Roxana Aslan
Master of Professional Science
Marine Biology & Ecology
Roxana is interested in developing and employing strategies to increase the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. Her research includes attempts of pre-exposing corals to stressors that induce compensatory mechanisms that “stress harden” them against future change. One of these response mechanisms that she is studying is the shuffling of algal symbiont communities (Family Symbiodiniaceae) to favor more thermally tolerant types. She is working on a methodology of beaching corals that has the potential to be more efficient at facilitating recovery with different symbionts and to reduce the confounding factors (heat stress) and mortality risks introduced by thermal bleaching.
Before joining the Baker lab, Roxana received her B.S. in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate, she studied in a population and conservation genetics lab and participated as an AAUS scientific diver in integrated ecosystem management in Micronesia. Upon graduation, she participated in coral reef restoration in Cozumel and she volunteers often with the Benthic Ecology and Coral Restoration Lab in the department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School (RSMAS).
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