I have a bachelors degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico and am pursuing a Masters in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Florida. I consider myself a tropical ecologist with a great appreciation for watching the development and changes in nature.
    I developed my career as a community forest ecologist interested in forest successional processes, in community based forest restoration, conservation and management in tropical America.  In Puerto Rico, I worked for at least ten years in different projects related to plant biology, forest ecology and aquatic ecosystems.  I have a curious mind; thus, I expanded the scope of my research activities and worked in different ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, subtropical dry forest, subtropical moist forest and in tropical wet forest in Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Panama.  I participated in projects that cover population dynamics of single species, to community restoration and vegetation response to large-scale disturbances.  My work experiences were at the University of Puerto Rico, governmental and non-governmental institutions as an undergraduate research assistant, a graduate research assistant, an ecologist for a consulting company, teaching assistant, and a biology technician.  I have also had experiences teaching undergraduate laboratory / field courses in Botany and General Biology.   I am currently enrolled in the Program of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences of the University of Florida where I am studying the effects of a swamp forest fire on the trophic parameters of an outstanding Florida waters (Little Santa Fe Lake, Alachua County).  I want to understand better how large scale catastrophic events such as fire interact with different water quality attributes and how this interaction can affect the eutrophic state of a lake.
        I like to do mostly outdoors activities such as hiking, snorkeling, among others. I also like to travel, especially to the tropical areas.  I think the diversity of organisms that the tropical ecosystems can sustain is fascinating.  From my different trips to a variety of develop and undeveloped countries, I have learned about the differences in culture, politic, economy and idiosyncrasies of every place. The social, economic and political reality of every country plays a central role in the conservation and management of their natural resources.

Phone: 352-273-3625