Shakira Trabelsi
Shakira Trabelsi is an environmental scientist whose passion for aquatic ecosystems began in the coastal waters of South Florida, where she developed a lifelong appreciation for the region's unique coastal habitats, estuaries, and marine wildlife. This connection to South Florida's unique ecosystems inspired her pursuit of a career dedicated to understanding and conserving aquatic ecosystems through both scientific research and environmental stewardship.
Shakira earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Florida International University. Her graduate research focused on the effects of pharmaceutical contaminants on wild Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) across Florida estuaries, examining how pharmaceutical exposure influences fish health and physiology. Her work combined field sampling, hematological and biochemical analyses, and multivariate statistical modeling to better understand contaminant impacts on wild fisheries and coastal ecosystems.
During her time at Florida International University, Shakira also served as Lab Manager for the Coastal Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory, where she coordinated multidisciplinary research projects, supervised laboratory personnel, managed complex field and laboratory operations, and facilitated collaborations among faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, technicians, and interns. Shakira contributed to numerous collaborative studies investigating pharmaceutical contamination in marine ecosystems, fisheries management, and Everglades food web dynamics.
Today, Shakira serves as an Environmental Specialist with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Six, where she leads protected species initiatives for transportation infrastructure projects throughout South Florida. Her work focuses on endangered and threatened species conservation, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, interagency coordination with federal and state resource agencies, and project management for large-scale environmental initiatives, including wildlife crossing improvements and habitat conservation efforts. By combining a strong research background with applied environmental management, Shakira is committed to integrating sound science into infrastructure planning while protecting Florida's natural resources and its most vulnerable species.
Presentation: Tuesday, October 27th @ 1 pm
Field Project: Monday, October 26th @ 1 pm