Irmaury Serrano

The leadership and knowledge I have to pursue this research stem from my previous experience in the field. I have previously carried out the field sampling tasks proposed for this research as part of my experiences with the Manatee Conservation Center of the Caribbean and Chelonia: Research and Conservation of Marine Turtles, all while I studied Marine Biology at the University of Puerto Rico.

As project coordinator for the hawksbill nesting season under DNER, I have managed budget, teams, reports, and time-constraint and pressure situations. I also have more than eight years of experience working with nesting sea turtles and doing nest inventories. I had a concentrated experience on hawksbill nesting in Mona Island and Culebra Island, Puerto Rico which furthered my expertise on the circumstances and factors behind data collection. I have also faced the limitations and harsh conditions Mona Island conveys, which suit me further to pursue this project. My master’s thesis focused on the statistics behind nesting leatherbacks; which sharpened research and organizational skills that will come in handy during this project.

July 2023