Celia Leto

Biography:

Celia Leto is a Coral Reproduction Staff Biologist at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration on Summerland Key, FL. Celia spent her childhood attending summer camps at Mote’s Sarasota campus and these experiences had a big influence on her choice to pursue a career in coral conservation. Prior to her employment at Mote, Celia worked with the Coral Reef Future’s Lab and the Cnidarian Immunity lab at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Miami, FL. She conducted her personal thesis on the impacts of varying sunscreen formulations on cellular regeneration in Nematostella, a cnidarian model organism. After graduation, Celia worked as an aquarist in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Her position is to support Mote’s coral sexual propagation activities, which include assisting with coral spawning, overseeing fertilization and larval settlement, and managing Ex-situ Spawning Systems (ESS).