Isaac Benaka

Isaac graduated from Emory University with a BA in Environmental Science in 2021 and subsequently started work in the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science & Technology conducting research on the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on West Coast commercial fisheries. He then transitioned into a role with the Office of Communications, creating science-driven content and maintaining the NOAA Fisheries website. In 2024, Isaac graduated from Duke University with a master’s degree in Coastal Environmental Management. At Duke, his research focused on using UAS (aka drones) to map and monitor changes to coastal ecosystems. With the NEFSC Whale Ecology Branch, he now uses drones to monitor the health of endangered North Atlantic right whales from the skies.

Educational History

• BA Environmental Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2021
• MEM Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, 2024