Ms. Jacqueline De La Cour

Jacqueline De La Cour is a coral biologist specializing in the study of coastal ecosystems, especially coral reefs, and the processes and impacts influencing those. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology (summa cum laude) from the University of Rhode Island in 2003 and her Master of Science degree in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston in 2006. Jacqueline’s Master’s thesis represents the first report of antimicrobial activity in the common seawhip, Leptogorgia virgulata and, of equal note, in a temperate/sub-tropical coral in the Atlantic Ocean. Since June 2010, Jacqueline has been serving as the Operations Manager for the Coral Reef Watch program at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since June 2018, she also is a Senior Faculty Specialist within the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center. Jacqueline directs the operations of the multi-million dollar Coral Reef Watch program with staff in the United States and Australia; writes proposals to support staff and program activities; develops and oversees the program’s annual operating budget; leads strategic planning; coordinates domestic and international partnerships, contracts, and cooperative agreements; conducts product and web page development and scientific analyses; and leads program-wide education and outreach efforts, among other tasks.