Dr. Joana Figueiredo Appointed as NCRI Executive Director 

It is with great pleasure, we announce the appointment of Dr. Joana Figueiredo as the new Director of the National Coral Reef Institute at NSU. Dr. Figueiredo, an Associate Professor at the Halmos College & Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, earned her B.S. and Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and completed postdoctoral research at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, Australia, and the University of the Ryukyus, Japan.

She is a globally-recognized expert in the larval ecology and recruitment of marine invertebrates, particularly corals. Under her leadership, the NSU Marine Larval Ecology and Recruitment Lab has been successfully spawning and rearing larvae and juveniles of a wide range of coral species to improve ex situ rearing protocols. Her research contributes to predicting species persistence and enhancing recovery rates through management actions such as restoration and the creation of marine protected areas.

In her new role, Dr. Figueiredo is focused on strengthening research, education, and community partnerships with colleagues across the US Atlantic Coral Jurisdictions. Congratulations to Dr. Figueiredo on her new leadership position!