NOAA-EPP LMRCSC Master’s Graduate
M.S., Marine & Environmental Science
Hampton University
Lalah Choice, a native of Washington, D.C., is a recent graduate of Florida A&M University, where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Urban Studies and Economic Development in May 2025, supported by the NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME) Scholarship Award.
Lalah joined the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) in July 2025 as a graduate student in the Department of Marine and Environmental Science at Hampton University, where she is pursuing an M.S. degree in Marine and Environmental Science under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Reustle. He and Lalah aim to address NOAA’s research theme of Understanding Climate and Ecosystem Relationships by focusing on the effects of urbanization on estuarine food webs. Their work uses blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) and eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) to investigate how predator-prey dynamics and community structure shift across urban-rural gradients in the Chesapeake Bay. Using a combination of field studies, stable isotope analysis, and mesocosm experiments, their work aims to advance NOAA’s understanding of how estuarine communities respond to multiple, co-occurring stressors across urban-rural gradients and restored-degraded habitats.
Prior to joining LMRCSC, Lalah served as a NOAA CCME II Scholar from 2021-25. During her time with CCME, she contributed to research on the accessibility of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasting tools. Her efforts helped ensure that communities most affected by coastal and natural disasters have equal access to critical information during crises such as hurricanes and floods, specifically in Southwest Florida.
Additionally, Lalah was named a NOAA José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program (EPP/MSI) Scholar for the Class of 2023. Under the mentorship of Gabby Kitch and Courtney Witowski, Lalah interned with NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, leading efforts to improve interagency communication and collaboration around Ocean Acidification (OA) and Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR). Her contributions have provided valuable insights into how NOAA coordinates and communicates across various agencies to efficiently and effectively address pressing issues impacting the nation’s coastal areas and marine ecosystems.
In 2024, she interned under Dr. Andrij Horodysky with NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, where she evaluated heart rate sensor performance in tagged American lobsters to support future ocean acidification research. This research, titled “Performance Comparison of Two Heart Rate Sensor Types in Tagged American Lobster” earned her the “Outstanding Presentation Award in Healthy Oceans” at the NOAA EPP/MSI Science and Education Symposium. Later that year, within the NOAA CCME network, Lalah co-authored a peer-reviewed publication on place-based conservation and community engagement titled “Place-Based Conservation in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems: The Importance of Engagement.”
Lalah’s long-term goal is to become a leader in marine science and environmental justice, advocating for policies that center both ecological resilience and equity in coastal regions. Her academic and professional ambitions drive her to better integrate scientific research with environmental justice, communication, public engagement, and policy, to advance equitable coastal restoration and sustainable resource management.
Research Theme: Climate & Ecosystems
NOAA LMRCSC Fellows attain the NOAA Core Competencies detailed in this rubric.
NERTO Project Title: TBD
NOAA Mentor: TBD
Academic Advisors: Dr. Joseph Reustle
Publications/Presentations
- Jennings, V.; Antonio, K.M.S.; Brown, M.; Choice, L.; Simpson, Q.; Ford, I.; Cho, H.J.; Solis, P.; Lacey, A.; Robinson, D. Place-Based Conservation in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems: The Importance of Engagement with Underrepresented Communities. Sustainability 2024, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229965
NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Lead Institution)
(410) 651-7870
Award numbers: FY 2021 Award #NA21SEC4810005
Funding Agency: NOAA Educational Partnership Program (EPP/MSI)
