▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁and ▁remained ▁on ▁the ▁U C ▁Davis ▁fac ulty ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁from ▁a ▁traffic ▁collision ▁in ▁Pet al uma , ▁California ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁She ▁taught ▁and ▁ment ored ▁both ▁under grad uate ▁and ▁gradu ate ▁students , ▁including ▁teaching ▁a ▁course ▁called ▁" Life ▁in ▁the ▁Sea " ▁which ▁she ▁developed ▁to ▁help ▁get ▁non ▁science - ma j ors ▁inspired ▁to ▁help ▁protect ▁marine ▁environments . ▁ ▁Williams ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Coast al ▁and ▁Est u ar ine ▁Research ▁Federation ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Williams ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁Indones ian ▁research ers ▁throughout ▁her ▁career : ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁she ▁co - author ed ▁a ▁study ▁that ▁looked ▁at ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁human ▁poll ution ▁on ▁fish ▁for ▁sale ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁Indones ia . ▁They ▁found ▁that ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁fish ▁from ▁the ▁California ▁Bay ▁Area ▁they ▁tested ▁and ▁an ▁even ▁greater ▁proportion ▁of ▁the ▁fish ▁from ▁Indones ian ▁fish ▁mark ets ▁contained ▁pl astic ▁de br is ▁or ▁synth etic ▁fib ers . ▁This ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁times ▁pl astic ▁de br is ▁were ▁reported ▁in ▁fish ▁sold ▁directly ▁for ▁human ▁consumption . ▁ ▁Another ▁study ▁Williams ▁performed ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Indones ian ▁scient ists ▁looked ▁into ▁ways ▁to ▁restore ▁se agr ass ▁b eds , ▁end anger ed ▁habit ats ▁that ▁are ▁important ▁for