New staff: WSG welcomes Michelle Lepori-Bui
Washington Sea Grant is thrilled to welcome Michelle Lepori-Bui, marine water quality specialist, to the team.
Michelle partners with Native tribes, aquaculture businesses, natural resource managers, environmental education centers, and other community groups and volunteers to monitor and address marine water quality issues in Washington. She provides technical assistance and support to the SoundToxins program, which focuses on early detection and warning of harmful algal blooms in Puget Sound to minimize health risks and economic impacts.
Prior to joining Washington Sea Grant, Michelle earned her master’s degree in ecology, evolution, and marine biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her graduate work investigated the evolutionary response of mixotrophic nanoflagellates (phytoplankton that gain energy by mixing photosynthesis and heterotrophy) to increased temperatures. Before graduate school, Michelle worked as a research assistant at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science studying the effectiveness of nutrient management strategies on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. She also has experience studying wetlands in Delaware and was an environmental educator in northern California. She has a bachelor’s degree environmental science from the University of Delaware.
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Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer.
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