Victoria Barker, Grants Specialist

Tell us about yourself and your work at NOS.

My name is Victoria Barker and I’m a grants specialist with NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. The program works to protect, conserve, and restore the nation’s coral reefs by maintaining healthy marine ecosystems and provides financial awards to support these efforts. In my role, I draft funding opportunities, review applications for funding, manage financial awards, and create communication products about coral reef research projects. I also develop reports about these projects and their positive impacts on coral reef conservation.

How did you get to where you are now in your career?

In high school, I volunteered at a nearby aquarium as an educational guide and went on to complete my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in marine science, as well as my SCUBA divemaster certification. I later moved to Pago Pago, American Samoa, with two suitcases and a sense of adventure, to work as a marine technician with the National Park of American Samoa. There, I conducted hands-on monitoring and research among some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs.

When I returned to the mainland U.S., I applied for the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship and became a fellow in Florida. In this position, I coordinated coral disease response, working with researchers, resource managers, policy makers, and regulatory experts to battle stony coral tissue loss disease, the most deadly coral disease ever recorded. After my fellowship, I worked for the state of Florida as the Coral Protection Coordinator focused on water quality improvements and grants management. All of these educational and professional experiences led me to work with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.

When did you know you wanted to pursue your current career?

Growing up in the land-locked Midwest, family vacations to the beach and visits to the aquarium sparked my initial interest in the water. When I was ten years old, I saw a movie where the main character traveled to Australia and dove on the Great Barrier Reef. From that moment, I knew I wanted to work in ocean conservation. In college, I studied abroad at the University of Queensland in Australia where I took courses in coral reef ecology and finally visited the Great Barrier Reef! Since then, I’ve traveled extensively and dove on coral reefs across the South Pacific, throughout the Caribbean, and within the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What would you recommend to those who want to begin a career in your field?

Marine biology is the type of field where no one follows a straight line towards their ultimate career goal. For those just starting out, I recommend trying out as many experiences as you can, to learn what you like and don’t like from each role. Perhaps you enjoy working with students and may want to consider going into academia, or you are drawn to research, management, or policy. Find the thing that brings you joy, and remember, if you don’t like what you’re doing, go try something else!