Nia Rene

Nia is from Brooklyn, NY. She worked as an Environmental Scientist at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, where she developed control technologies to mitigate harmful algal blooms and biotoxins in coastal ecosystems. She previously led the Aquaculture Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, strengthening HAB response at aquaculture sites using a participatory science framework, and building partnerships between industry and marine biotoxin researchers. René earned her PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from The CUNY Graduate Center, with research focused on tracing nutrient sources in stormwater-influenced estuaries and understanding ecological responses of aquatic primary producers. She also holds an MS in Environmental Sciences from Brooklyn College and a BS in Chemistry from York College, and her work spans water quality from the freshwater to marine continuum.