Prior to arriving at CSUMB he was a research ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where he served as scientific liaison to and chief scientist for the USEPA Long Island Sound Study. His research interests are in the area of marine landscape ecology. He uses GIS modeling and spatial statistics to study the relationship between scale dependence, habitat complexity and patterns of species distribution and abundance in marine communities. Dr. Garza serves as the principal investigator for the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab at CSUMB and is the campus lead for the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems. He also directs the NSF funded, Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program.