Anna Poslednik

Anna is a PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studies how parasites and diseases shape marine ecosystems. Her research focuses on Black Spot Syndrome (BSS), an emerging parasitic infection that affects important herbivorous fish species on Caribbean coral reefs. Using scuba-based field surveys and baited experiments around the reefs of Curaçao, her research examines how BSS influences fish behavior, including risk perception, habitat use, and herbivory, and how these behavioral shifts may cascade to affect broader reef ecosystem dynamics.

Anna received her B.S. in Environment and Sustainability from Cornell University, where she focused on marine and aquatic sciences. She also has an M.S. degree in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William & Mary, where she researched environmental life stages of an ecologically important oyster parasite. In addition to research, Anna is committed to getting broad audiences excited about marine ecosystems through public outreach, education, and mentorship experiences.