CESSRST Fellow Jahnelle Howe Successfully Defends Thesis and Graduates with a PhD
Jahnelle Howe received her PhD after successfully defending her thesis on Friday, April 4. She graduates with a PhD in Earth & Environmental Science from CUNY’s Graduate Center on June 10, 2025. Dr. Howe was a CESSRST-II Cohort 1 Fellow at the CUNY Graduate Center. Prior to this, she received a Master’s degree in Earth & Atmospheric Science from the City College of New York in 2022 and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Lehman College in 2018.
Dr. Howe participated in a NERTO project in 2022 titled “Using LIDAR measurements to estimate Hurricane Marie effect on biomass and carbon stocks in mangroves of southwestern Puerto Rico” under the guidance of Dr. Kirk Waters from the NOAA’s office of coastal management.
Jahnelle’s thesis, “Unveiling the Vital Role of Blue Carbon in Mangroves: Understanding Environmental Influences,” examines the crucial ecological services that mangrove ecosystems offer, such as heavy metal retention, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection. This work integrates three research efforts examining mangrove canopy dynamics, carbon storage, and heavy metal contamination in two Puerto Rican mangrove systems: La Parguera and Laguna Grande.
Dr. Peter Groffman CUNY ASRC and Dr. Shakila Mentor, Director CUNY HIRES were Dr. Howe’s academic mentor and thesis advisor. Jahnelle currently works as a NOAA contractor (Northeast Fisheries Research Assistant Level II) with IBSS.
For more information, visit https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6214/
