Areas of Expertise

• Ecosystem restoration
• Deepwater Horizon oil disaster
• Gulf of Mexico

Alexis provided scientific expertise across Ocean Conservancy, including Gulf restoration, Florida conservation and ocean plastics. Originally coming aboard as a conservation biologist in 2010, Alexis has been a foundation of the Gulf program’s science-based advocacy work. Trained in marine science and ecosystem restoration, she was drawn to the Gulf to help restore the ecosystem after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.

Growing up in Minnesota, Alexis developed a love and passion for outdoor adventures. She has always loved the water; back then it was freshwater lakes, and now it is the salty Gulf coast. It was through her experiences studying marine biology along the Texas coast that she became interested in wetlands, restoration and how adding a dollar value to ecosystems can create a compelling argument for protection and conservation. This drove her to pursue a master’s degree in coastal environmental management and to better understand what it takes to find solutions to complicated environmental problems.

Education

• Masters of Environmental Management, Duke University
• Bachelor of Science in Biology, University of Texas at Austin

My Favorite Thing About the Ocean

I love walking up to the beach and smelling the peppery dune plants and the salty air.

Publications

Baldera, A., Hanson, D., Kraft, B. (2018). Selecting indicators to monitor outcomes across projects and multiple restoration programs in the Gulf of Mexico. Ecological Indicators, 89, 559-571.

Pendleton, L., Donato, D. C., Murray, B. C., … Baldera, A. (2012) . Estimating Global “Blue Carbon” Emissions from Conversion and Degradation of Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems. Plos One, 7(9) e43542.

Media mentions

Warmer oceans ahead may bring more waves of toxic red tide. Bloomberg News