Sophia Lee
PhD Student
Marine Biology & Ecology
Sophia graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Geobiology. During her undergrad, she assisted in Dr. Carly Kenkel's Cnidarian Evolutionary Ecology Lab, working on 3D photogrammetry of Caribbean corals, DNA extraction and quantification for several population genetics projects, and she led husbandry of the lab’s ex-situ coral tanks. Following graduation, she continued her work with Dr. Kenkel as a Lab Tech and expanded her projects to include fieldwork in the reefs Florida Keys and the kelp forests of Southern California, genomic analysis, and experimental design. Sophia started her Ph.D. in the Coral Reef Futures Lab at UM in 2025 and her research now focuses on the optimization of recruit care and transitioning land-based rearing to in-situ outplanting methods. She is interested in implementing support strategies such as nursery acclimation, predation deterrents, and anti-algal materials to juvenile outplants in an effort to increase survival and genetic variation among native Florida coral species. Through this work, she hopes to advance restoration in Florida and help build a heartier and more diverse reef ecosystem.
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