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Most people don’t expect a reigning beauty queen to spend her mornings collecting toxic algae samples from the Indian River Lagoon. But for �Թ��� graduate student Paige Aldred, trading a crown and sash for a snorkel mask or a lab coat is just a typical Tuesday. Crowned 2026 Miss Fort Lauderdale earlier this year, Aldred is redefining the traditional pageant role by leveraging her high-profile platform to champion critical environmental causes. As she wraps up her master’s degree in biology with the Schmidt College of Science at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI), she is seamlessly merging elite marine science with statewide advocacy-proving that the fight for �Թ���’s water quality requires both rigorous science and a powerful public voice.

Specifically, Aldred is investigating benthic harmful algal bloom species such as gambierdiscus and prorocentrum in the Harmful Algal Bloom Lab (HAB Lab) under the supervision of Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., a research professor at HBOI. Her work looks at how drifting macroalgae, such as sargassum, may transport these organisms between offshore and inshore environments and how nutrient pollution and environmental conditions influence their abundance and distribution.

“The Indian River Lagoon continues to face increasing environmental stress from nutrient pollution, harmful algal blooms and habitat degradation,” stated Aldred. “My research helps improve our understanding of how these blooms develop, spread and respond to changing environmental conditions, which can support better water quality management and ecosystem restoration efforts.”

As part of her research, Aldred analyzes stable isotopes and sucralose that can act as indicators of nutrient sources and potential human wastewater influence within the lagoon. She has also developed a Python-based image classification workflow system using her own training dataset to help identify and quantify benthic dinoflagellates from FlowCam imagery.

“Combining fieldwork, laboratory analysis and computational tools has allowed me to approach these environmental questions from multiple perspectives, while improving methods for monitoring harmful algal bloom species,” noted Aldred.

Outside of her research, Aldred shares her love for the ocean as 2026 Miss Fort Lauderdale. Crowned earlier this year, she uses her voice and platform to promote her community service initiative, “Eco Girl: Healthy Waters, Stronger Futures,” to make environmental science and sustainability more accessible to the public. Aldred documents this work through her account on Instagram. Through school visits, outreach events, workshops and community partnerships, she travels across the state to help educate others about how everyday choices impact water quality, marine ecosystems and public health.

“Through my Community Service Initiative, Eco Girl, I am dedicated to advancing water stewardship through education and local action,” said Aldred. “I am passionate about bridging the gap between scientific research and community engagement because research is only impactful when we communicate it to the people most affected.”

Although both her academic and pageant schedules are demanding, Aldred said she thrives when she is busy. Some days, she must swiftly shift from the lab to the stage to fulfill her duties as Miss Fort Lauderdale.

“I’ve learned quickly how to go from lagoon water to a crown and sash within an hour,” shared Aldred. “At the end of the day, it’s really all about scheduling, showing up with a clear head and staying present in whatever role I’m stepping into that day. Through all of it, I’ve realized that all I really want is to show up authentically as myself, and I feel like I can do that whether I’m wearing a crown or a snorkel mask. I’m incredibly grateful for all the experiences and opportunities I’ve been given lately and for the chance to pursue two passions at the same time.”

One of those opportunities is the WLW-ECOS Student Success Scholarship program. Through the program, Aldred served as an Ocean Exchange Student Ambassador, which allowed her to connect with global leaders in marine science, sustainability and environmental innovation. Combined with her work as a student intern in �Թ���’s Office of Ocean Economy, she shared that the experiences provided her with valuable insights into the many ways that science, policy and industry work together to support ocean conservation.

“This experience has helped me build connections with professionals working across the Blue Economy and strengthened my interest in science communication and collaborative conservation work,” expressed Aldred. “WLW-ECOS has also supported my attendance at the Ecological Society of America Conference this July in Salt Lake City, where I will present results from my thesis research. I am very excited about the opportunity to share my work with scientists from diverse backgrounds.”

But Aldred’s impressive list of engagements does not stop there. In addition to her research and outreach work, she has been a part of the Harbor Branch Student Association. As an officer, she has traveled to Tallahassee twice this past year to advocate for increased funding for �Թ��� and to speak with legislators about the critical research conducted at HBOI. She also helped organize student and community events throughout the year, including a Harbor Branch 5K in celebration of World Water Day to raise awareness about the importance of clean water and HBOI’s mission.

Aldred is on track to defend her thesis this August. Her time at HBOI has shown her how closely �Թ���’s environment is tied to its economy, tourism, fisheries and coastal communities. After working in both research and outreach, Aldred realized that some of the biggest environmental challenges are not caused by a lack of science, but by a lack of communication and connection between science and the public.

“I want to continue working in spaces where I can help make sustainability and conservation more approachable and more represented. Whether that is through research, outreach, policy or public engagement, I want to help people see that environmental issues are not separate from everyday life,” said Aldred. “A big part of what drives me is my love for �Թ���’s waterways and coastal environments. I feel very lucky to have grown up introduced to so much marine life, and I hope to spend my career protecting and advocating for the ecosystems and communities that depend on it.”