Alannah Vellacott

A well-known local of Grand Bahama Island, Alannah’s passion for the protection of marine ecosystems stems from her childhood adventures exploring and fishing in a mangrove creek system that bordered her neighborhood. Now with a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences with emphasis in Ecology from SDSU, Alannah is a budding marine ecologist with over 10 years of experience working in marine research, conservation and education in The Bahamas. Having made the rounds working and volunteering for various non-profit research and conservation organizations like the Cape Eleuthera Institute, BREEF, the Bahamas National Trust, Perry Institute for Marine Science and others, Alannah has had a hand in many marine research projects. Shark stress physiology studies and AGRRA coral reef surveys are among her favorite experiences, but the biology of corals has ‘grown on her’ after a yearlong blitz of establishing and maintaining coral nurseries and surveying coral cover throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean. A PADI scuba instructor with 16 years of experience in diving, in her spare time Alannah enjoys racking up scuba certifications, DIY home improvement, and beachcombing with her fur-baby Zephyr The Dog.