Luisa Garcia received a bachelor’s degree in Biology with concentration in Marine Biology in 2009 from Universidad del Valle, Colombia. After graduating, she worked for four years as an Assistant Researcher in the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras – INVEMAR (Colombia). In this position she participated in several research trips and specialized in fisheries stock assessments and the reproductive biology of the main commercially harvested shrimp species (Litopenaeus occidentalis, Solenocera agassizi, and Farfantepenaeus brevirotris) in the Colombian Pacific. Luisa moved to the U.S. in 2015 and completed a master’s degree in Marine Affairs at University of Rhode Island in 2016. At CFF, Luisa heads an on-going seasonal bycatch study researching changes in the distribution of bycatch species in the scallop fishery on Georges Bank. Additionally, Luisa is interested in the distribution and prevalence of diseases in scallop and other important species, as well as lobster damage caused by different dredge configurations. She hopes to apply her passion for sustainable fisheries management to this study and future research at CFF.

EDUCATION:

M.S. in Marine Affairs - University of Rhode Island, 2016

B.S. in Biology - Universidad del Valle, Columbia, 2009