Jessica Valenzuela

Alumni

17 May

Masters Student Alumna / Research Assistant

Growing up in the landlocked region of north Texas in the United States, Jessica's passion for marine biology arose from her father's love for marine life, David Attenborough documentaries, and trips to the local aquarium. Determined to explore the ocean for herself, she moved to southern California, where she completed her undergraduate degree in 2016 at Claremont McKenna College. In 2019, she came to James Cook University to pursue her interest in tropical reef fishes. Under the supervision of David Bellwood and Renato Morais, she completed her masters in 2020. Her research project investigated ontogenetic habitat shifts in Caesioninae, a group of planktivorous fishes. Jessica now works as a research assistant for the Reef Function Hub.