Elana is a Coastal Resource Scientist I at ORP. Her duties include documenting pre and post oyster restoration activities, managing ORP’s restoration and monitoring databases, and completing analysis of ecological datasets.

Elana went to the University of Tampa and received a bachelor’s degree in marine science-biology. She has always had a passion for marine life and conservation. She currently has her rescue diver certification and has traveled to Fiji to take part in a shark studies course. After graduation, she moved to the Florida Panhandle, where she did oyster restoration work in Apalachicola Bay. She conducted lab and field work to help determine the health of the bay and the surrounding oyster populations.

Elana spends as much of her free time as possible outside, especially at the beach or any other waterbody. She enjoys hiking and likes to find trails with incredible views. She loves to travel, especially to locations where she can scuba dive.