For this native of Puerto Rico, the ocean and coasts have been an ever-present force in Steffanie’s life.The unique ecosystems that are created where land and sea meet captivated her imagination as a child exploring tropical mudflats. Today, they are the focus ofher doctoral research in coastal wetland policy and management in the Caribbean. Her work is rooted in her desire to understand the competing drivers of coastal resource dependence and over exploitation in the Caribbean. This scholarship will support Steffanie’s research on community decision-making in Panama and Jamaica with respect to coastal wetlands of international importance.

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