Elizabeth Salzman, Research Support Specialist
Elizabeth Salzman has been a valued member of our IOCS team for several years and earned her M.S. degree under the direction of Ellen Pikitch. With a profound passion for marine life, particularly sharks, Libby has been a great fit for our field and lab operations.
Elizabeth's journey with marine science began when she was little and got her first seining net. After high school, she began her work at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, where she spent five years engaged in marine education and outreach.
Her academic background includes a B.A. in English from the Honors College at Stony Brook University, with a focus on writing, rhetoric, and Environmental Studies. As part of her undergraduate work, she participated in the Global Finprint Project by analyzing Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs) and documenting species in different locations. In August of 2020, Elizabeth graduated from the Marine Conservation and Policy M.A. program at SoMAS, where she used stable isotope analyses to research the diet of juvenile sand tiger sharks in Great South Bay. While in the program, she conducted field work at the Cape Eleuthera Institute, collecting samples and data from local shark species.
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After her M.A., Elizabeth started her M.S. studies as a member of the IOCS team. She successfully defended her M.S. Thesis: “Bringing Elasmobranchs into Modeling and Management of Shinnecock Bay, New York Through eDNA Analysis,” in December of 2022.
Libby has been an integral part of IOCS's scientific research team and currently leads our field and laboratory efforts. Her unique blend of skills and background in both research and science communication is a valuable asset to our team.