• 2022, University of South Alabama, M.S. Marine Conservation and Resource Management
• 2020, University of South Alabama, B.S. Biology, Marine Biology

Dakota began her journey with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab during her undergraduate years, where she volunteered with researchers in the Shelby Center for Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management.

She returned to DISL on several occasions, including her summer courses and her senior directed studies project on stable isotope analysis. After graduating with her Bachelor’s in Biology, she continued her education at the University of South Alabama, where she earned her Master’s in Marine Conservation and Resource Management in 2022.

Dakota returned to DISL again after graduation, serving as a research technician on an EPA-funded source tracking project with fellow researchers and graduate students. She is currently an aquarist at the Alabama Aquarium, where she shares her passion for aquatic fauna with the public.