Mr. Eric Miller, MS, Principal Scientist and Owner, Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc.

Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc., or MMSC for short, brings invaluable qualifications to project proponents and operators interacting with the aquatic environments, especially the marine environment. MMSC’s founder, Mr. Eric Miller, is a hands-on manager with nearly 20 years of environmental sciences experience, including more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific studies and hundreds of technical reports. After almost 15 years in the environmental consulting industry, Eric Miller took his experiences and the challenges he saw and anticipated coming in the regulation of aquatic resource utilization and founded Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc. in 2018. Over the last decade, Eric observed a steadily growing need of project proponents and operators for consultants who can adeptly respond increasing technical challenges with expert scientific acumen founded on continual learning, a high degree of flexibility in how they approach problems, and willingness to think about challenges in new ways.

Most importantly, he witnessed the need for these skilled scientists to be even better communicators. Communicating the science and study conclusions relevant to the project to both clients and regulators has come to the forefront in the increasingly complex world of environmental regulation. The ability to integrate science and communication, and to do so quickly, reaches its peak value during negotiation meetings between project proponents/operators and regulatory agency staff. This overlap is where Eric has excelled in support of clients over the last decade and continued to do so today.

Over his career, Eric supported the once through-cooled power plant industry (AES, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, NRG, Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, and Southern California Edison) serving as the project manager for AES, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Southern California Edison (special projects). For each southern California power plant client, Eric managed or was intimately involved with their annual receiving water monitoring that required field sampling, data management, and analysis, and reporting for water quality monitoring, sedimentary analysis for contamination and composition, demersal fish and macroinvertebrate surveys, benthic infauna, and in-plant impingement monitoring. Special studies included (for example) estimating kelp biomass potentially entrained by the cooling water system, characterizing the plankton community susceptible to entrainment by the cooling water system, characterizing the fecal bacteria contamination in a watershed complete with source identification using new molecular techniques, interacting with regulatory representatives during permit renewals, and determining sources of copper contamination. At a national scale, Eric has supported clients with the technical responses in compliance with Section 316(b) of the United States Clean Water Act. Eric’s experience with the power plant industry branched out into servicing, among others, the growing desalination industry, industrial cooling water users, publicly-owned treatment works (wastewater discharges),  and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Eric’s Contact

E: ericm”at”millermarinescience.com

P: 562-714-0266

Dr. Larry G. Allen, Professor of Biology and Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc. Consulting Scientist

Dr. Allen has been a professor at CSUN since 1982, where he was the recipient of both the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Sigma Xi Distinguished Research Awards. His has mentored over 50 successful Master’s degree students and has taught a wide variety of courses including Introductory Biology, Human Physiology, Vertebrate Biology, Population Biology, Marine Biology, Ichthyology, and the Ecology of Marine Fishes. Dr. Allen also has over 40 years of experience working on the ecology of nearshore marine fishes particularly those which occur in the bays, harbors, and nearshore areas of California. His research efforts since the 1970s have included biogeography and ecology of bay/estuarine and coastal marine fishes off California. Moreover, he acted as the senior editor and authored five chapters in the book, “The Ecology of Marine Fishes: California and Adjacent Waters”, published by UC Press in 2006. In recent years, as part of the Nearshore Marine Fish Research Program (NMFRP), Dr. Allen and his students have been focusing their research on important recreational/commercial species, such as, California halibut, white seabass, giant seabass, yellowtail, kelp bass and sand basses. Studies on age and growth characteristics, reproductive strategies, recruitment dynamics, population genetics and dispersal have been funded by agencies such as the California Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of the Navy, USC and UC Sea Grant, and Southern California Edison Company.

Dr. Linda Rasmussen, Physical Oceanographer and Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc. Consulting Scientist

Dr. Rasmussen received her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Joint Program in Oceanography in 2003. Recently, Dr. Rasmussen has been a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography studying physical processes of inner shelf marine habitats; climate effects on coastal sea level and ocean temperature; inner shelf circulation effects on larval distribution, pollutant dispersion, and buoyant plume transport; and the potential effect of tsunamis on California coastal cities. At Florida State University she studied the effect of groundwater exchange between coastal aquifers and nearshore marine habitats with a combination of extensive field monitoring and analytical modeling. Her approach to research is expressly interdisciplinary with a strong orientation toward employing both field work and modeling solutions.

Dr. Rasmussen has been principal investigator on coastal larval ecology studies funded by the National Science Foundation, and she has been a lead scientist in studies of the La Jolla Area of Special Biological Significance for the City of San Diego, and in observations and analysis leading to the establishment of the Marine Protected Area at the La Jolla Kelp Forest.

 

DOWNLOAD OUR FULL STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

Miller Marine Science Full SOQ-2019

MARINE SCIENCE MONITORING
MMSC staff holds a wide range of experience capable of supporting project developers, owners, and operators in need of marine data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presenting. Ranging from fish, invertebrates, plankton, water quality, and sediments, MMSC staff can apply the most rigorous marine science standards to a project at a competitive cost. MMSC will deliver the results in readily understood materials including reports and presentations designed to deliver the technical science to the target audience at a readily digestible level.

WATER INTAKE SCIENCE AND PERMITTING
MMSC staff has established themselves as among the premier scientists working on the environmental issues surrounding the intake and outfall of water used for cooling or drinking water production. Over the years, MMSC has supported numerous clients with impingement and entrainment studies in compliance with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits or more complex special studies in support of US Clean Water Act Section 316(b) compliance. For 316(b) compliance, MMSC supported both thermal power plants, but also industrial operations that use water for cooling. This includes pilot testing cylindrical wedge wire screens; a promising technology regulators ask all water intake users to evaluate as a means to reduce entrainment and impingement of aquatic life resulting from water intake.

From these cooling water experiences, MMSC staff has become the premier biological consultant to the growing California seawater desalination industry. Infrequent collaboration with TWB Environmental Research and Consulting, MMSC is the only biological consultant with experience supporting clients through the complex permitting process under the new regulatory environment initiated with the 2015 adoption of the California Ocean Plan amendment regulating seawater desalination plant siting, constructing, and operation.

Relevant Demonstrated Experiences
– Trained ichthyoplankton taxonomist
– Marine fish ecology expert
– Experienced NPDES permit negotiator with a keen understanding of the ever-changing regulatory environment related to the issuance and compliance with an NPDES permit
– Expert in impingement and entrainment sampling program design
– Expert in impingement and entrainment data analysis following applicable regulations
– Expert in the application of Empirical Transport Model/Area of Production Foregone model as required by 2015 California Ocean Plan Amendment
o Including expert experience negotiating modifications to the models as proposed by California regulatory agencies during permitting
– Accomplished speaker skilled in communicating, and often translating, complex study components, results, and ramifications to non-expert audiences

UNITED STATES CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 316(b)

Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc. has a unique vantage as a staff with extensive experience studying impingement and entrainment at once-through-cooled power plants regulated under Section 316(b), but no longer connected to any active projects. This makes Miller Marine Science & Consulting, Inc. uniquely qualified to conduct biology peer reviews for your 122.21(r) reports in compliance with 122.21(r)(13). See our detailed statement of qualifications for more information.

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
MMSC staff have supported the development of comprehensive and detailed documents in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We have contributed our specialized analytical skills and scientific acumen to compile, analyze, present and interpret complex data as Technical Reports directly supporting CEQA documents. These data products support both setting the environmental baseline and the impact analysis. Extending from these data analysis products, MMSC has contributed to the development of marine biology-focused sections in Initial Studies (IS), Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and Mitigated Negative Declarations (MND).

Our wide array of clients included wastewater outfall operators, shipping tenants in major shipping ports, power plant owners and operators, and seawater desalination plant operators. In addition to CEQA document support, MMSC has helped clients overcome other permitting necessities in the marine environment. These include preparing Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) assessments and marine life monitoring plans associated with any construction activities in the marine environment.

We have advanced clients’ projects by preparing and securing Coastal Development Permits (CDP) from the California Coastal Commission, Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification applications, CWA Section 404 dredge and fill permits through the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Low-Energy Geophysical Survey permits through the State Lands Commission.

MARINE WILDLIFE CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND MONITORING
MMSC staff have prepared multiple marine wildlife contingency plans for clients conducting work in the marine environment. These plans designate the roles and responsibilities of construction staff and wildlife observers to ensure the project is completed safely with no impact on marine wildlife such as marine mammals and sea turtles. MMSC staff are experienced wildlife observers capable of executing the marine wildlife contingency plans.

SPECIAL STUDIES
Frequently, owners and operators of commercial infrastructure interacting with the marine environment require assistance to answer novel or highly unexpected questions. Sometimes, these questions come from internal sources. Other times, they are posed by a regulatory agency. When the difficult, odd, unique or otherwise out-of-the-ordinary question arises, MMSC is ready, willing and able to help find the answer.

Prior Special Studies Include:
– Testing narrow-slot, cylindrical, wedge wire screens for operation on a brackish estuary to confirm operational parameters and reliability.
– Estimate the volume of marine algae potentially impinged upon a water intake screen face that could impact water withdrawal rates
– Evaluate the use of a curtain wall to reduce the intake of aquatic life at large water intake structures.

Over the years, we have had the pleasure to work with great staffs at:

Poseidon Water

West Basin Municipal Water District

People’s Moss Landing Desal Project

AES Alamitos, LLC

AES Redondo Beach, LLC

AES Huntington Beach, LLC

AES Southland

NRG

Southern California Edison Company

Duke Energy

Dominion Energy

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Electric Power Research Institute

American Sugar Refining, Inc.

Port of Long Beach

Cayucos Sanitary District

Firma

AECOM

HDR

SELECT TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

Miller, E.F., C.T. Mitchell, D.J. Pondella, II, and S. Goldberg. 2011. The life history parameters of common nearshore marine fishes. Prepared for the California Energy Commission, Public Interest Energy Research Program. http://www.energy.ca.gov/publications/displayOneReport.php?pubNum=CEC-500-2011-008

Miller, E. and J. Burnett. 2017. Curtain wall entrainment reduction: literature and study plan. Prepared for Electric Power Research Institute.

Over 100 client-commission technical reports.

SELECT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Siegelman‐Charbit L., J.A. Koslow, M. Jacox, E. Hazen, S. Bograd, E.F. Miller. 2018. Physical forcing on fish abundance in the southern California Current System. Fish Oceanogr. 27:475–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12267. PDF

Koslow J.A., E.F. Miller, and J.A. McGowan. 2015. Dramatic declines in coastal and oceanic fish communities off California. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 538:221-227. PDF

Miller, E.F., 2014. Status and trends in the southern California spiny lobster fishery and population: 1980–2011. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 113:14-33. PDF

Miller, E.F. 2014. Pilot California spiny lobster postlarvae sampling program: collector selection. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 113:180-186. PDF

Miller, E.F. 2014. Description of conditions preceding the 2011 Redondo beach, California, fish kill. Journal of Coastal Research. 30:795-799. PDF

Miller, E.F. and B. Erisman. 2014. Long-term trends of southern California’s kelp and barred sand bass populations: a fishery-independent assessment. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 55:119-127. PDF

Miller, E.F., W.H. Dossett, and J.L. Rankin. 2014. Clarifying the northern extent of the diamond stingray (Dasyatis dipterura) in Southern California. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 113:232-235. PDF

Miller, E.F., D.J. Pondella, and S. Goldberg S. 2014. Life history and historic trends in Salema (Haemulon californiensis) in southern California. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 55:144-157. PDF

 Miller, E.F. and J.A. McGowan. 2013. Faunal shift in southern California’s coastal fishes: A new assemblage and trophic structure takes hold. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 127:29-36. PDF

Pondella, D.J., J.P. Williams, J.T. Claisse, and E.F. Miller. 2012. The ichthyoplankton of Kind Harbor, Redondo Beach, California 1974-2009. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 53: 95-106. PDF

Miller, E.F. and K. Schiff. 2012. Spatial distribution of Southern California Bight demersal fishes in 2008. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 53:107-131. PDF

Miller, E.F. and K. Schiff. 2012. Descriptive trends in southern California bight demersal fish assemblages since 1994. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 53:107-131. PDF

Miller, E.F., D.J. Pondella, D.S. Beck, and K.T. Herbinson. 2011. Decadal-scale changes in southern California sciaenids under different levels of harvesting pressure. ICES journal of marine science, 68(10), 2123-2133. PDF

Erisman, B.E., L.G Allen, D.J. Pondella II, J.T. Claisse, E.F. Miller, and J. Murray. 2011. The illusion of plenty: hyperstability and spawning aggregations mask declines in seabass fisheries of Southern California. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 68:1705-1716. PDF

 Moore, R.H., E.F. Miller, and M. Love. 2011. Southern occurrence of the sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus). Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 110:184-188. PDF

Miller, E.F., D.G. Vilas, J.L. Rankin, and D. Pryor, 2011. Commercial fishery effort for California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) off Orange County, California before State Marine Reserve implementation. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci, 110:165-176. PDF

 Miller, E.F., J.P. Williams, and D.J. Pondella, II. 2011. Queenfish (Seriphus politus) and white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) larval growth parameters. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 52:75-79. PDF

Field, J.C., A.D. MacCall, S. Ralston, M.S. Love, and E.F. Miller. 2010. Bocaccionomics: The effectiveness of pre-recruit indices for assessment and management of bocaccio. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 51:77-90. PDF

Parnell, P.E., E.F. Miller, C.E. Lennert-Cody, P.K. Dayton, and T.D. Stebbins. 2010. The response of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in southern California to low-frequency climate forcing. Limnology and Oceanography 55:2686-2702. PDF

Miller, E.F. 2010. Structural irregularities in sagittal otoliths of black croaker (Cheilotrema saturnum) from southern California. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 109: 18-21. PDF

 Miller, E. F., S. Goldberg, J. Nuñez, N. Burkes, and J. Kuratomi. 2009. The reproductive biology of two common surfzone associated sciaenids, yellowfin croaker (Umbrina roncador) and spotfin croaker (Roncador stearnsii), from southern California. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 108:152-159. PDF

Miller, E. F., J. P. Williams, D. J. Pondella, II, and K. T. Herbinson. 2009. Life history, ecology, and long-term demographics of queenfish. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science. 1:187-199. Doi: 10.1577/C08-018.1. PDF

Miller, E. F., D. S. Beck, and W. Dossett. 2008. Length-weight relationships of select common nearshore coastal southern California marine fish. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 107:183-186. PDF

Miller, E. F., D. J. Pondella, II, L. G. Allen, K. T. Herbinson. 2008. The life history black croaker, Cheilotrema saturnum. Calif. Coop. Oceanic Fish. Invest. Reports. 49:191-201. PDF

Pondella, D. J. II, J. T. Froeschke, L. S. Wetmore, E. Miller, C. F. Valle, and L. Medeiros. 2008. Demographic parameters of yellowfin croaker, Umbrina roncador, (Perciformes:Sciaenidae) from the southern California Bight. Pacific Science 62:555-568. PDF

Miller, E. F. and M. D. Curtis. 2008. First occurrence of a Pacific crevalle jack, Caranx caninus, north of San Diego, California. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 107:41-43. PDF

Miller, E. F. 2007. Post-impingement survival and inferred maximum thermal tolerances for common nearshore marine fish species of southern California. Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 106:193-207. PDF

Miller, E. F. and L. G. Allen. 2006. Captive breeding of spotted sand bass, Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, in southern California. California Fish and Game. 92(2): 98-105.

Miller, E. F. and L. G. Allen. 2006. Observations on the mating behavior of captive spotted sand bass (Paralabrax maculatofasciatus). Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci. 105(1):17-29. PDF

Miller, E. F. and M. P. Franklin. 2005. The effect of dietary supplemented L-arginine on the growth of juvenile hatchery-reared white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis. California Fish Game 91(1): 47-52.

Pondella, D.J. II and L.G. Allen. 2008. The decline and recovery of four predatory fishes from the Southern California Bight. Marine Biology. 154:307–313.

Adreani, M. and L.G. Allen 2008. Mating system and reproductive biology of the temperate wrasse, Halichoeres semicinctus. Copeia 2: 466-474.

Chabot, C. and L.G. Allen 2009. Global population structure of the tope (Galeorhinus galeus) inferred by mitochondrial control region sequence data. Molecular Ecology 18, 545– 552.

Bredvik, J.J., C. Boerger, and L.G. Allen 2011. Age and growth of two herbivorous, kelp forest fishes, the opaleye (Girella nigricans) and halfmoon (Medialuna californiensis). Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci., 110(1): 25–34.

Craig, M.T., F.J. Fodrie, L.G. Allen, R.J. Toonen, L.A. Chartier, and R.A. Toonen 2011. Discordant phylogeographic and biogeographic breaks in California halibut. Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci. 110(3): 141–151.

Williams, J.P., D.J. Pondella II, B. Haggin, and L.G. Allen. 2011. New record of Pacific sierra (Scomberomorus sierra) with notes on previous California records. California Fish and Game 97(1):43-46.

Allen, L.G. and A.H. Andrews. 2012. Bomb radiocarbon dating and estimated longevity of Giant Sea Bass (Stereolepis gigas). Bull So. Calif Acad. Sci. 111(1): 1–14.

Allen, L.G. and H.E. Block 2012. Planktonic larval duration, settlement, and growth rates of the young-of-the-year of two sand basses (Paralabrax nebulifer and P. maculatofasciatus: fam. Serranidae) from Southern California. Bull So. Calif Acad. Sci. 111(1): 15–21.

Gherard, K.E, B.E. Erisman, O. Aburto-Oropeza, K. Rowell and L.G. Allen. 2013. Fishery-dependent estimates of growth, development, and reproduction in Gulf Corvina Cynoscion othonopterus. Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci. 112(1), 2013, pp. 1–18.

Rasmussen, L., P. B. Bromirski, A. J. Miller, D. Arcas, R. E. Flick, M. C. Henderschott. (2015) Source location impact on relative tsunami strength along the U.S. West Coast. J. Geophysical Research Oceans 120, doi:10.1002/2015JC010718.

Gieskes, J.M., H. Elwany, L. Rasmussen, S. Han, A. Rathburn, D. Deheyn. (2013) Salinity variations in the Venice Lagoon, Italy: Results from the SIOSED Project, May 2005–February 2007. Marine Chemistry 154:77-86, doi: 10.1016/j.marchem.2013.05.011.

Carson, H., P. López-Duarte, L. Rasmussen, D. Wang, L. Levin. (2010). Reproductive Timing Alters Population Connectivity in Marine Metapopulations. Current Biology 20(21):1926–1931. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.057

Rasmussen, L., B. Cornuelle, L. Levin, J. Largier, and E. Di Lorenzo. (2009) Effects of small-scale features and local wind forcing on tracer dispersion and estimates of population connectivity in a regional scale circulation model. J. Geophysical Research , doi:10.1029/2008JC004777.

Parnell, P.E., P. Dayton , C. Lennert-Cody , L. Rasmussen , J. Leichter. (2006) Marine Reserve Design: Optimal Size, Fine-Scale Habitats, Species Affinities, Diversity, and Ocean Microclimate. Ecological Applications 16(3):945-962. doi: 10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[0945:MRDOSH]2.0.CO;2

Rasmussen, L., G. Gawarkiewicz, W. B. Owens, M.S. Lozier, (2005) Slope water, Gulf Stream and seasonal influences on southern Mid-Atlantic Bight circulation during the fall-winter transition. J. Geophysical Research, 110, C02009, doi:10.1029/2004JC002311.