Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Leah Harper is a marine ecologist who most often works in coral reef ecosystems. She received her M.S. from Nova Southeastern University studying the recruitment of corals along the Florida Reef Tract. Her primary research interests are the dynamics of stony coral communities during severe disease and bleaching events, and the structure of fish communities across habitat mosaics. As a biologist for the Smithsonian MarineGEO program, she is responsible for coordinating observational surveys and experiments across partner sites, conducting partner trainings, and analyzing and interpreting data. MarineGEO takes the pulse of coastal ocean life through the coordination of partnerships across the globe. More about the MarineGEO program can be found at https://marinegeo.si.edu/.