About

Katie Lohr is the Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Coordinator with Florida Sea Grant. In this role, she leads a statewide initiative, funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, to enhance estuarine health by advancing co-restoration of bivalves and seagrass through collaborative research and the development of science-based guidance. She coordinates the Bivalve-Seagrass Restoration Consortium, a multidisciplinary group of subject matter experts (including scientists, managers, and practitioners) tasked with identifying research priorities for bivalve-seagrass restoration, designing and implementing coordinated research projects, and collecting standardized data to inform best practices for bivalve-seagrass co-restoration. The data resulting from this project will be used to develop a Bivalve and Seagrass Restoration Guide, which will describe best management practices for seagrass and bivalve restoration projects.

Katie is originally from southeastern Michigan. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan and an M.P.S. in MarineBiology and Fisheries from the University of Miami. After completing her master’s, she worked as a Conservation Scientist at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute in the Cayman Islands, supporting a variety of studies to inform coral reef conservation. She returned to Florida to earn a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida under the guidance of Dr. Josh Patterson. Her dissertation focused on genetic and environmental considerations for coral restoration and included studies in the Florida Keys, the Cayman Islands, and Heron Island, Australia. Following her Ph.D., she represented Florida Sea Grant as a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. During her fellowship and the following years, Katie’s work supported federal marine protected area conservation, and she led the evaluation of resource condition and ecosystem services across a diverse range of protected areas. In her free time, Katie enjoys traveling and spending time in nature, especially hiking, birdwatching, and vegetable gardening.