Jenna Aquino
Microplastics Research Assistant, Ichthyology & Mineral Sciences
Jenna Aquino is a marine biologist who recently completed her M.S. in Biology at San Diego State University, where she specialized in coral reef ecology and marine microbial communities. Jenna led scientific expeditions to Caribbean field sites for coral reef restoration monitoring and developed novel DNA extraction protocols for analyzing viral and microbial communities from seawater. She holds AAUS Scientific Diver certification and has extensive experience in underwater photography, molecular techniques, and marine ecosystem assessment. Jenna has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications on coral reef restoration and mesocosm development.