Nikki Harasta

Marine Conservation Scientist

Nikki is from Ventura, California, where her love and respect for marine life was born. She has a BS in Biology from Seattle Pacific University and an interdisciplinary MSc in Sustainability & Ecological Economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, which provide a holistic view of the challenges facing marine environments. She started working at Marine Conservation Institute as an intern, where she was involved in the early stages of The MPA Guide’s development and implementation. Today, she supports the MPAtlas Program by conducting research and analysis to categorize MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) using The MPA Guide framework. She focuses on maintaining the quality of the MPAtlas database through data QA/QC and explores the integration of emerging technologies to improve our workflows and data visualization. On the high seas, she is focused on aligning the High Seas Protection Tracker with the new BBNJ (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction) Treaty’s monitoring requirements and assisting in the review of BBNJ MPA proposals. With experience from multinational research in Europe, including work on the socio-ecological impacts of offshore wind, and fluency in Spanish, she appreciates the importance of collaboration across cultures. She also helps manage the MPAtlas Internship Program, a role she takes seriously and deeply enjoys, supporting the mentorship and development of future conservationists.