Maria Villalpando

Maria Villalpando earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from the University of Texas and her Master in Ecology focused on animal conservation at the University of Bern in Switzerland, investigating the distribution, population structure and modeling the occurrence and abundance of the endangered coral species, Dendrogyra cylindrus, in southeastern Dominican Republic to promote its local conservation. She has been working with the Dominican Foundation for Marine Studies (FUNDEMAR) since 2017, and serves currently as Research and Development Manager, coordinating the scientific programs of FUNDEMAR, including marine mammal, coral reef, seagrass bed and mangrove monitoring, reef restoration programs and research projects, focusing on the asexual and sexual reproduction of corals as a reef restoration strategy, having the opportunity to train and collaborate with leading scientists and professionals on the topic in the Caribbean to incorporate technology and innovations. Maria has co-authored over 10 scientific publications with FUNDEMAR, has helped redact manuals for coral assisted reproduction and ecosystem monitoring and annually publishes the coral spawning prediction calendar for the Dominican Republic.

December 2024