Broc Kokesh: I am a postdoctoral fellow supported through NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences, previously obtaining my PhD in Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. I study ecological and taphonomic dynamics of actively accumulating shell material in the surficial sediment layers of modern marine ecosystems. These ‘death assemblages’ are powerful tools by which I pursue two primary lines of research: (1) extending the temporal perspective of modern ecosystems to inform conservation efforts, and (2) testing for paleoecological interpretations of deep-time fossil records. Here at UC Berkeley, I am examining the animal-sediment relationships at shell gravel habitats along the latitudinal gradient of the Eastern Pacific shelf. I also collaborate with biomonitoring agencies from Southern California to Puget Sound, from whom I ‘rescue’ dead shell assemblages from disposal and make use of their excellent long-term living community datasets.