Courtesy Professors

Nicolas Alvarado

Courtesy Professor
Email: nicolas.alvarado@noaa.gov
CV: View PDF

Dr. Alvarado became a Navigation Manager in 2021 after working at NOAA for 17 years. He worked as a fishery management specialist and an Endangered Species Act consulting biologist for 8 years supporting NOAA Fisheries and worked as a physical scientist for 9 years supporting NOAA Research in the Office of Ocean Exploration & Research. Dr. Alvarado obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and his Master of Science in Earth Sciences in Canada, and his PhD in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. 

Dr. Alvarado began his career with NOAA in 2004 as a Knauss Marine Policy fellow. After his fellowship, he transitioned to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research/Office of Ocean Exploration. After 9 years with Ocean Exploration, he relocated to the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area where he joined the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)/Southeast Regional Office/Protected Resources Division as an Endangered Species Act Consultation Biologist for the NOAA Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico totaling over $563 million in restoration projects. After 4 years with Protected Resources, he transitioned to the NMFS Office of Sustainable Fisheries/Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division where he completed complex analyses required for the HMS longline fisheries management and endangered species interactions and drafted fishery management regulatory actions (i.e., Caribbean Swordfish and Shark Retention Rulemaking). 

Today, Dr. Alvarado serves as the Florida, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands Navigation Manager with the National Ocean Service Office of Coast Survey. Dr. Alvarado is an avid Technical diver, windsurfer and enjoys traveling.

Specialties: Ocean Mapping, Storm Response, NOAA Emergency Response Coordination, Inter-governmental coordination, Education and Outreach, Photography/Videography, Environmental Compliance (NEPA/ESA), Trilingual, and Technical and Cave (OC-CC) SCUBA Diving,