About me

I was born and raised in sunny California where my fascination for marine biology was fostered from a young age with the support of my parents. Following my passion for science, I spent my formative years (i.e. college) at the University of California Santa Cruz. Since then, my studies and personal interests have taken me around the world; however, California ecosystems (marine to mountain) remain close to my heart. When I am not tied to the computer or running around in lab, I enjoy getting outdoors and remembering why it is important to conserve and protect the only home our species has ever known. My research interests, while generally flavored with a hint of toxicology, range from ecology to physiology using elasmobranchs as model organisms to address these questions.

Curriculum vitae

Education

Education & Work

2019- Present Research Scientist, Georgia Aquarium

2018-2019 Lecturer and postdoc, California State University Long Beach

2013-2018 Ph.D. in Physiology, University of Calgary

2009-2013 M.S. in Biology, California State University Long Beach

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s List

2005-2009 B.S. in Marine Biology, University of California Santa Cruz

University honors, Summa cum laude, Highest Departmental honors (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), college honors

Field Experience

Beach seining by small (15.2 m long) and large (26 m long) nets

Acoustic receiver deployment and retrieval via SCUBA

Active tracking of teleosts and elasmobranchs

Limited boating experience (< 25’ in length)

Long-lining experience

Blood and tissue sampling in the field

Hook and line & long-line fishing

Intertidal core sediment sampling

Dart tagging, measuring, and biological tissue sampling of elasmobranchs

Elasmobranch necropsy experience

Laboratory Experience

Organochlorine contaminant analyses (Soxhlet and microwave extractions, GCMS, contaminant quantification)

Mercury and trace metal analysis (acid microwave digestions, and Leeman Labs mercury analyzer)

Equipment use:

GCMS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry)
ICPMS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry)
Leeman Labs mercury counter
microtome
ultrasound (pregnant stingrays)

Hormone analysis: ELISA

Histology: tissue fixing, embedding, and staining

Blood sampling

CYP1A (P450) analysis: Western blot, ELISA, EROD assays

Limited proteomics experience

Limited genetic analysis with microsatellites: DNA tissue extractions, PCR, electrophoresis

Grants & Awards

2020 Save Our Seas Foundation

2018 South Carolina State Wildlife Grants Project (co-author)

2017 Global Partnership for Sharks and Rays Small Grant Recipient (co-author)

2017 Best graduate student presentation, Southern California SETAC chapter meeting

2016 Eugenie Clark award for young professional female scientist (AES)

2016 P.E.O. scholarship

2016 Tuna Conference student scholarship

2016 SETAC 5th annual YES meeting travel award

2014 SETAC 35th North America meeting 3rd place in student presentation competition

2014 SETAC national and regional student travel award

2014 Outstanding Master’s thesis award for College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CSULB)

2014 American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists (AIFRB) Clark Hubbs Research Assistance Award

2014 Vanier Scholarship

2013 Biological Sciences scholarship

2013 Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures Doctoral Scholarship

2013 Gruber Award for best student oral presentation (AES)

2013 Best Master’s student oral presentation (SoCal SETAC)

2013 Outstanding Graduate Research Award (CSULB)

2012 AES student research grant

2012 AES student travel award

2012 Southern California SETAC student research award

2011 Women’s Environmental Council

2011 Southern California Academy of Sciences

2010 CSU Council On Ocean Affairs and Technology

2010 Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club Scholarship

2010 University of Southern California Sea Grant

2010 Loomis Award from the CSULB Biological Science Department

2010 Reish Scholarship for Research in Marine Biology

2010 Southern California Tuna Club Scholarship

2010 Project AWARE

2009 Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club Scholarship

2005-2009 University of California Regent Scholar

2005-2009 Northrop Grumman Scholarship

Field Experience

Laboratory Experience

Grants & Awards

Publications

Publications (PDFs available by request)

Lyons, K, Galloway, AS, Adams, DH, Reyier, EA, Barker, AM, Portnoy, DS, Frazier, BS. 2020. Maternal provisioning gives young-of-year Hammerheads a head start in early life. Marine Biology, 167, 1-13. Link

Lyons, K, Kacev, D, Preti, A, Gillett, D, Dewar, H. 2019. Organic contaminants as an ecological tool to explore niche partitioning: a case study using three pelagic shark species. Scientific Reports 9, 12080. Link

Lyons, K, Kacev, D, Preti, A, Gillett, D, Dewar, H, Kohin, S. 2019. Species-specific characteristics influence contaminant accumulation trajectories and signatures across ontogeny in three pelagic shark species. Environmental Science and Technology, 53, 6997-7006. Link

Lyons, K, Bigman, JS, Kacev, D, Mull, CG, Carlisle, AB, Imhoff, JL, Anderson, JM, Weng, KC, Shaw, AL, Cave, E, Gunn, TR, Lowe, CG, Brill, RW, Bedore, CN. 2019. Bridging disciplines to advance elasmobranch conservation: applications of physiological ecology. Conservation Physiology, 7(1): coz011. Link

Lyons, K, Wynne-Edwards, KE. 2019. Legacy Environmental polychlorinated biphenyl contamination attenuates the acute stress response in a cartilaginous fish, the Round Stingray. Stress, 22:3, 395-402. Link

Lyons, K, Wynne-Edwards, KE. 2019. Steroid concentrations in maternal serum and uterine histotroph in round stingrays (Urobatis halleri). General and Comparative Endocrinology. 274:8-16. Link

White, CF, Lyons, K, Jorgensen, SJ, O’Sullivan, JB, Winkler, C, Weng, KC, Lowe, CG. 2019. Quantifying habitat selection and variability in habitat suitability for juvenile white sharks. PLoS ONE 14(5): e0214642. Link

Huveneers C, Apps K, Becerril-García EE, Bruce B, Butcher PA, Carlisle AB, Chapple TK, Christiansen HM, Cliff G, Curtis TH, Daly-Engel TS, Dewar H, Dicken ML, Domeier ML, Duffy CAJ, Ford R, Francis MP, French GCA, Galván-Magaña F, García-Rodríguez E, Gennari E, Graham B, Hayden B, Hoyos-Padilla EM, Hussey NE, Jewell OJD, Jorgensen SJ, Kock AA, Lowe CG, Lyons K, Meyer L, Oelofse G, Oñate-González EC, Oosthuizen H, O’Sullivan JB, Ramm K, Skomal G, Sloan S, Smale MJ, Sosa-Nishizaki O, Sperone E, Tamburin E, Towner AV, Wcisel MA, Weng KC and Werry JM. 2018. Future Research Directions on the “Elusive” White Shark. Front. Mar. Sci. 5:455.

Lyons, K, Wynne-Edwards, KE. Legacy PCB Contamination Impairs Male Embryonic Development in an Elasmobranch with Matrotrophic Histotrophy, the Round Stingray (Urobatis halleri). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 9999:1-8. Link

Lyons, K, Burket, SR, Brooks, BW. 2018. Sex may influence environmental diphenhydramine accumulation in Round Stingrays. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 135: 648-653. Link

Logan, R, White, C, Winkler, C, Jorgensen, S, O'Sullivan, JB; Lowe, CG, Lyons, K. 2018. Length, girth and weight morphometric relationships for juvenile White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in southern California. Journal Fish Biology. 93: 842-849. Link

Seidel, R, Blumer, M, Pechriggl, EJ, Lyons, K, Hall, BK, Fratzl, P, Weaver, JC, Dean, MN. 2016. Calcified cartilage or bone? – collagens in the tessellated endoskeletons of cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays). Journal of Structural Biology. 200(1): 54-71. Link

Lyons, K, Carlisle, AB, Lowe, CG. 2017. Influence of ontogeny and environmental exposure on mercury accumulation in muscle and liver of male Round Stingrays. Marine Environmental Research. DOI:10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.004. Link

Lyons, K, Chabot, CL, Mull, CG, Paterson Holder, CN, Lowe, CG. 2017. Who's my daddy? Considerations for the influence of sexual selection on multiple paternity in elasmobranch mating systems. Ecology and Evolution. DOI:10:1002/ece3.3086. Link

Lyons, K and Adams, DH. 2017. First evidence of persistent organic contaminants as potential anthropogenic stressors in the Barndoor Skate Dipturus laevis. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 116(1-2), 534-537. Link

Oñate-González EC, Sosa-Nishizaki O, Herzka SZ, Lowe CG, Lyons K, Santana-Morales O, Sepulveda C, Guerrero-Ávila C, García-Rodríguez E, O'Sullivan J. 2017. Importance of Bahia Sebastian Vizcaino as a nursery area for white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in the northeastern Pacific: A fishery dependent analysis. Fisheries Research. 188, 125-137. Link

Seidel, R, Lyons, K, Blumer, M, Zaslansky, P, Fratzl, P, Weaver, JC, Dean, MN. 2016. Ultrastructural and developmental features of the tessellated endoskeleton of sharks and rays. Journal of Anatomy. 10.1111/joa.12508. Link

Carlisle, AB, Litvin, SY, Madigan, DJ, Lyons, K, Bigman, JS, Ibarra, M, Bizzarro, JJ. 2016. Interactive effects of urea and lipid content confound stable isotope results in elasmobranch fishes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Link

Thys, TM, Ryan, JP, Dewar, H, Perle, CR, Lyons, K, O’Sullivan, J, Farwell, C, Howard, MJ, Weng, KC, Lavaniegos, BE, Gaxiola-Castro, G, Bojorquez, LEM, Hazen, EL, Bograd, SJ. 2015. Ecology of the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, in the southern California current system. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 471:64-76. Link

Lyons, K and Lowe, CG. 2015. Organochlorine contaminants and maternal offloading in the lecithotrophic Pacific angel shark (Squatina californica) collected from southern California. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 97: 518-522 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.05.019 Link

Lyons, K, Preti, A, Madigan, DJ, Wells, RJD, Blasius, ME, Snodgrass, OE, Kacev, D, Harris, JD, Dewar, H, Kohin, S, Mackenzie, K, Lowe, CG. 2015. Insights into the life history and ecology of a large shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) captured in southern California. Journal of Fish Biology. 87(1): 200-211. Link

Lyons, K and Adams, D. 2015. Maternal offloading of organochlorine contaminants in the yolk-sac placental scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini. Ecotoxicology 24: 553-562. Link

Lyons, K, Lavado, R, Schlenk, D, Lowe, CG. 2014. Bioaccumulation of organochlorine contaminants and EROD activity in southern California round stingrays (Urobatis halleri) exposed to planar aromatic compounds. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33(6): 1380-1390. Link

Lyons, K and Lowe, CG. 2013 Quantification of maternal offloading of organic contaminants in elasmobranchs using the histotrophic round stingray (Urobatis halleri) as a model. Environmental Science and Technology. 47(21) pp. 12450-12458. Link

Lyons, K and Lowe, CG. 2013. Mechanisms of maternal transfer of organochlorine contaminants and mercury in the thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70(12): 1667-1672. Link

Lyons, K, Jarvis, ET, Jorgensen, S, Weng, K, O’Sullivan, J, Winkler, C, Lowe, CG. 2013. Assessment of degree and result of fisheries interactions with juvenile white sharks in southern California via fishery independent and dependent methods. Fisheries Research. 147: 370-380. Link

Lyons, K, Carlisle, A, Preti, A, Mull, C, Blasius, ME, O’Sullivan, J, Winkler, C, Lowe, CG. 2013. Effects of trophic ecology and habitat use on maternal transfer of contaminants in four species of young of the year lamniform sharks. Marine Environmental Research. 90 pp. 27-38. Link

Mull, CG, Lyons, K, Blasius, ME, Winkler, C, O’Sullivan, JB, and Lowe, CG. 2013. Evidence of maternal offloading of organic contaminants in white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). PLoS ONE 8:e62886. Link

Presentations

Invited Speaker

10/2019 Invited symposium speaker for SERMACS Regional Meeting, Savannah, GA

09/2019 Invited speaker for Biological Sciences seminar speaker, University of Southern Mississippi

10/2018 Invited speaker for monthly P.E.O. VG Chapter Meeting

10/2018 Invited Dept of Biological Sciences seminar speaker, Georgia Southern University

05/2018 Invited speaker for Aquarium of the Pacific “Shark Café” Speaker

05/2018 Invited speaker for “Sea Drinks” Meetup group.

04/2017 Invited lunch speaker for monthly P.E.O. Southern California Chapter Meeting

08/2016 Invited dinner speaker for monthly P.E.O. Alberta Chapter Meeting

07/2015 Invited symposium speaker. American Elasmobranch Society Conference, Reno, USA

04/2014 Invited symposium speaker. American Fisheries Society Western Chapter, Mazatlan, Mexico

03/2013 Guest scientist presenter at Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference

07/2011 Guest speaker at the Women’s Environmental Council Monthly meeting

08/2010 & 2011 – “Shark Day” Guest speaker at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific’s teen day camp

02/2010 – Guest speaker at Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club’s February Meeting

Selected International Meetings and Workshops

03/2020 Oral presentation at NEPSS, “Sex-related metabolic outcomes in wild stingrays with differential exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl exposure from southern California”, La Paz, Mexico.

07/2019 Oral presentation at AES, “Legacy PCB Contamination Negatively Impacts Osmoregulatory Biomarkers in Pregnant Female Stingrays and their Embryos”, Snowbird, Utah.

05/2019 Oral presentation at Tuna Conference, “Maternal provisioning gives young-of-year hammerhead sharks a head start in life”, Lake Arrowhead, California.

11/2018 Poster presentation at North American SETAC, “Physiological consequences of PCB contaminants in stingray embryos and their mothers”, Sacramento, California.

06/2018 Oral presentation at Sharks International, “Impaired intrauterine development of round stingray (Urobatis halleri) embryos to legacy environmental PCB exposure”, João Pessoa, Brazil.

03/2018 Oral presentation at NEPSS, “Embryo steroidogenesis in an elasmobranch with matrotrophic histotrophy”, Seattle, Washington.

Professional Societies

Certifications

Professional Societies

American Elasmobranch Society

Nominating committee (2015 & Chair 2017), Head of student store (2014-2017)
Elected to Board of Directions (2019 – 2024)

American Fisheries Society

American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Mentorship

Georgia State University student, undergraduate research credit (2019-2020)

Georgia Tech University student, undergraduate research credit (2020-present)

Harvard University student, undergraduate research mentorship (2020-present)

Service on graduate student committees: 3

Certifications

AAUS Scientific SCUBA Diver (100’)

Rescue diver

Computer Skills

OS: macOS, Windows

Prism

ArcGIS/qGIS

Microsoft Office

Computer Skills