Who we are

Sandbar Ecological Advising was founded by Dr. Marae West, CEO, who—along with her father, Dr. Niels Lindquist—recognized a growing need for expert ecological guidance in nature-based solutions. With extensive experience in estuarine ecology, oyster restoration, sea-level rise, and marsh bird conservation, Marae and Niels bring a unique combination of scientific expertise and practical knowledge in living shoreline design and implementation.

At Sandbar Ecological Advising, we understand that data is only as powerful as the insights it can provide. Marae identified a need for a dedicated team to help organizations transform unanalyzed datasets into actionable knowledge. Our data team specializes in analyzing complex ecological datasets, determining the most effective methods for analysis, and translating results into clear, manuscript-ready documents that can guide management decisions and inform conservation strategies.

  • Marae West, PhD

    FOUNDER

    Growing up in Morehead City, Marae was surrounded by water and marine based careers. She received her B.S in Biology from Appalachian State and her Ph.D. in the Biology and Marine Biology Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She studied winter population biology and impacts of sea level rise on Saltmarsh, Nelson’s, and Seaside Sparrows in tidal marshes in Southeastern North Carolina

  • Niels Lindquist, PhD

    SENIOR ADVISOR

    Niels grew up in Gainesville, Florida, where he enjoyed scuba diving in North Florida’s springs, surfing along the east Florida coast and fishing Florida’s Gulf coast at Cedar Key. After graduating high school in 1977, Niels worked as a carpenter to earn money to fund surfing expeditions to the Bahamas, central America, the South Pacific and Australia. In 1979, Niels started his studies at the University of Florida, receiving his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1983. He then conducted Ph.D. research in natural products chemistry and chemical ecology at the University of California at San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He continued marine chemical ecology research as a post-doctoral associate and then faculty member at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) in Morehead City, North Carolina. For many years, Lindquist studied coral reefs, but in 2010, his research interests turned to North Carolina’s oysters.

  • Emily Nastase, PhD

    DATA ANALYIST AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR

    Emily is an environmental consultant with her PhD in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and over eight years of experience in ecological research, data analysis, and science communication. Her work focuses on population-level assessments, helping to inform science-based management and conservation decisions. Emily has contributed to projects in ecosystems across the globe and in her home state of North Carolina, supporting collaborators with clear, data-driven insights. She is especially skilled in quantitative analysis, spatial modeling, and translating science into approachable outreach products. When not in the field or behind a screen, Emily loves hiking, climbing, reading, and traveling to new places.

  • Miles Buddy

    Miles Buddy is a PhD student at the University of Florida with diverse background knowledge in ecology, statistics, and natural history. Miles has created