Laura Almodóvar-Acevedo

Laura Almodóvar-Acevedo is serving as a legislative fellow for the office of Congressman Alan Lowenthal, representative of California’s 47th District.

Laura is originally from Puerto Rico where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and is specializing in Ecology as part of the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences Graduate Program. Her research focuses on juvenile black sea bass habitat use in the Chesapeake Bay. It includes a habitat survey to study their temporal distribution and habitat preferences, a respirometry experiment to measure the effect of temperature on their respiration rates, and a Habitat Suitability Model, based on temperature, salinity and bottom type, to explore the available habitat for them in the bay. This study will help in identifying ecosystem services of specific reefs and help explore the importance of the Chesapeake Bay for juvenile black sea bass.

Throughout her career, she has participated in seafloor mapping expeditions aboard the E/V Nautilus and as part of the on-shore team of the Okeanos Explorer. She also worked as an outreach facilitator for the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and playing guitar.