Originally from New Jersey, Jennifer fell in love with the ocean visiting the shore every summer and solidified her desire to dedicate her life to it while attending Sea Camp in the Florida Keys as a teenager. She received her bachelorʼs degree in Marine Biology from Boston University and her Masters in Biological Oceanography from the University of South Florida, where she began her passion for coral reefs conducting research in Belize.

Jennifer has worked on the conservation of Caribbean corals her entire career. She joined NOAA in 2003 and listed the first-ever corals as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2006. Jennifer is the author of several ESA regulations and led the drafting of the Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral Recovery Plan. Jennifer has been a celebrated NOAA resource manager for over two decades, winning numerous awards, including the Department of Commerce Gold Medal, for her outstanding accomplishments. Currently, Jennifer focuses on the recovery of the threatened Caribbean coral reef ecosystem as the Senior Manager for Mission: Iconic Reefs at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. She is also a proud graduate of NOAAʼs Leadership Competencies Development Program.

“One drop of water helps to swell the ocean… none are too small, too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act.ˮ – Hannah Moore