María Isabel Aguilar Pérez, M.Sc., is a marine biologist with over 15 years of experience in research on marine ecosystems. Her expertise focuses on benthic macrofauna ecology, crustacean taxonomy, and cold seepage ecosystems. She holds both a Specialization and a Master’s degree in Technological Management from the Pontifical Bolivarian University (UPB), Colombia. Throughout her career, María Isabel has participated in numerous oceanographic cruises in the Colombian Caribbean and deep-sea environments. She has led sampling operations, onboard taxonomic processing, and ecological assessments using ROVs and Box Corers, making significant contributions to baseline characterizations and biodiversity studies in complex marine settings. Her recent work integrates advanced taxonomic identification with environmental analysis to deepen the understanding of chemosynthetic ecosystems. A dedicated researcher who participates in comprehensive projects, from proposal development to implementation, always aiming to promote sustainable resource management, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem resilience. María Isabel is strongly committed to collaborative science and to fostering scientific capacity building in Latin America. As a member of the MATRICS expedition team, she will contribute her expertise in benthic fauna identification and habitat characterization during ROV operations in the Amazon Canyon and Fan, supporting the study of turbidity-current impacts on seafloor ecosystems.
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