Maria is a seagrass ecologist with expertise in seagrass ecology, restoration, and sediment-driven ecosystem health across Western Australian marine and estuarine systems. Her current research focuses on the reproductive ecology of wireweed (Amphibolis antarctica) in the Gathaagudu (Shark Bay) World Heritage Area, where extensive seagrass loss occurred in 2011 and recovery remains limited.

Previously, as a PhD candidate and Research Associate at UWA, Maria used a combination of stable isotopes and metabolomics to identify early indicators of stress in seagrasses and investigate how they respond to different environmental pressures. Her research spans a diverse range of habitats, from the World Heritage-listed waters of Gathaagudu to urban and coastal systems such as Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan-Canning Estuary) and Derbal Nara (Cockburn Sound).