Dr. Natalia López Figueroa is a 2025–26 Gulf Science Policy Fellow with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. During her fellowship term, she is being hosted by GCOOS and serves as the Gulf Coastal Acidification Network (GCAN) coordinator for FY26.

Natalia brings more than a decade of experience in marine ecology, oceanography, teaching, and mentoring.

She earned her Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of South Florida (USF), where her dissertation focused on the ecology of upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) and their potential as bioindicators of nutrient enrichment in Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Puerto Rico. Her work was supported through the NOAA Margaret A. Davidson Fellowship and carried out in partnership with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and the University of Puerto Rico. Through this research, she gained hands-on experience with stakeholder engagement, collaborative science, and coastal management — skills that underpin her current role.

Natalia also holds a B.Sc. in Coastal Marine Biology from the University of Puerto Rico Humacao, an M.Sc. in Biology from Hampton University, and a graduate certificate in Academic Advising from USF.

Natalia is deeply committed to advancing marine science through leadership and outreach. She is the founder and chair of the Coastal and Marine Ecology Section at the Ecological Society of America, where she also serves as Council Speaker-Elect. She has spent seven years on the steering committee for the St. Petersburg Science Festival, where she led and expanded the Jr. Scientist Program, and has been recognized with mentoring and networking awards from the NOAA Office of Coastal Management. She has also worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Gulf Shellfish Institute, the USF Institute of Marine Remote Sensing, and the Marine Megafauna Foundation.

As a Gulf resident, Natalia is passionate about making science accessible and relevant to the communities along its coasts. She strives to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and sectors while uplifting the contributions of students, citizens, and practitioners working toward a resilient Gulf.