Shannon was born and raised in the Bay Area and is excited to be a part of the O’Neill Sea
Odyssey team. She received her B.S. in Biology from Saint Mary’s College of California where
she played on the Division 1 softball team. She continued on to get her M.S. in Marine Biology
from James Cook University in Australia. After completing her master’s degree, she returned
back to California to pursue her passion for marine science. Shannon is an avid animal lover,
especially sea otters, and loves going on outdoor adventures. In her spare time, Shannon can
be found scuba diving, backpacking, rock climbing, and skiing.

Erika was born in Watsonville and grew up with a deep love for the outdoors. From a young age, she knew she wanted a career that combined her passion for nature with conservation. She has a B.S. in Biology from CSUMB, where she became an active scientific diver, participating in an NSF-funded project at Catalina Island.

Inspired by her time at Catalina, Erika went on to earn a Master’s degree at CSU Northridge, focusing on the foraging behavior of California sheephead. This research allowed her to explore diverse marine environments across the Southern California Bight. After completing her degree in 2019, she worked at UCSC, studying kelp forest ecosystems.

She then took a break from research to focus on raising her three children alongside her husband. Now, she’s thrilled to be back on the water, sharing her knowledge and passion with the next generation of marine stewards.

Abby Newman joined the OSO team in 2015 as an Instructor/Deckhand and transitioned into the Program Manager role in 2021.

Abby has worked at the intersection of environmental justice, advocacy, and climate resilience for the U.S. District Courts, CA Sea Grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a number of UC campuses. Abby holds a master’s in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and a Master of Social Work from San Jose State University. Her environmental social work lens helps her develop programming that meets the social and emotional needs of students while inspiring climate action.

Prior to serving as Program Manager, Abby was a CA Sea Grant Science Policy Fellow at the CA State Lands Commission where she was instrumental in crafting the Commission’s environmental justice policy and leading statewide outreach with Tribal Nations and environmental justice communities. Abby headed the Commission’s AB 691 working group to assist ports, harbor districts, and local jurisdictions with developing their sea-level rise adaptation assessments. 

Outside of work, Abby enjoys trail running, rock climbing, and spending time with her kiddo.

Born and raised in Fresno, California, Mike’s connection to the ocean began while spending time at his family’s summer home in Santa Cruz. He has lived on the Central Coast since 1982. Mike attended Bullard High in Fresno, and Orange Coast College near Newport Beach, California, where he raced sailboats. Mike worked for O’Neill Yacht Center for five years, holds a 100 ton skippers license, and has been skipper of the Team O’Neill Catamaran for 27 years. He is married to his wife Jill and has two grown children, Ashley and Zachary. An avid fitness enthusiast, Mike runs marathons and participates in Spartan races in his free time.

Katie graduated from UCSC with a B.S in Marine Biology in 2022. While at UCSC, she participated in marine science field research as well as competed on the varsity sailing team. Katie served as the Captain of the Women’s Sailing Team at UCSC and is passionate about promoting equality and diversity in sailing. She has been working as a deckhand at O’Neill Yacht Charters since 2021. She also volunteers with a marine mammal rescue center where she assists with rescuing sick and injured marine mammals. In her free time she loves hiking, surfing, and making art. 

Itzel was born and raised in Watsonville California and spent most of her childhood exploring local habitats. She recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a BS in Biology: Concentration in Marine Biology/Limnology. While at SFSU, Itzel had the opportunity to conduct her own research design about the developmental rates of solitary tunicate at different temperatures. Most of Itzel’s career has involved education and teaching to students of various ages at the Pajaro Unified School District. Teaching science to her community is Itzel’s greatest passion.

With over 20 years of experience in outdoor education, student support, and behavior management, Neil has led wilderness programs, taught survival skills, and managed youth programs on cruise ships. A passionate traveler, he has visited over 80 countries across six continents. Neil enjoys spending time outdoors, on or near water, teaching sports, fishing, practicing outdoor skills, reading, and cooking.

Liz arrived at OSO after working as a deckhand on the Team O’Neill catamaran. She is an avid sailor and in the middle of a journey to learn all things boats. She’s passionate about the stewardship of the land and the ocean. She has a BA in literature from UCSC and a professional background in HR, finance, and development.

Darci Bogdan was born in Santa Cruz, CA, was raised on a sailboat, and as a teenager, sailed from the west to the east coast of the United States. This upbringing inspired her to pursue a maritime career and she has been working as a captain for a little over a decade. Not only does Darci have a passion for captaining boats, but she also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design and creates handmade cloisonné jewelry inspired by nature and conservation.

Breanne is a lover of all things ocean-related; when not working on boats she can be found surfing, kayaking, swimming, or just relaxing on the local Santa Cruz beaches. Breanne holds a 100-ton Masters Captains’ license and has an Able Body Special endorsement with the USCG. Growing up on the water, she has made a career of working on a variety of boats in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Baja, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize. From heaving lines in the Panama Canal to kayaking glacial fjords, or assisting in leading tours in Magdalena Bay for the annual Gray Whale migration, Breanne has always encouraged people to explore the oceans and waterways around them. She is beyond excited to join the O’Neill Sea Odyssey program and share her love and knowledge of the ocean with a new generation of ocean explorers!

Rachel was born and raised in Santa Cruz just a few blocks away from the harbor. She grew up  fishing and exploring Monterey bay on her family boat. Her life has always revolved around the ocean from annual abalone diving camping trips to beach combing and creating art out of found objects. In 2018 she got her B.S. in Environmental science from California Lutheran University where she was able to study abroad in Costa Rica, England and Peru. After college the ocean called her to Kodiak Alaska to run a skiff for a commercial salmon seining boat, she worked and lived on boats there for two seasons. She then joined the peace corps as an agriculture and nutrition volunteer and moved to Ethiopia. She is now back in Santa Cruz with her husband and almost three year old daughter stoked and grateful to share with people the place that shaped so much of who she is!