Meet Our Team

​​Brain Walker, Ph.D

Research Program Director 
Dr. Walker is a Research Scientist at Nova Southeastern University’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. His research centers on coral disease intervention, spatial ecology, community biogeography, coral reef ecology and geology, reef fish ecology, and seascape ecology particularly as they relate to the effects of anthropogenic stressors, latitude, and climate change. Of recent interest is conducting coral disease interventions in SE FL and restoring populations through assisted reproduction of the most resilient individuals. He is active in habitat impact assessment and restoration, shallow and deep-water benthic habitat mapping, GIS spatial analyses, optical remote-sensing, and hydrographic survey research, particularly LIDAR and sonar-based seafloor discrimination. Dr. Walker’s research has taken place in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean and South Pacific including Florida, Mexico, Fiji, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hunter Noren, M.S. 

Research Program Manager 
I wanted to be a marine biologist since I started diving at age 12 in Sweden. I received my bachelors in marine biology from Rollins College in Winter Park. After graduating I attended NSU’s Oceanographic Center where my masters thesis examined larval settlement preference and connectivity between shallow water and mesophotic populations of Orbicella franksii on Belize’s barrier reef. After graduating with a dual major in marine biology and coastal zone management, I did biomedical research at the Cell Therapy Institute working with stem cells and human heart tissue laminins. I missed the marine biology field so I transferred to the GIS and Spatial Ecology lab in 2019 where I am currently the lab manager.

Reagan Sharkey

Research Associate II
After growing up in New Jersey and spending my summers at the Jersey Shore, I've always had a love for the ocean.  For my undergraduate degree I went to the Catholic University of America in Washington DC where I received my degree in Biology.  I also completed an Environmental Studies honors track where I learned about ocean policy and implementation strategies.  I spent a summer in Turks and Caicos with the School for Field Studies where I began studying corals.  After receiving my undergraduate degree, I went to the University of Miami to complete my MPS in Tropical Marine Ecosystem Management.  As a part of my MPS degree, I interned in the Walker Lab where I learned all about coral restoration, disease intervention, coral predation, and much more.  After completing my Masters I joined the Walker Lab as a Research Assistant.

Samantha Buckley

Research Associate I
While originally from Maryland I received my undergraduate degree from Juniata College in general biology. My marine biology experience started in the Galapagos Islands during a study abroad program, followed by an internship at MOTE Marine Laboratories in the coral health and disease program. I came to NOVA Southeastern University with a passion for coral biology and scuba diving which landed me in Brian Walker’s lab to assist with Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease intervention efforts.  My research interests include understanding how corals respond to stress and how to better understand what makes some corals more resilient. After my Master’s degree I hope to continue my endeavors in understanding coral biology in hopes to preserve coral ecosystems.​

Alexander 'Sasha' Wheeler

Grad Research Assistant II
​I’m here to microfragment coral and chew bubblegum, and I’m all out of bubblegum. My research goals are motivated by the urgent need to restore the world’s intricate and crucial coral ecosystems. To that end, my research investigates novel coral restoration techniques that could optimize and accelerate the restoration process.

Zachary Graff

Grad Research Assistant II
A rare Florida native (but not the Florida man you hear of on the news) I grew up in Florida and have been freediving, fishing, and boating these waters my entire life.  This exposure to the marine environment from an early age was the beginning of my love with marine science.  Upon completion of my Associates degree at Daytona State College I started working full time in the marine science field to build my resume and gain technical skills.  I then moved to south Florida a few years later to finish my BS in Biology at Florida Atlantic University and by the time of my graduation in 2020 I had already worked in the field for 5 years in different positions including wetland rehabilitation specialist, fish biologist, aquarist, and scientific diver.  My main interests revolve around the spatial distributions and conservation of important predatory reef fish such as snappers, groupers, jacks, and sharks​

Allie Konzachuk

Grad Research Assistant II
​Being a Canadian who doesn't like the cold, I moved to Fort Lauderdale to complete a master's in marine biology at NOVA Southeastern. While completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, I was an undergraduate research assistant studying corals in the Indopacific. I'm no stranger to living aboard a sailboat and have my USCG captain's license. I have completed four trans Atlantic crossings, where we sailed across the equator, visited the world's most remote inhabited island, and swam with whale sharks in St. Helana. I can definitively say I do not get seasick, which comes in handy working in this lab!​​

Amanda Zummo

Grad Research Assistant II
Growing up in south Florida, I was always on the boat snorkeling, fishing, and diving. This allowed me to gain a great appreciation for the underwater world. During my undergraduate studies, I completed an in internship revolving around marine biology research in Thailand. From then, I knew that I wanted to stay in this field. I decided to complete my graduate degree in Marine Biology here at NSU. ​

Alexandra Wagner

Grad Research Assistant II
Alex Wagner is a Research Assistant I for the GIS and Spatial Ecology Lab at Nova Southeastern University. Growing up in Florida, Alex knew she always wanted to be a Marine Biologist. After graduating from Stetson University with a BS in Aquatic and Marine Biology, Alex worked in the Keys for two years at the Brinton Environmental Center- Florida Sea Base.  There she was a Coral Nursery Technician and Marine STEM Educator responsible for maintaining the land base coral nursery and teaching youth about Florida Keys environment. This position grew her passion for coral reef conservation and restoration. Alex will be pursuing her master’s degree in marine science at NSU soon. Her research interests include a focus on coral reef ecology, specifically the impact of STCD within South Florida, as well as methods to optimize coral growth for restoration. 

Former Lab Members: