Dr. Erica Towle (pronounced “Toll”) (she/her/hers) is an award-winning marine biologist who currently serves as the Program Manager for the internationally-recognized National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA’s) National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). 

As Program Manager, Towle oversees the $5 Million project. The NCRMP is a long-term, national-scale program to understand the status and trends in U.S. Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico states and territories with coral reefs. Towle is in charge of facilitating and maintaining internal and external collaborations within NOAA, other federal agencies, state/territorial agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academia; providing technical scientific expertise on all coral monitoring program decisions; budget planning and execution of all monitoring missions and program expenditures; maintaining data stewardship, quality assurance and control, reporting, and data archival; and representing the program at national and international meetings and conferences. 

Prior to leading the program, Towle was an advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (the Administrator of NOAA). Towle is the recipient of the prestigious NOAA Knauss Fellowship, and served as a Fellow in the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Subcommittee for Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. Towle earned her Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Fisheries from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and her research has been featured in National Geographic and The Miami Herald.