CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
Master of Science in Earth Systems, Stanford University
Focused on marine science, science communication, studio art, and mechanical engineering. Specific topics included communicating research to the public through sculpture and journalism, mechanical system design, and environmental problem solving. Degree received 2012.
Bachelor of Science in Earth Systems, Stanford University
Courses across disciplines promoted an understanding of complex environmental science and policy issues facing the oceans. Coursework included foundational marine science, fundamentals of mechanical engineering, and sculpture design and fabrication. Degree received 2012.
Solo Exhibitions
2022 HNL-SFO. The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2022 Earth Day at the Beachcomber Waikiki, Honolulu, HI
2021 Coastal Treasures exhibit at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, CA
2020 Out of Mind. The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 Sustainable Coastlines. Kawela Gallery at Turtle Bay Resort, O’ahu, HI
2019 Mother and Calf. With Salesforce and Pangeaseed, Davos, Switzerland
2018 Land and Sea. Sawyer Land and Sea, Santa Cruz, CA
2017 Swell Lines. EE Art+Design Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
2016 First Impressions. EE Art+Design Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
2015 Conservation Is. Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove, CA
2015 Islas son Planetas. Capital building of Lanzarote with UNESCO, Canary Islands
2012 Stories from the Changing Tide. Recology San Francisco, CA
Public Installations
2022 Ultraviolet Series. Manresa Bread co., Santa Cruz and Los Gatos, CA
2022 Urban Ocean no. 1 at the US Open of Surfing w/ Vans, Huntington Beach, CA
2021 Visions of Sado Island. Sado Galaxy Art Festival, Niigata, Japan
2021 Sea Turtle 1. For Van's Checkerboard Day in collaboration with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, Oahu, HI
2021 Plastic Wave. Collaboration with Pela and Save the Waves. British Columbia, Canada
2021 Coming Home. Permanent 14ft x 6ft reclaimed rope installation at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki, Oahu, HI
2020 Northern Right Whale. Permanent installation at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, New Brunswick, Canada
2020 Mai Kinohi Mai. The Plastic Free Pipeline at the Bishop Museum, Oahu, HI
2019 Plastic Free Pipeline. Ehukai Beach Park and Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu, HI
2018 Ultraviolet Series. Manresa Bread co., Campbell, CA
2018 Last Dive at the Farallones tour. Surf Ranch Pro, Redgate Ranch Festival w/ Save the Waves Coalition, and reception for Hikianalia w/ Olukai, Northern CA
2018 Deep Water, New Life. w/ Countercurrent at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Art Under the Stars. CSU Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
2018 Plastic Banyan. Ke Nui Road, Oahu, HI
2017 Los Naufregos/The Castaways. Lanzarote, Spain
2017 Ebb and Flow. Downtown Santa Cruz, CA
2017 Environmental Installations. UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, CA
2017 Sculpture Is. Pajaro Valley Arts Center, Watsonville, CA
2015 Las Pardelas/Artificial Light. Canary Islands, Spain
2014 La Plage no c’est pas un Cendrier. Seignosse, France
2010 Soda Fountain. Collaboration with Reuben Margolin and classmates from Stanford University, Jet Propulsion Laboratories, Pasadena, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Sneaker Wave. M. Stark Gallery, Half Moon Bay, CA
2023 Eco-save/Eco-cide. Fellows of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Moss Foundation Skaters exhibit at Gallery Waikiki, Oahu, HI
2019 Sea Change. The Hazel Wolf Gallery at the David Brower Center. Berkeley, CA
2018 Land to Sea. w/ Surfrider LA. Los Angeles, CA
2018 Impressions of Sado Island. Sado Galaxy Art Festival. Niigata, Japan
2017 Making Waves. The Old Wrigley Building, Santa Cruz, CA
2017 Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA
2017 Art Within Reach at the Pacific Grove Art Center, Pacific Grove, CA
2016 First Friday at the Ocean Conservancy, Santa Cruz, CA
2016 Differing Feathers. The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2015 Society of Marine Mammology. San Francisco, CA
2015 Big Blue Live. Museum of Monterey, Monterey, CA
2015 Last Dive at the Farallones. The Marine Mammal Center, Marin, CA
2013 Recology. Terminal 3, San Francisco Intl. Airport, San Francisco, CA
2013 The Art of Recology. Cañada College. San Mateo, CA
2012 SF Ocean Film Festival. San Francisco, CA
2012 Art After Dark. Stanford University, CA
2012 Shark Week. Stanford University, CA
2011 Dumpster Diver debut at eARTh Day. Stanford University, CA
Performances
2015 Silent Spring/Pelican 2. Stanford University, CA
2009 Rainforest 2. Sound art performance. Stanford University, CA
Live Activations
2022
-Printmaking and cyanotype workshops w/ Vans at the US Open of Surf Huntington Beach, CA
2021
-Science and Sustainability Day at the Bishop Museum w/ Countercurrent. Honolulu, HI
-Beach cleanup art activity with Surfrider Foundation. Los Angeles, CA
2020
-Algalita International Youth Summit w/ Countercurrent. Dana Point, CA
2019
-Billabong Pipemasters surf contest w/ Countercurrent. Haleiwa, HI
2018
-World Surf League headquarters all-staff event. Santa Monica, CA
-Untangled Collection launch event w/ Bureo x Costa Sunglasses. Venice, CA
-Silmo sunglass convention w/ Costa Sunglasses. Paris, France
-Surf Ranch Pro w/ Bureo. Lemoore, CA
-Outdoor Retailer tradeshow w/ Bureo x Costa Sunglasses. Denver, CO.
-Plastic Free Hawaii Youth Summit. Oahu, HI
-Simplify the Holidays event at Sunset Beach Elementary School. Oahu, HI
-Beach cleanup with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. Oahu, HI
Signage and Event Design
2019 All At Once Sustainability Awards. Custom awards for the international awardees.
2018 Evolve. Signage for the Evolve conference w/ The Inertia. Los Angeles, CA
2018 WSL Pure. Signage for the Ohana Festival w/ World Surf League. Dana Point, CA
2018 Global Wave Conference reclaimed stage set. Santa Cruz, CA
Grants and Residencies
Plastic Free Pipeline Sculpture, Oahu, HI
I developed a project in partnership with the World Surf League, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, the Johnson Ohana Foundation, Kokua Hawaii Foundation, Hydroflask, Bureo, and Turtle Bay Resort to build a 28ft x 8ft x 8ft wave sculpture entirely from beach trash and reclaimed lumber. The interactive sculpture reached thousands of participants during its display at the Billabong Pipeline Masters surf contest and engaged with over 650,000 people through direct Likes/Views on Instagram. 11/18-present
Countercurrent installation at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
I worked with my nonprofit project Countercurrent to fabricate and install a 30ft long x 15ft tall interactive bioluminescent jellyfish sculpture at the Getty Museum for College Night 2018. I collaborated with 3 undergraduate students at CSU Channel Islands to create the sculpture from 1,000 single-use plastic water bottles. 4/18
Public Installation Grant from the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County, CA
I received funds to create a large original public installation for the Ebb and Flow 2017 art festival in Downtown Santa Cruz. This large panel sculpture is made from reclaimed fishing rope and will be displayed all summer along the San Lorenzo to raise awareness about the harm plastic pollution can inflict on river and ocean wildlife. 6/17-9/17
Artist in Residence at the Ocean Conservancy, Santa Cruz, CA
I'm working at the headquarters of this international non-profit to develop an exhibition of my original artwork that highlights the beauty of the ocean, as well as the need to preserve it. 10/16-10/17
Artist in Residence at Nautilus Lanzarote
I worked with found materials in the studio at Nautilus Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to create sculptural works that engage viewers in a dialogue around island sustainability. 10/14-11/14
Student Artist in Residence at Recology San Francisco, CA
I worked independently for 4 months gathering materials from the SF garbage dump and used them to create sculptures describing marine environmental problems. Works were displayed in the on-site gallery and SF international airport. 9/11-1/12
Arts Grants Board Major Grant, Stanford University, CA
I was awarded a major grant to construct a large public sculpture titled Dumpster Diver: California Brown Pelican. This 6m x 4m x 2.5m kinetic sculpture depicted a flock of pelicans flying in a sinusoidal wave pattern. 1/11-4/11
Work Experience
Ethan Estess Art and Design
My intention as an interdisciplinary artist, designer, and marine scientist is to create evocative works of art and design that promote public awareness of ocean issues. 9/07-present
Countercurrent
Founder and executive director of Countercurrent, a California registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that promotes the public understanding of environmental science through public art installations and outreach. 12/15-present
Research Technician at the Tuna Research and Conservation Center of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Stanford University
I support the lab and field-based research activities of an active lab group studying sharks and tunas through a joint facility operated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. 7/12-present
Born and Raised Santa Cruz
Founder and operator of a custom surfboard manufacturing company. 1/04-present
Teaching Assistant at Stanford University
I helped teach a 10-week course on nautical science, oceanography, and maritime history. I sailed with 22 students from Tahiti to Hawaii helping them conduct individual research projects along the journey. April-June 2015
Writing and Publications
Fujioka, K., Sasagawa, K,. Kuwahara, T., Estess, E., Takahara, Y., Komeyama, K., Kitagawa, T., Farwell, C., Furukawa, S., Kinoshita, J., Fukuda, K., Kato, M., Aoki, A., Abe, O., Ohshimo, S., Suzuki, N.
Habitat use of adult Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis during the spawning season in the Sea of Japan: evidence for a trade-off between thermal preference and reproductive activity. (Marine Ecology Progress Series 2021)
Malik, A., Dickson, K., Kitagawa, T., Fujioka, K., Estess, E., Farwell, C., Schuller, K.
Scaling of locomotor muscle oxidative and glycolytic metabolic enzymes during the ontogeny of regional endothermy in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis). (Marine Biology 2021)
Malik, A., Dickson, K., Kitagawa, T., Fujioka, K., Estess, E., Farwell, C., Schuller, K. Ontogeny of regional endothermy in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis). (Marine Biology 2020)
Gleiss, A. Dale, J., Klinger, D., Estess, E., Gardner, L., Machado, B., Block, B. Temperature dependent pre-and postprandial activity in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis). (Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 2019)
Fujioka, K., Fukuda, K., Tei, Y., Okamoto, S., Kiyofuji, H., Furukawa, S., Estess, E., Farwell, C., Fuller, D., Ohshimo, S., and Kitagawa, T. Spatial and temporal variability in the trans-Pacific migration of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) revealed with archival tags (Progress in Oceanography 2018)
Estess, E., Teo, S., and Block, B. Using light data from animal-borne sensors to track deep scattering layers. (In progress)
Estess, E., Klinger, D., Coffey, D., Gleiss, A., Rowbotham, I., Seitz, A., Rodriquez, L., Norton, A., Block, B., and Farwell, C. Bioenergetics of Captive Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares). (Journal of Aquaculture 2016)
Klinger, D., Dale, J., Gleiss, A., Brandt, T., Estess, E., Gardner, L., Machado, B., Norton, A., Rodriguez, L., Stiltner, J., Farwell, C., and Block, B. The effect of temperature on postprandial metabolism of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares. (Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 2016)
Estess, E., Coffey, D., Shimose, T., Seitz, A., Rodriquez, L., Norton, A., Block, B., and Farwell, C. Bioenergetics of Captive Pacific Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis). (Journal of Aquaculture 2014)
Jorgensen, S., Arnoldi, N., Estess, E., Chapple, T., Rückert, M., Anderson, S., Block, B. Eating or Meeting? Cluster Analysis Reveals Intricacies of White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) Migration and Behavior in the Northeastern Pacific. (PLoS ONE 2012)
Estess, E. Community Responsibility and Environmental Awareness Motivate Aussie Youths. (Environmental Education Research Bulletin 2012)
Scientific Expeditions
Tuna Research:
-Kochi Prefecture, Japan with Monterey Bay Aquarium and Japanese government. Summer 2016-2019
-Sado Island, Japan with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Japanese government. Spring 2016-2019
-Tsushima Island, Japan with Monterey Bay Aquarium, Flinders University, and Tokyo University. Spring 2017
-Baja California, Mexico with the Tuna Research and Conservation Center. Summer 2010-2016
-Nova Scotia, Canada with Tag-A-Giant: Fall 2013 & 2015
Oceanographic Research:
-Tahiti to Hawaii aboard a 134ft sailboat with Stanford University and Sea Education Association: Spring 2009 & 2015
White shark Research:
-Ano Nuevo Island with Stanford University: Fall 2012-2014
-Farallon Islands with Stanford University: Fall 2010
Presentations, Conferences, Lectures, and Podcasts
2020
-Keynote presentation at Algalita’s International Youth Summit on Plastic Pollution
-Stanford University. Virtual lecture for “The Social Ocean” course
-Beyond the Buoy Podcast w/ Zacharia Rollins
2019
-Plastic Free Wave K-12 education tour w/ Countercurrent along the North Shore, O’ahu
-Stanford University. Environmental Communication through Art
-UC Santa Cruz. Field Methods in Vertebrate Zoology
-Talk Story at Surfer the Bar w/ Jack Johnson, WSL Pure, and Sustainable Coastlines HI
-One Ocean Podcast w/ WSL Pure
2018
-Kahuku High School and Sunset Beach Elementary. Plastic Free Pipeline
-Plastic Free Hawaii Youth Summit. Artivism 101
-California State University Channel Islands. Art and Science for Ocean Stewardship
2017
-6th Annual Biologging Science Symposium in Konstanz, Germany. Animal Borne Sensors Detect Scattering Layers
-Special Bluefin Symposium at the 68th Annual Tuna Conference. Collaborative study of Pacific bluefin tuna in Japan
2016
-Stanford University. Art and Environmental Communication
-67th Annual Tuna Conference. Bioenergetics of Captive Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)
-1st Bluefin Futures Science Symposium. Monterey, CA
2015
-3rd Annual CLIOTOP Symposium in San Sebastian, Spain. Comparative Bioenergetics of Captive tunas
2014
-65th Annual Tuna Conference. Bioenergetics of Captive Pacific Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis)
-5th Annual Biologging Science Symposium in Strasbourg, France
-Aptos High School. Ecology and Physiology of Marine Predators
2013
-Santa Catalina School. Using Found Object Art for Ocean Conservation
-Cabrillo College. Tracking the Ocean's Top Predators
-64th Annual Tuna Conference. The Role of Life History Characteristics in Tuna Stocks Assessments
2012
-Cabrillo College. Tracking the Ocean's Top Predators
-Western Society of Naturalists. Cluster Analysis Reveals Diving Behaviors of Great White Sharks
Ambassadorships/Partnerships
Artist Ambassador with the Save the Waves Coalition. 2018-Present
Sustainable clothing collaboration with Vissla Surf for Summer 2020
Additional Skills and Information
Computer
Microsoft Excel, Matlab, ArcGIS
Language
Intermediate-Advanced Spanish, Elementary Italian and Japanese
Miscellaneous Skills
CPR & Wilderness First Aid; Scientific Collection of Marine Fishes; Small Boat Operation; Public Speaking; Graphic Design; Photography; Product Design; Welding/Machining/Fabrication; PADI Certified SCUBA Diver (Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and Scientific Diver Certifications)
Hobbies
Life-long surfer; Freediving; Swimming; Fishing; Boating; Travel