Rokana Chrysoula is a marine biologist who joined the HCMR team in 2019 as a research assistant. Her research interests and experience relate to the broad field of marine biology with an emphasis on the early stages of fish development. The first project in which she participated, was based on ichthyoplankton surveys, including the study of biological resources and the impact of climate change on the marine ecosystem of the region of Maliakos Gulf. With a Bachelor’s degree in biology and a Master’s degree in Biological Oceanography she now works in the ”Fisheries data collection program’’ of HCMR Institute. The main objective of this project is to analyze biological, commercial, environmental and socio-economic data related to fisheries. Her responsibilities include collecting samples and data, performing laboratory analysis, collaborating with colleagues across the field including fellow research staff and technicians, writing research papers and articles explaining her findings and keeping up to date with new research and technologies by attending training courses. She has also experience in conducting surveys and working on small to medium sized large vessels. Chrysoula is currently a PhD candidate with interest in ichthyoplankton and its molecular taxonomy and ontogeny. She is focused on mastering the science of classification of early life stages of fish, by combining morphological observation with the new evolving era of molecular biology.
