Veronica received her bachelor degree in Oceanography from ESPOL University in Ecuador, and then she attended Gent University in Belgium for her masters degree (2003). For many years her research focused on sandy beach benthos ecosystems in Ecuador, spending her time between field work and multivariate statistical analysis. In 2012 she started working at the Oceanographic Research Institute of the Ecuadorian Navy (INOCAR), were here career path changed. As part of the development of an integrated early warning system for the Ecuadorian coast, she participated in the implementation of a forecast system based on ocean numerical models.

Thrilled by the potential of numerical models, and how they can be used to better understand the dynamics of complex ecological systems, Veronica is back in grad school as a Ph.D student, joining PONG in September 2014. For more information, click here.