Fellowship spotlight: Alyssa Sanchez

Alyssa Sanchez is an Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow working with the Habitat Conservation Division at NOAA Fisheries Service to further the goals of the European green crab (EGC) subcommittee of the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership. The subcommittee was formed in response to the discovery of Alaska’s first population of invasive European green crabs in July 2022 on Annette Island, home to the Metlakatla Indian Community. Sanchez’s focus is on developing outreach and education materials for community monitoring programs and creating an ArcGIS StoryMap to track the current distribution of the EGC invasion in Alaska.

Sanchez earned her master’s degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California. For her capstone project, she combined her passion for ocean conservation and storytelling by producing a short film on shark conservation. Her ability to communicate complex scientific issues using creative media is crucial for her current work.

Since starting her fellowship, Sanchez has participated in the Sea Grant Green Crab Coordination Meeting in Padilla Bay, Washington, and the European Green Crab Train-the-Trainer workshop in Homer, Alaska. Additionally, she contributed to a pilot program with Rogue Detection Teams and Washington Sea Grant, exploring the use of K9 conservation detection dogs to find green crabs in Alaska. She looks forward to attending the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership workshop in November.

Before pursuing her graduate studies, Sanchez worked as a data analyst in correctional healthcare, where she developed strong analytical skills. A desire to protect marine ecosystems spurred a transition to ocean conservation with a focus on addressing invasive species threats in Alaska.