Erlandson was born in Santa Barbara , California and enjoyed many different water-based activities , including swimming , surfing and sailing . He moved to Alaska in 1982 , and has been a resident in various parts of the Pacific Northwest since that time . Erlandson worked to protect archaeological sites from damage after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 . His collaborative efforts with marine biologists and ecologists have inspired him to become involved in policy issues about the conservation biology of endangered coastal fisheries and ecosystems . He has won several awards for outstanding teaching and research , as well as for his mentoring of minority students . Discover Magazine named a paper Erlandson was involved in , “ Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems ” by Jeremy Jackson et al. , the top science story of 2001
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Jon M. Erlandson