معرفی
Olivia Pares is a Research Fellow at the University of Maryland Center of Environmental Science-IMET, specializing in marine disease ecology and blue crab (Callinectes spp.) biology. Her doctoral research focuses on the interplay between life-history traits, pathogen prevalence (e.g., CsRV1 and Hematodinium sp.), and host range in tropical ecosystems. Supported by NOAA EPP and the Smithsonian Institution, her work integrates field studies and systematic reviews to address conservation challenges in fisheries and coral reef health.
- Education: B.S. from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (Puerto Rico), transitioning from analytical chemistry to marine science.
- Key Projects: NOAA NERTO review on Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, assessment of Torrecillas Lagoon crab fisheries, and Smithsonian-funded CsRV1 host range studies.
Her research bridges disease ecology with fisheries management, emphasizing tropical ecosystems' vulnerability to emerging pathogens. Findings on crab reproductive strategies and pathogen transmission dynamics have been presented at major conferences like the American Fisheries Society and National Shellfisheries Association.
- Awards: NOAA EPP Doctoral Fellowship (2021), Smithsonian Pre-doctoral Fellowship.
- Collaborations: Advised by Dr. Eric Schott (IMET) and NOAA’s Helena Antoun, with fieldwork in Puerto Rico and Maryland.
Ongoing projects include analyzing CsRV1’s role in blue crab population dynamics and exploring implications for tropical marine resource management. She completed her Ph.D. in May 2025 with a dissertation on disease-ecology linkages in Callinectes spp.
