Marea Gabriel
Senior Freshwater Manager, Massachusetts
Marea Gabriel Senior Freshwater Manager for The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. © Stephanie Dozois
Areas of Expertise
Freshwater Conservation, Riverine Connectivity, Nature-based Solutions, Land Acquisition, Mussels
Biography
Marea Gabriel is the senior freshwater manager for The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. Her work focuses on conserving rivers and lands to protect and restore ecological integrity, reduce climate risks and promote human well-being. She uses her science background and collaborative spirit to work with partners, governments and communities to co-develop and implement projects that enhance riverine connectivity and natural flow, including dam removals, culvert upgrades and wetland restoration.
Marea is a core member of TNC’s Northern Appalachians dam removal team, collaborating at the watershed scale to leverage resources and technical expertise to restore river connectivity in the northeast. For the past five years she’s continued TNC’s decades-long work in the priority Taunton River watershed, implementing natural solutions to restore fish passage and reduce flood risks. Marea’s land conservation work has helped leverage the protection of over 4,700 acres of native biodiversity, resilient and connected landscapes and priority rivers.
Prior to re-joining TNC in 2012, Marea served for 20 years as an aquatic biologist, most of that time was with MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, focusing on freshwater mussel and vernal pool conservation, rare species regulatory review and land protection.
Marea is SCUBA certified and has surveyed thousands of river, stream and lake sites across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and elsewhere. Marea received a B.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in Environmental Biology from Antioch New England Graduate School.
Outside of work, Marea enjoys spending time with her family and hiking the beautiful conservation lands in Massachusetts and beyond. Her favorite place in nature is her family’s lake house nestled in the woods of the Poconos, Pennsylvania—where years of childhood adventures in the water and woods were the impetus for her career.
Keep Reading
On the River to Recovery
At one point, the Mill River was declared "dead." In 2018, alewife ran the river again for the first time in two centuries and have increased in numbers since.
How Does the Bobcat Cross the Mass Pike
TNC in Massachusetts is leading an effort to assess and map culverts under Interstate 90 to identify those that can serve as corridors for wildlife to pass under the road.
Connecting Lands for Climate Resilience
TNC data shows which landscapes will support plants and animals as the climate changes. We're working to protect them.