Though she has always been interested in marine science, Elizabeth (Libby) was first introduced to scientific research when she completed a REU internship focused on physical-biological interactions in seagrass meadows at the Virginia Coast Reserve LTER. She later conducted research at her undergraduate institution on deep-sea geomorphology and associated benthic habitats within the Southeast U.S. Continual Margin. Libby also studied the effects of beach re-nourishment as an intern for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before earning a B.S. in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston. She is now working towards her M.S. with UVA’s Drs. Patricia Wiberg and Matthew Reidenbach focusing on strengthening coastal resilience and enhancing salt marsh habitat using oyster reefs in Wachapreague, VA. Libby is excited to be a part of this project aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of nature based solutions to sea level rise that could be implemented to protect other coastal communities in Virginia and worldwide.