Schery Umanzor

Schery Umanzor

She/her/hers

Assistant Professor

Mariculture
Marine Ecology
Marine Plants

College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
17101 Point Lena Loop Rd
Juneau, AK 99801
907-796-5432
sumanzor@alaska.edu

Education

Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE)
Ph.D. Marine Ecology
2017

 

Biography

Dr. Schery Umanzor started her career in 2010 as a field assistant in food production-related projects. Her professional journey showcases a seamless transition from working on IMTA systems in the tropics to kelp restoration in Baja California, Mexico, to engaging in kelp selective breeding on the East Coast of the U.S. and eventually venturing into mariculture research in Alaska. Throughout her multifaceted career, Dr. Umanzor has consistently championed inclusive approaches to food production. Currently, Dr. Umanzor and her students are focused on developing cultivation protocols for red seaweeds and pinto abalone while continuing with kelp-related research.

 

Curriculum Vitae

 

Advising


 

Recent Publications

PUBLICATIONS LIST HERE

Specialties

  • Rocky shore ecology
  • Ecosystem engineering
  • Seaweed farming and physiology

 

Research Overview

For the past three years, Dr. Umanzor has focused on working directly with kelp farmers and seaweed harvesters to address stakeholder needs. These include developing toolkits for adequate site selection and tools enabling farmers to gauge the ecological impact of their farms by quantifying the amount of carbon and nitrogen removed from the water each growing season. It also includes developing cultivation protocols for species of cultural importance. As an experimental marine ecologist, part of her interest relies on quantifying how community-structuring organisms interact with the physical environment, and how these interactions translate to potential ecosystem services to coastal areas.

 

Current research projects

  • Assessments on pathways to improve kelp farming outputs (funded by EVOSTC)
  • Development of cultivation protocols for pinto abalone, Alaska (funded by NPRB)
  • Unraveling drivers of oyster and kelp productivity in the Exxon Valdez spill area (funded by EVOSTC)

 

Awards / Honors

  • Distinguished Alumni, CICESE

 

Affiliations

  • World Aquaculture Society
  • International Society of Applied phycology
  • Phycological Society of America

 

Links to Other Places