Congratulations to Dr. Lisa C. McManus, a theoretical marine ecologist at UH Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), who was announced today as a 2025 Ecological Society of America (ESA) Early Career Fellow. The Society’s fellowship program recognizes contributions to ecological research, communication, education, management, and policy throughout the United States. McManus is among ten new Early Career Fellows announced by the ESA Board of Governor’s today, and she is recognized for notable efforts to investigate how climate change impacts coral reef ecosystems.

“I’m deeply honored,” shares McManus of receiving the award. “Many ecologists I’ve long admired were previous ESA Early Career Fellows, and it’s humbling to be included among such distinguished researchers. This recognition energizes me to pursue even more ambitious questions at the intersection of theoretical ecology and coral reef science.”

In her research, McManus uses ecological theory to understand and predict response of marine organisms to changing ocean conditions. Her current projects examine coral-algal regime shifts, coral adaptive potential, and marine conservation strategies. Through this work, McManus aims to inform conservation policies that address the long-term resilience of coral reefs. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University.

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