Sharon Patris has been working in the multi-disciplinary marine lakes research for the last 13 years starting right after receiving her B.Sc. in Biology from Emmanuel College in Boston. She received her M.Sc. in Quantitative and Systems Biology from the University of California, Merced, in 2015. Her thesis was on the introduction and distribution of the invasive anemone (Exaiptasia sp.) in Jellyfish Lake in Palau. Through her marine lakes research, Sharon has been studying the impact of ENSO events, climate change and tourism on marine lakes and Jellyfish Lake. Her interests are in ecology and evolution and science in education and conservation stemming from her upbringing in the small Southwest island community in Palau where she listened to her father’s stories of fishing. Through her work, she hopes to instill the same enthusiasm and passion for marine science and research in the younger generations of Palau. Sharon is a biologist at Coral Reef Research Foundation in Palau where, aside from her research with Dr. Pat Colin, she mentors Palauan Heirs Aliyah, Adora, Blaine and other youth in learning about their waters including challenges.
