OUR MISSION
The mission of Sonoma Coast Historical and Undersea Nautical Research Society (SCHUNRS) is to promote greater knowledge and public stewardship of local maritime cultural heritage along the Sonoma-Mendocino Redwood Coast and beyond. SCHUNRS is an all-volunteer organization
using public education, historical research, and maritime archaeology to document historical and physical
traces of our maritime heritage before they are lost forever.
Meet the Team
President
Denise Jaffke currently works as Principal Investigator and Archaeologist for Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. and a volunteer scientific diver with the California State Parks Dive Team. Along with serving as SCHUNRS’ President, she also leads the Documentation Team to ensure that all identified resources are recorded to professional standards. Denise assists with public outreach efforts - online, locally, and statewide.
Northern Vice President
Sheli Smith has been working with California’s maritime heritage for decades, excavating shipwrecks, teaching and promoting stewardship. In addition to serving as SCHUNRS’ Northern Vice President, Sheli is Director of Napa Historical Society and serves on the California State Parks Dive Safety Advisory Board. Sheli assists SCHUNRS research and outreach efforts
Southern Vice President
Laurel Breece, SCHUNRS Southern Vice President, is a retired Long Beach City College professor with over 40 years of experience in terrestrial and underwater archaeology. She holds a Ph.D. from UCLA, helped launch a Maritime Archaeology Science and Technology Program, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Marine Conservation Research Institute. Laurel continues to advance maritime heritage through research and leadership.
Treasurer
John Harreld has been researching the shipwrecks and maritime history of the Redwood Coast in his free time for over a decade. He is a volunteer scientific diver for the Bodega Marine Lab and a volunteer member of the California State Parks Dive Team. John serves as the Treasurer of SCHUNRS and helps lead the Fieldwork and Research Teams.
Secretary
Jeff Delsescaux is the SCHUNRS Secretary and a State Archaeologist with the California Office of Historic Preservation. His career spans maritime archaeology, cultural resource management, and Section 106 compliance. Jeff has documented sites from Bermuda to Eureka and formerly served as NOAA’s West Coast Maritime Archaeologist. He supports SCHUNRS through collaboration and administrative leadership.
Social Media and Events Coordinator
Courtney Higgins serves as the SCHUNRS Social Media and Events Coordinator, helping to promote California’s maritime heritage through outreach and engagement. She is a Senior Archaeologist and Project Manager at Far Western Anthropological Research Group with over 25 years of experience. Courtney holds a master’s degree in Nautical Archaeology from Texas A&M University and is a certified diver, having contributed to projects such as the Kızılburun shipwreck excavation in Turkey.
Volunteer Coordinator
Jason Herum is the Diving Safety Officer at UC Davis, where he manages the Scientific Diving Program. A certified AAUS, NAUI, and DAN instructor, he brings decades of diving and safety experience to SCHUNRS. As Volunteer Coordinator, Jason helps lead outreach and fieldwork activities while supporting volunteer engagement and training. He is committed to fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and hands-on learning in the field.
Director at Large - Photographer
Abbey Dias is SCHUNRS’ Director at Large and official Photographer, combining marine science, field safety, and visual storytelling. She is the Assistant Diving and Boating Safety Officer at UC Davis’s Bodega Marine Lab and supports SCHUNRS expeditions through training, logistics, and documentation. Abbey holds degrees from Whitman College and Sonoma State, with research spanning coral reefs to Antarctic lakes.
Preserve & Protect Our Maritime Hertiage
An essential aspect of SCHUNRS’ mission is to discover and protect our remaining maritime cultural heritage, both on land and under the waves. Through education we can promote beneficial public stewardship of artifacts and sites. Through exploration, non-destructive archaeology, and documentation we can advance public knowledge and bring our maritime heritage to life.