Alexandra Zelaya is a Master’s student in Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying coral restoration science and coral physiology in the Florida Keys. Her research examines whether thermal preconditioning of sexually produced juvenile corals in the laboratory enhances resilience and recovery under natural warming and bleaching conditions following outplanting at NOAA Mission: Iconic Reefs sites. Supported by the WDHOF Graduate Marine Science Scholarship, she will conduct critical post-bleaching monitoring of outplanted corals. Alexandra integrates experimental research, field-based restoration, and marine education to advance coral reef conservation in a changing ocean.