Sebastian J.E. Krause
UCLA, Institute for Carbon Management
Marina Del Rey,CA
11
years of professional experience
Accomplished environmental scientist and biogeochemist with a Ph.D. from UCLA, offering over a decade of experience in field-based environmental investigations, water and sediment quality characterization, regulatory reporting, and project coordination for government-funded programs. Possesses extensive technical expertise in the sampling and analysis of soil, sediment, porewater, and water columns, with a strong emphasis on QA/QC documentation. Skilled in translating complex environmental data into clear, high-quality deliverables for clients and agencies. Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor junior scientists, and effectively manage multi-project workflows to meet scope, budget, and schedule requirements. Based in Los Angeles with in-depth knowledge of Southern California’s coastal and marine environments and its regulatory landscape.
Work History
Postdoctoral Scholar — Environmental Science & Materials Characterization
4 Years 6 Months- Leading technical investigations into mineral carbonation chemistry and low-carbon cement materials; designing and executing multi-phase lab experiments, interpreting complex geochemical datasets, and delivering results through technical reports and manuscripts — directly analogous to the field investigation, data interpretation, and client deliverable workflow in environmental consulting.
- Applying high-resolution isotope ratio MS and multi-technique characterization (SEM-EDS, XRF, XRD, TGA) to assess material composition and reactivity; maintaining rigorous QA/QC and ELN documentation standards throughout all project phases.
- Team mentoring & junior staff development
- Developed and presented findings to stakeholders, enhancing understanding of carbon reduction impacts.
Postdoctoral Researcher — Environmental Field Science & Project Coordination
3 Years- Led multi-phase environmental field investigations assessing carbon dioxide removal efficacy in Southern California and Santa Barbara Channel marine environments — including site characterization, sediment and water-column sampling, benthic habitat assessment, and seafloor impact monitoring across multiple deployments.
- Designed and executed water quality, sediment chemistry, and dissolved gas monitoring programs; analyzed samples using GC, IC, UV/Vis, and titration; maintained full SOPs, calibration records, and QA/QC documentation for NSF- and NOAA-funded regulatory-quality deliverables.
- Coordinated field logistics and multidisciplinary teams (divers, vessel operators, geophysicists, regulatory liaisons) across 8+ multi-week campaigns; managed scheduling, task assignments, and sample integrity from field collection through laboratory analysis.
- Mentored 4 researchers across 3 institutions in field methods, sample handling, data interpretation, and technical writing; served as primary point of contact between field operations and federal program officers.
- Managed client engagements and fostered effective communication with stakeholders to enhance collaboration. Cultivated strong relationships with clients while overseeing stakeholder communications.
Graduate Student Researcher — Environmental Geochemistry & Site Characterization
6 Years- Conducted multi-site environmental geochemical investigations in marine and coastal settings (Santa Barbara Basin, San Pedro Basin, Gulf of California); performed soil, sediment, porewater, and water-column sampling and characterization to assess biogeochemical conditions and trace environmental processes.
- Developed and validated quantitative analytical methods for environmental matrices; applied stable isotope probing and radiotracer techniques to characterize microbial degradation and carbon cycling — experience directly relevant to monitoring natural attenuation and biodegradation in remediation contexts.
- Produced 7 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to NSF grant deliverables; presented findings at 10+ national and international conferences; supervised 3 undergraduate researchers in field and laboratory methods.
- Oversaw the development of technical reports and deliverables to enhance project outcomes. Led initiatives to improve quality and clarity of technical documentation. Facilitated collaboration among team members to achieve project milestones.
Research Specialist
1 Year 7 Months- Assisted in managing laboratory and field operations for marine environmental chemistry programs. Maintained quality assurance and quality control records, instrument calibrations, and standard operating procedures. Supported coordination of multi-day oceanographic field expeditions in Southern California coastal waters, maintaining sample chain-of-custody from collection to analysis.
Education
Ph.D. - Geochemistry
Dissertation: Clumped Isotopes and Cryptic Cycling of Methane: Tracking the Microbial Footprint
M.S. - Geochemistry
B.S. - Marine Biology
Skills
Environmental site characterization & field investigation
Remediation assessment & monitoring program design
Project coordination & budget/schedule management
QA/QC implementation & SOP development
Multi-site field campaign leadership
GIS & spatial data analysis
Soil
sediment & water sampling/analysis
Regulatory compliance & agency reporting
Technical report & deliverable authoring
Client relationship & stakeholder communication
Team mentoring & junior staff development
Python & MATLAB (data processing & modeling)
Environmental sampling: soil
sediment
porewater
water-column
dissolved gas
Gas chromatography
Ion Chromatography
UV/Vis Spectrophotometry
Titration systems
High-Resolution IRMS
NanoSIMS
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
X-ray fluorescence
X-ray Diffraction
Thermogravimetric analysis
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Epifluorescence Microscopy
Python (pandas
NumPy
SciPy
matplotlib)
Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) documentation
Accomplishments
- Collaborated with team of 30 undergraduate and graudate students, postdoctoral researchers, University of california faculty, and Journalist from the Los Angeles Times in the development of a documentary titled "Out of Plain Sight".
Timeline
Postdoctoral Researcher — Environmental Field Science & Project Coordination
UC Santa Barbara, Earth Research Institute
09.2022 - 09.2025Read More
Postdoctoral Scholar — Environmental Science & Materials Characterization
UCLA, Institute for Carbon Management
01.2022 - CurrentRead More
Graduate Student Researcher — Environmental Geochemistry & Site Characterization
UCLA, Dept. of Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences
09.2016 - 09.2022Read More
Research Specialist
University of Southern California, Capone Laboratory
02.2015 - 09.2016Read More
University of California, Santa Cruz
B.S. from Marine Biology
Read More
University of California, Los Angeles
M.S. from Geochemistry
Read More
University of California, Los Angeles
Ph.D. from Geochemistry
Read More
SELECTED AWARDS & FUNDING
COBRA Masterclass Fellow, Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator — 2026, NSF Deep-Sea Submergence Committee Travel Grant — 2024, NSF Research Awards #OCE-1829981 & #1830033 (co-investigator) — 2019-2023, UCLA EPSS Departmental Teaching Award — 2020
KEY ENVIRONMENTAL DELIVERABLES
- 10 Peer-Reviewed Publications: Science Advances, GCA, EPSL, Nature Microbiology, ES&T — each a complete environmental investigation project: site characterization → sampling → analysis → QA/QC → regulatory-quality reporting.
- Multi-Phase Field Campaign Reports: Led 8+ multi-week field campaigns in Southern California coastal and marine environments; delivered technical data packages to NSF, NOAA, and ARPA-E program offices.
- Regulatory-Quality Technical Reports: Authored analytical and interpretive reports meeting federal agency documentation standards; experience with environmental data deliverables for regulatory review.