Fransuá Mar
San Juan
Summary
Detail-oriented environmental science professional with extensive experience in tropical ecosystem research, field-based data collection, and environmental data management. Proficient in operating advanced research equipment, including sonic tomographs and soil moisture sensors, with a strong focus on data quality control. Adept at collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and maintaining rigorous research protocols in challenging field conditions. Eager to apply expertise to support LUQ-LTER’s study of tropical forest ecosystems and their response to altered precipitation.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Research Assistant
DEATH Lab
09.2023 - 09.2024
Supervisor: Dr. Erin Spear and Javier Ballesteros
Project: Achy Breaky Hearts
- Contributed to two major research projects focused on microbial communities and disease pressure in tropical ecosystems, including the role of microbial-driven internal decay in living trees and its implications for forest dynamics.
- Conducted field research quantifying internal tree decay using a sonic tomograph, ensuring accurate data collection in challenging tropical climate.
- Managed and maintained detailed records of experimental data for over 1000 trees spamming >species, tracking health observations, decay measurements, and environmental conditions, ensuring data consistency and quality control.
- Collaborated with the research team to implement post-field data validation protocols, identifying anomalies and refining processes to ensure the accuracy and reliability of collected data.
- Troubleshot equipment errors and collaborated with the manufacturer to resolve issues with the sonic tomograph, including translating technical manuals for use with tropical buttressed trees.
- Operated software tools such as Excel, ArcGIS, and ImageJ for data analysis, managing experimental progress, and producing accurate decay measurement reports.
- Assisted in the development of research protocols, ensuring consistency and reproducibility in experimental methods, and participated in weekly meetings to discuss data validation improvements and action plans.
- Carried up to 40 pounds of field equipment daily, navigating a 30-minute hike to the research plot in challenging terrain, ensuring preparedness for data collection and research activities.
- Contributed to the preparation of reports for peer-reviewed publications for data collection methodology, with recognition as a co-author.
- Presented research findings through formal posters and presentations, engaging with a variety of stakeholders, including students, educators, and donors.
- Trained over 5 team members in field data collection techniques, post-field data validation, and equipment troubleshooting, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of research processes across the team.
Biological Science Aide
Tropical Agricultural Research Station
06.2022 - 08.2022
Supervisor: Dr. Luz Serrato
- Processed laboratory samples for a research project focused on identifying mango varieties resistant to anthracnose, contributing to the development of improved disease-resistant cultivars.
- Conducted disease severity assessments on various mango crosses, including fungal inoculation, tissue isolation, and purification from infected fruit to evaluate pathogen resistance.
- Prepared and cataloged fungal specimens for inclusion in the fungal library, ensuring proper documentation and preservation for future research and reference.
Water Quality Technician
Environmental Engineering Laboratory
08.2020 - 05.2021
Supervisor: Dr. Pedro Tarafa
Project: Water Quality Monitoring in Agricultural Adjacent Areas in the Western Region of Puerto Rico
- Led water sample collection at three sites adjacent to agricultural areas in two municipalities, following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standard Operating Procedures, collecting samples twice a week for 9 months to assess water quality and environmental impacts.
- Conducted physical, chemical, and biological testing on water samples, including measuring parameters such as pH, alkalinity, hardness, nitrogen and phosphorus levels, and E. coli bacterial counts.
- Prepared and delivered bi-monthly presentations to the laboratory team, reporting on project progress and ensuring compliance with environmental standards, specifically glyphosate and atrazine concentrations.
- Contributed to continuous improvement efforts by providing suggestions and participating in problem-solving activities.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Agroenvironmental Sciences
University of Puerto Rico
Mayagüez06.2023
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Scientific writing
- Fieldwork experience
- ArcGIS
- R Studio
- Plot navigation
Certifications & Training
- Global Sustainability Scholars RaMP-UP Fellowship training
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Completed workshops on experimental design, ArcGIS and R Studio.
- National Hispanic Environmental Council Environmental STEM Institute
New Mexico
10-day competitive, residential environmental STEM program for undergraduates in environmental studies and agriculture. Conducted daily environmental surveys involving on-site soil and water sampling and testing, plant/vegetation surveys, and tree surveys at 3 sites representative of the three major rivers in New Mexico. Worked in a team environment to deliver a presentation of the ecological assessment against quality standards.
- Agroecological Promoters and Producers Course
Finca el Reverdecer, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Completed a 22-session immersive training program with 5-hour sessions, covering agricultural systems from a scientific, technical, and political perspectives. Gained hands-on experence in agroecological farm practices, including the entire cycle from site selection to harvest.
Topics included farm design, pest identification and management, common agricultural pests in Puerto Rico, and commercialization strategies.
- Beekeeping Course on Africanized Bees
Finca Conciencia, Vieques, Puerto Rico
Participated in an intensive 3-day beekeeping course focused on africanized bee management and sustainable beekeeping practices.
Affiliations
- Latin American Congress of Students in Forestry Sciences
- National Hispanic Environmental Council
Awards
- MAGA Foods Scholarship, 2021, for students committed to the improvement of local agriculture. Awarded when I was in the board of directors in a student led agricultural cooperative based on the University of Puerto Rico.
- STEM Environmental Institute Scholarship from the National Hispanic Environmental Council in New Mexico, 2022.
- Global Sustainability Scholars Fellowship, 2023-2024, focused on promoting sustainability and global environmental solutions.
Scholarly Presentations & Publications
Paper in preparation:
- How are phytopathogenic fungi distributed across hosts, ontogeny, and intra-annually? Implications for the role of phytopathogens in the maintenance of forest diversity. To be submitted to New Phytologist. SPEAR, E.R., L. SCHMIDT, B. MARTIN, C. INSLER, F. OTERO MARGARY, Z. COULIS, K. CHA, M.T. SOSA, and J. BALLESTEROS.
Poster presentations
for the BCI Centennial Symposium (June 19, 2024), with ~400 international participants and for the Latin American Congress of Students in Forestry Sciences in Ecuador (October 21-26, 2024)
- Achy Breaky Hearts: Investigando la pudrición interna mediada por microbios en árboles tropicales. F.M. OTERO MARGARY, J. MAHR, R. K. MASON, J. TESTER, M. SPACE, J. BALLESTEROS, E. ALVARADO, E. M. GORA, B. C. FAIRCLOTH, T. C. GLENN, S. P. HUBBEL, G. GILBERT, and E. R. SPEAR. 2024.
- Is there turnover in fungal pathogens from the forest floor to canopy and across ontogeny? Implications for the role of phytopathogens in the maintenance of forest diversity. C. INSLER, SCHMIDT, L., B. MARTIN, F.M. OTERO MARGARY, K. CHA, M.T. SOSA, J. BALLESTEROS, and E.R. SPEAR. 2024.
- How are phytopathogenic fungi distributed across tree species? Implications for the role of phytopathogens in the maintenance of forest diversity. F.M. OTERO MARGARY, J. MAHR, R. K. MASON, J. TESTER, M. SPACE, J. BALLESTEROS, E. ALVARADO, E. M. GORA, B. C. FAIRCLOTH, T. C. GLENN, S. P. HUBBEL, G. GILBERT, and E. R. SPEAR. 2024.
Seminar presentation
- Are external symptoms indicative of internal heart rot? Oral presentation of research for STRI’s Bambi Seminar Series, attended by students, interns, and visiting and resident scientists. F.M. OTERO MARGARY, J. MAHR, R. K. MASON, J. TESTER, M. SPACE, J. BALLESTEROS, E. ALVARADO, E. M. GORA, B. C. FAIRCLOTH, T. C. GLENN, S. P. HUBBEL, G. GILBERT, and E. R. SPEAR. 2024.
Timeline
Research Assistant
DEATH Lab
09.2023 - 09.2024
Biological Science Aide
Tropical Agricultural Research Station
06.2022 - 08.2022
Water Quality Technician
Environmental Engineering Laboratory
08.2020 - 05.2021
Bachelor of Science - Agroenvironmental Sciences
University of Puerto Rico