Ziba joined the lab in August 2026 and is co-advised with Dr. Greg Herbert.
Ziba Shojaei | Master’s in Geology
PhD Student | School of Geosciences | University of South Florida | 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, NES 107 | Tampa, FL 33620-5250 | ziba@usf.edu
Ziba earned her master’s degree in Geology from Azad University , Iran. Her research interests include marine biodiversity, conservation paleobiology, species distribution modeling, and the application of ecological and paleobiological data to conservation.
Her current research focuses on mapping molluscan biodiversity across the West Florida Shelf. Her interdisciplinary research combines species distribution modeling, machine learning techniques, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify biodiversity hotspots, explore how environmental conditions shape biodiversity patterns, and investigate how anthropogenic pressures may influence marine ecosystems. Through a transdisciplinary approach that brings together scientific research and stakeholder perspectives, she aims to provide practical insights that inform marine biodiversity conservation and management.