Isabel Porto-Hannes

Isabel Porto-Hannes is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Her interdisciplinary research bridges freshwater and marine ecosystems with a focus on conservation of ecologically vital but overlooked species.

Education:

• PhD in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University at Buffalo, 2018
• Master of Science in Biology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, 2009
• Bachelor of Science in Biology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, 2006

Research Focus: Prof. Porto-Hannes pioneers work in freshwater mussel conservation and limnology, specializing in keystone species like Unionida mussels that drive water quality improvement. Her approach integrates molecular techniques with ecological restoration, extending to Caribbean coral reef systems. She champions public engagement for "non-charismatic" species conservation through interdisciplinary frameworks that connect scientific research with community awareness initiatives across North American and Latin American aquatic environments.

Publication Insights: Analysis of her 14 recent publications reveals dual research trajectories: freshwater mussel conservation (70% of output) focusing on population genetics, species distribution modeling, and eDNA detection methods; and Caribbean coral reef ecology (30%) examining octocoral population dynamics. Her work consistently employs molecular phylogenetics and landscape-scale ecological modeling, with increasing emphasis on climate resilience applications since 2020.