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Maris is an M.S. Fisheries student and Rasmuson Fellow at UAF. Originally from Tennessee, she earned an A.S. in Biology at Columbia State Community College before completing a B.S. in Organismal Biology and Ecology, at Middle Tennessee State University. Her undergraduate research focused on darter fishes, studying head shape variation using geometric morphometrics. Throughout undergrad, she worked as an R&D scientist at Stryker, conducting FDA-compliant lab tests.

At UAF, Maris uses environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to study fish community composition in glacier-influenced estuaries: Lynn Canal and Kachemak Bay. Her research examines biodiversity patterns across seasons and regions and investigates how environmental factors such as salinity, temperature, and turbidity shape fish communities. By combining molecular tools with conventional sampling, Maris aims to demonstrate metabarcoding's potential as an effective tool for fish monitoring in estuarine ecosystems.