Biography

Maya is a 3rd year undergraduate at UCF pursuing a degree in Biology on the marine/aquatic track with a minor in chemistry. She plans on attending graduate school to focus on research surrounding marine genetics work. At UCF, Maya has worked within the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab, assisting with research on nutrient enrichment of mangroves, assessment of organic matter stability, and the role of mineral-associated organic matter in nitrogen mineralization. Now in the Gaither lab, Maya is supporting dispersal kernel research via the DISKER project, and plans to specialize her undergraduate thesis in population genetics of the damselfish species Pomacentrus maafu.