on the beach, eating peanut butter, playing with his lacrosse ball, and hoarding toys. Luka Batzer is a 2-year-old Border Collie mix, recently adopted from Bend, Oregon. Initially a skittish pup, he takes after Mako in his love for sleeping while Alex is at work and playing ball at the park or on the beach. He also enjoys mountain biking, hiking, back scratches, and getting zoomies in the snow.
Captain
Captain is a Maine Coone mix from Orlando, FL who loves laying around the house and waiting to be fed. He was given to Jess as a 21st birthday present by her sister back when he was a tiny kitten. Now, he is a fluffy, friendly, cuddly 22 pound cat who LOVES treats, having his belly rubbed, and staring longingly out windows, and HATES the diet he is on.
Mr. Kiwi, Nova, & Captain Anchovy
Kiwi was a eleven-year-old kitty from Sacramento,CA. In his spare time, he enjoyed car rides, hunting moths and sipping on oat milk. Kiwi was always found napping near his humans, trying to steal some food, or playing with Nova and Captain Anchovy. Due to allergies, Kiwi had an extensive closet of t-shirts he found comfortable that kept him safe and fashionable. Nova is a sweet three-year-old pup that loves wrestling with Anchovy and is always on the hunt for a treat. Captain anchovy is a two-year-old kitty who loves to spy on birds and run around the house like he's preparing for an competitive obstacle course. At times, they could be found in one giant pile taking a nap together.
Lady Jaye & Mother Goose
Lady Jaye is a ten year old Labrador/Saint Bernard, she was adopted from Castle Rock, Washington. She loves swimming, going on runs, begging for food, and stealing shoes. Her favorite treat is anything that's in your hand (food or not). Mother Goose is a one year old cat, adopted from Corvallis, OR. She loves Lady Jaye, marshmallows, and opening up all the cabinets in the house. Both Lady Jaye and Goose love sleeping anywhere and anytime.
Moto
Moto is a six-year-old African Fire Skink that Natalie adopted, back when he was two weeks old. His favorite activities include basking under his heat lamps, chasing after and eating insects, napping, and burrowing in the dirt of his enclosure.
Zirk
Zirk is a goofy 7-year old Irish Water Spaniel who when not making silly faces, enjoys swimming about in rivers and jumping off things that are just a little bit too tall. Her hobbies include staring deep into someones soul with the eyes of a victorian child, awkwardly sitting, eating plants she’s not supposed to, licking stranger’s knee caps, belly pats, hikes, and complaining about not hiking enough.
Peanut
Peanut Butter, or Peanut for short, is a 2-year-old yellow English lab named after peanut M&Ms. Her passions include taking long walks on the beach, chasing her ball, cuddling, and of course, food (its hard to say which order those come in).
Pica
Pica is an 11-year-old jack russell/chihuahua mix that was adopted by Braden’s family, along with Pica’s sister, Pepa. Though her sister has unfortunately passed, Pica found a warm family with a great grandmother who spoils her with eggs, treats, and pets ad libitum. Her legends include her once fighting a tribe of marauder squirrels – and living.