Haley Davis was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Despite growing up far from the ocean, she developed an affinity for the marine world from a young age. After becoming SCUBA certified and completing several internships during her undergraduate studies, Haley made the coast her home by moving to Southeast Florida in 2021. Since then, she has been involved in coral reef research and earned a Master of Science in Biological Sciences from FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
Haley has traveled extensively, conducting benthic ecology research across the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean, where she honed her skills in field science. In her free time, she works as a SCUBA Instructor and continues advancing her expertise as both a technical diver and scientific diver.
Haley joined the SeaKeepers team in 2024 as our Citizen Science Manager, where she engaged our DISCOVERY Vessels in hands-on science, onboarded several projects, and fostered a love for marine environments worldwide. She has since transitioned into her current role as SeaKeepers’ Data Scientist, leading all Seabed 2030 engagement. Haley believes that through enthusiastic vessel participation, clear data management protocols, and strong international collaboration, seafloor science can continue to make waves in every ocean.
Publications & Reports:
- Davis, H.; Capone, H.; Bruno, J.; Goodbody-Gringley, G. (unknown) Increasing ocean temperatures reduce primary productivity in three Caribbean seagrass species: implications for future ecosystems function. Status: under review
- Davis, H.; Lewerke, E., Voss, J. D. (unknown) Coral hyposalinity tolerances in coastal Southeast Florida and implications for freshwater management. Coral Reefs. Status: under review
- Davis, H. (2024) Local Approaches to a Global Threat: Do Small-Scale Restoration and Management Stand a Chance at Combating Climate Change? American Chemical Society Symposium Series. Status: Accepted.
- Goodbody-Gringley, G. and Davis, H. (2024) Insights from ecophysiology experiments and suggestions for improved coral restoration. The Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
- 2023 Reef Report Card – Central Caribbean Marine Institute
- Davis, H. (2023) Hyposalinity tolerances of the corals Montastraea cavernosa and Porites astreoides in Southeast Florida and impacts for coastal freshwater management. Masters Thesis.
- Langan, L. L.; Thapar, I.; Davis, H.; Norman, R. S.; Bojes, H. K.; Brooks, B. W. (2023). Influence of Storage Conditions and Multiple Freeze-Thaw Cycles on N1 SARS-CoV-2, PMMoV, and BCoV Signal. Science of the Total Environment.
- Langan, Laura; O’Brien, Megan; Lovin, Lea; Scarlett, Kendall; Davis, Haley; Henke, Abigail; Seidel, Sarah; Archer, Natalie; Lawrence, Eric ; Norman, Robert; Bojes, Heidi; Brooks, Bryan: RT-qPCR surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wastewater of two counties, Texas, USA. ACS ES&T Water. Feb 2022.
Projects Led:
- IHO Crowd Sourced Bathymetry Manual
- SeaKeepers Seabed2030
- To Dive for Podcast
- Won the “Ocean Culture Life Storyteller” recognition
- Statistical assessment of heat tolerance of Staghorn Corals in Caribbean nursery
- Heat Tolerance of seagrass species across the Caribbean
- Impact of freshwater releases on coral species in Southeast Florida
- Best practices in gene storage of Covid viral samples
- Developmental stages of genetically mutated fish from the Houston Ship Channel
- Impact of neo-nicotinoid pesticides on coastal marine organisms
- Nitrogen transformation on suspended sediments in lakes
- Biodiversity of corals and fishes inside and outside of a Caribbean marine park
Awards & Honors
- Undergraduate:
- Graduated Magna cum laude
- NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholar class of 2018
- Baylor Environmental Science Departmental Scholarships
- Excellence in Student Leadership Award
- Student Engagement Scholarship
- Baylor’s Presidents Gold Scholarship
- Graduate:
- Indian River Lagoon Symposium Outstanding Student Presentation Award
- Women Diver Hall of Fame Instructor Advanced Education Training Grant
- Fulbright Future Award Semi Finalist
- Art of Science Third place photo submission
- Three Minute Thesis second runner-up
- Indian River Lagoon Graduate Research Fellow
- Rotary Club of Fort. Pierce Dritenbas Memorial Scholarship
- Ocean Culture Life Storyteller Recognition