Harrison M. Albert, Ph.D.

Permit Coordinator & Resource Protection Specialist

Dr. Harrison M. Albert is the Permit Coordinator & Resource Protection Specialist for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). In this role, Dr. Albert reviews permit applications for their proposed environmental impacts and promotes resource protection and policy for one of the nation’s largest marine protected areas. As a marine resource manager, Dr. Albert supports and is involved in current and emerging discoveries in marine and environmental sciences. As the Permit Coordinator & Resource Protection Specialist at FKNMS, Dr. Albert also works daily to protect threatened and endangered species and conserve their sensitive and fragile ecosystems.

Dr. Albert’s portfolio mainly includes reviewing permit applications to conduct scientific research in coral reef ecosystems but also involves working with Federal, State, and Local agencies to accomplish the environmental consultation process. On average, Dr. Albert reviews and issues 250 permit applications per year and reviews hundreds of additional inquiries and consultation requests.

Dr. Albert holds degrees in marine biology & ecology and a Ph.D. in conservation science. Dr. Albert is an AAUS scientific scuba diver with hundreds of logged open water dives, is a 4x aquanaut, and is a deep-sea submersible diver (to 1,000ft). In 2022, Dr. Albert was presented with the University of Miami 30 Under 30 award for his continued involvement and efforts in the University of Miami marine science community by regularly serving as a graduate committee member for Masters and Ph.D. students.

As a born and raised South Florida native, Dr. Albert grew up vacationing in the Florida Keys, and his favorite dive in FKNMS is a night dive on the USS Spiegel Grove wreck in Key Largo. Dr. Albert's current research interests include studying marine mammals, marine invertebrates (such as corals, sponges, and sea urchins), sea turtles, and the role that the public plays in conservation. In his free time, Dr. Albert enjoys working with the youth at local marine science nonprofits and helping with marine animal stranding and response organizations in South Florida.