Emma Pontes

Dr. Emma Pontes is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine & Atmospheric Studies, where she works with the Experimental Reef Lab. As a triplealumna with a B.S., M.P.S., and Ph.D. from UM, she proudly considers herself a ‘Cane for life. Her research focuses on the physiological and metabolic effects of climate change stressors—such as elevated temperatures, ocean acidification, and hypoxia—on reef-building corals. Her dissertation research established baseline tolerances to acute hypoxia for various coral species using advanced laboratory techniques. In her post-doctoral role, Dr. Pontes leads experiments for Module 2 of the Florida Regional Ecosystems Stressors Collaborative Assessment (FRESCA), aiming to identify species-specific thresholds for several key South Florida coral species under different climate change stressors. Dr. Pontes is also an experienced sea-going scientist, having participated in research cruises around the world, including to Antarctica, Brazil, Spain, and Easter Island, to monitor long-term changes in ocean chemistry.