CRITFC Staff
Andrés Salazar Estrada
Lead Oceanographic Technician
Watershed Department Astoria CMOP Facility
Biography
Andrés was born and raised in Concepción, Chile, near the mouth of the Bio-Bio River, before moving 8,000 km away to begin their undergraduate studies in Earth science in New York City. After graduating, Andrés became a research assistant for various scientific projects inside the laboratory and out in the field, ranging from terrestrial biogeochemistry and soil microbial ecology to protist evolution and fluorescence microscopy, before moving 8,000 km away once again in order to start their graduate studies in biogeochemical oceanography in Honolulu. During this time, Andrés found a passion for hands-on technical work and for seagoing oceanography—accruing over 150 days at sea within two years. While living in Hawaiʻi, Andrés also had the opportunity to learn about the struggle for indigenous sovereignty across the islands, which fueled a support for native sovereignty that led them to join CRITFC, moving a mere 4000 km to Astoria, near the mouth of the Columbia River. As an Oceanographic Instrumentation Technician within the CMOP program, Andrés is able to combine their passion for fieldwork and “playing” with scientific instrumentation alongside their desire to support tribal sovereignty and environmental stewardship with CRITFC’s member tribes—all while living near the water, as they always have.
Education
- BA, Earth Science, Columbia University, 2016
- MSc, Oceanography, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2022