our team

MendoNoma Marine supports coastal research and conservation through wildlife monitoring, community collaboration, and nearshore research vessel charter. We provide a field-ready platform and scientific expertise to connect data, people, and place. We are serious about science, serious about safety, and just as serious about having a great time out on the water.

our mission

our team

A woman outdoors in a red puffer jacket and dark cap, holding the collar of her jacket with her right hand, showing rings on her fingers, with a blurred natural background.

claire nasr, M.s.

Marine & Wildlife Biologist

Claire brings 15 years of experience working with marine mammals and seabirds, with a background spanning wildlife research, biological monitoring, field operations, and science education. Her experience includes shore- and vessel-based wildlife surveys, marine mammal and seabird monitoring, scientific small-boat operations, and field research throughout coastal environments.

Claire's approach combines strong science with practical field experience, thoughtful problem solving, and a deep commitment to safe, accessible work on the water.

Logan Ballarche

licensed captain

Logan holds a U.S. Coast Guard-issued Merchant Mariner Credential with a 100-Ton Master endorsement for inland waters and an OUPV (“6-Pack”) endorsement for near coastal waters. He brings extensive experience operating vessels in dynamic marine environments, with an emphasis on safe vessel handling, risk management, sound judgment, and practical problem solving on the water.

At MendoNoma Marine, Logan provides the professional maritime expertise that allows scientists and field crews to focus on the work they came to do.

the origins of mendonoma

MendoNoma Marine started in 2026 because Claire had collected one too many of her own barriers to getting real work done on the water, funding fieldwork out of pocket, being the only woman on a boat crew, and feeling pressured to go out in conditions she knew weren't safe.

An illustration of a harbor seal with a sleek, elongated body and closed eyes

Fifteen years of coastal field science taught her how good science gets done. The barriers taught her what happens when it doesn't.

Cost and safety are the two biggest obstacles we see researchers and community stewards face, and no one should have to choose between affording their fieldwork and having a capable, safety-first crew.

MendoNoma exists to remove that choice, offering affordable and approachable vessel access, where choosing safety never comes with a penalty. So good science and stewardship can move forward, because getting on the water is actually within reach.