Dr. McManus is a theoretical marine ecologist specializing in coral reef dynamics, climate change impacts, and human-environment interactions in reef systems. Her research emphasizes the development of ecological theory to predict eco-evolutionary responses to environmental change in marine ecosystems. Her current projects investigate coral-algal regime shifts, adaptive potential in corals facing climate stressors, and the ecological implications of various conservation strategies in marine systems.

Dr. McManus earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and completed her PhD at Princeton University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Before joining HIMB, she conducted postdoctoral research at Rutgers University.