معرفی
Dr. Maria Palacios is a Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University’s School of Science. Her expertise lies in nature-based solutions, particularly coastal wetland restoration and blue carbon ecosystems. She leads the award-winning Blue Carbon Citizen Science program, engaging over 600 participants in Australia and New Zealand. Her work emphasizes community and industry collaboration, with a focus on mangrove restoration, seagrass meadows, and tidal marshes. Palacios holds a PhD from James Cook University and has held academic positions at RMIT, Deakin, Monash, and James Cook Universities.
Research Interests: Coastal wetlands, blue carbon sequestration, citizen science, science communication, and ecosystem services. Key projects include mangrove restoration in the Western Indian Ocean, blue carbon assessment in Seychelles, and toxic sediment remediation. She has supervised projects on mangrove decision science and barriers to blue carbon initiatives.
Professional Experience: Senior Research Fellow (RMIT, 2024–present); Research Fellow (Deakin, 2018–2024); Research Assistant roles at Monash and James Cook Universities (2016–2017). Non-academic roles include environmental consulting for The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International in Colombia (2010–2013).
Notable Contributions: Established the Blue Carbon Army citizen science program, published over 20 peer-reviewed articles, and contributed to global blue carbon frameworks. Her work aligns with UN SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land).
