Manatee, Hillsborough and Sarasota counties are located on the central west coast of Florida and share one of the largest estuarine systems in the state. Population growth and development continue to put pressure upon local marine environments, and the resulting management strategies often have a significant impact upon commercial and recreational interests. Balancing research and conservation with the needs of a growing community are critical to the preservation of marine resources within these counties.

Outreach Programs

• Cooperative Research
• Catch and Release, barotrauma mitigation
• Fish tagging
• Reef fish ecology
• Fisheries and Marine Resources Conservation
• Clean Marina Program

Specialization

• Marine fisheries
• Reef fish biology and ecology

Education

• PhD, Integrative biology, University of South Florida
• MS, Biology, University of South Florida
• BS, Marine biology and environmental studies, Florida Atlantic University