Maria Pierce,  PhD Candidate, UNC Wilmington Biography: I graduated from Eckerd College in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Science (biology track) with a minor in Coastal Management. Prior to this degree, I worked as a registered nurse until I had the opportunity to intern for six months in South Africa, where I assisted with research on white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and other elasmobranch species endemic to the area. During my undergraduate education, I was selected as an intern in the USF Shark and Ray Environmental Physiology and Behavioral Ecology Internship Program, where I assisted with a project investigating the impact of temperature and salinity on the hypoxia tolerance and performance of the Atlantic stingray (Hypanus sabinus). After graduating, I worked for Eckerd College as a Lab Assistant/Paraprofessional in the Marine Science Department, and have recently gained further experience in elasmobranch research as an advanced student with Field School, and volunteer with Havenworth Coastal Conservation and the Florida Manta Project. My prior career experience, coupled with opportunities in Marine Science research, have focused my interests on using a comparative and integrative approach to address ecological issues within the marine ecosystem. My graduate research focuses on characterizing the brain morphology of the Critically Endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using a comparative approach, an atlas of normal brain tissue in P. pectinata will act as a baseline to investigate the effects on neuroplasticity to inform the behavioral and sensory shifts from tissue collected during the detrimental Florida fish spinning event. Professional Societies: American Elasmobranch Society Minorities in Shark Science: Friend of MISS

Maria Pierce,  PhD Candidate, UNC Wilmington

Biography:

I graduated from Eckerd College in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Science (biology track) with a minor in Coastal Management. Prior to this degree, I worked as a registered nurse until I had the opportunity to intern for six months in South Africa, where I assisted with research on white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) and other elasmobranch species endemic to the area. During my undergraduate education, I was selected as an intern in the USF Shark and Ray Environmental Physiology and Behavioral Ecology Internship Program, where I assisted with a project investigating the impact of temperature and salinity on the hypoxia tolerance and performance of the Atlantic stingray (Hypanus sabinus).

After graduating, I worked for Eckerd College as a Lab Assistant/Paraprofessional in the Marine Science Department, and have recently gained further experience in elasmobranch research as an advanced student with Field School, and volunteer with Havenworth Coastal Conservation and the Florida Manta Project. My prior career experience, coupled with opportunities in Marine Science research, have focused my interests on using a comparative and integrative approach to address ecological issues within the marine ecosystem. My graduate research focuses on characterizing the brain morphology of the Critically Endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using a comparative approach, an atlas of normal brain tissue in P. pectinata will act as a baseline to investigate the effects on neuroplasticity to inform the behavioral and sensory shifts from tissue collected during the detrimental Florida fish spinning event.

Maria Pierce, PhD Candidate

Professional Societies:

American Elasmobranch Society

Minorities in Shark Science: Friend of MISS