Joe Tyburczy (pronounced tuh-BUR-zee) is California Sea Grant Extension’s northernmost Specialist and is based in Humboldt County, where he is also an adjunct at Humboldt State University. Tyburczy is a marine ecologist interested in understanding the effects of environmental change (e.g. climate), policies, and management decisions on species and ecosystems. He engages in research, outreach, and education in order to fill gaps in knowledge and promote environmental conservation, sustainable use of marine resources, and the long-term security and prosperity of coastal communities – especially those of California’s North Coast. Tyburczy earned his PhD from Oregon State University and his BS in Biology from Stanford.
Expertise
- Ocean acidification and impacts on oyster aquaculture
- Monitoring and restoration of eelgrass and kelps
- Marine Protected Area (MPA) monitoring
- Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and impacts on fisheries
- Sea level rise adaptation
Research
Tyburczy identifies pressing environmental and marine resource challenges and works to address them through collaborative, applied research. Ongoing projects include: investigating ocean acidification, its impact on oyster aquaculture, and the degree to which eelgrass counteracts it in Humboldt Bay; Bay-wide monitoring of eelgrass distribution and the feasibility of restoring eelgrass via substrate remediation; and monitoring rocky reef fish inside/outside of marine protected areas along the North Coast as part of the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program.
Extension and Outreach
Tyburczy is the coordinator of the Humboldt Bay Initiative (HBI), an informal collaborative effort by local stakeholders to plan and implement ecosystem-based management (EBM). Working with HBI and its associated non-profit, the Coastal Ecosystems Institute of Northern California, Tyburczy leads organization of the Humboldt Bay Symposium, a biennial conference for the general public of this region focused on local coastal and marine research, restoration efforts, and proposed development.
Featured Outreach Products
- Curricula for K-5th grade students on the science of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as well as videos to increase awareness of the North Coast’s MPAs produced by the Humboldt MPA Community Collaborative
- Videos of talks from the 2019 Humboldt Bay Symposium
- Sontek Sound Stream podcast episode “Let's talk about race, religion, and climate change (or) what eelgrass studies say about ocean acidification” Download MP3
Selected Publications
Richmond, L, W Fisher, W Smith, S Hackett, J Tyburczy. 2018. Humboldt Bay shellfish mariculture business survey: assessing economic conditions and impact. Report. 27 pp. Full-text
Nielsen, K, J Stachowicz, H Carter, K Boyer, M Bracken, F Chan, F Chavez, K Hovel, M Kent, K Nickols, J Ruesink, J Tyburczy, S Wheeler. 2018. Emerging understanding of the potential role of seagrass and kelp as an ocean acidification management tool in California. California Ocean Science Trust, Oakland, California, USA. Report. 18 pp. Download PDF
Mulligan, T, J Tyburczy, J Staton, I Kelmartin, D Barrett. 2017. Baseline characterization of fish communities associated with nearshore rocky reefs in the Northern California Marine Protected Area Study Region. Report. 79pp. Download PDF
Craig, S, J Tyburczy, I Aiello, R Laucci, A Kinziger, P Raimondi, M Miner, R Gaddam, K Ammann, M George, L Anderson, D Lohse, M Douglas, N Fletcher, J Lopiccolo, K Hinterman. 2017. Baseline characterization of rocky intertidal ecosystems along the North Coast of California. Report. 119pp. Download PDF
Bonicelli, J, J Tyburczy, FJ Tapia, GR Finke, M Parragué, S Dudas, BA Menge, SA Navarrete. 2016. Diel vertical migration and cross-shore distribution of barnacle and bivalve larvae in the central Chile inner-shelf. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 485: 35– 46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2016.08.013
Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
