Joshua Patterson

Associate Professor, Restoration Aquaculture
Florida SeaGrant Affiliate Faculty

Josh Patterson joined the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences faculty in 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Restoration Aquaculture. He is housed at The Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation in the Tampa Bay area. Restoration aquaculture refers to the practice of actively enhancing populations and ecosystems using cultured aquatic organisms. Areas of research and extension in the Patterson Lab are the use of aquaculture in coral reef restoration (corals, sponges, sea urchins), restoration and protection of seagrasses, bay scallop population enhancement, and fisheries aspects of large-scale habitat restorations.

In addition to The Florida Aquarium as a primary stakeholder, Josh works directly with agencies (e.g., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, etc.), non-profit organizations, and private businesses engaged in restoration aquaculture. Addressing questions about culturing organisms for aquatic restoration requires the integration of fields including engineering, genetics, physiology, and ecology. Therefore, Josh collaborates with academic colleagues from these disciplines.

Courses Taught

• Extension Programs

  • Building outreach capacity at the Center for Conservation
  • Enhancing operations for restoration aquaculture practitioners
  • Restoration aquaculture and aquatic conservation education

• Research Interests

  Aquaculture for coral reef, bivalve shellfish, seagrass, and finfish restoration and/or population enhancement.

• Education

  • PhD, Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University
  • MS, Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences, Kentucky State University
  • BS, Biology, George Mason University

• Publications

  • Schulz, K., Stevens, P., Hill, J., Trotter, A., Ritch, J., Tuckett, Q., and Patterson, J. 2020. Coastal restoration evaluated using dominant habitat characteristics and associated fish communities. PLoS One 15: e0240623. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240623
  • Lohr, K., Ripple, K., and Patterson, J. 2020. Differential disturbance effects and coral phenotypic plasticity among restored patch and fore reef sites. Journal for Nature Conservation 55: 125827. doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125827
  • Henry, J., O’Neil, K., and Patterson, J. 2019. Native herbivores improve sexual propagation of threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis. Frontiers in Marine Science 6: 713. doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00713
  • Patterson, J. 2019. The growing role of aquaculture in ecosystem restoration. Restoration Ecology 27: 938-941. doi:10.1111/rec.13002
  • Lohr, K., Khattri, R., Guingab-Cagmat, J., Camp, E., Garrett, T., Merritt, M., and Patterson, J. 2019. Metabolomic profiles differ among unique genotypes of a threatened Caribbean coral. Scientific Reports 9: 6067. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42434-0
  • Lohr, K., Camp, E., Kuzhiumparambil, U., Lutz, A., Leggat, W., Patterson, J., and Suggett, D. 2019. Resolving coral photoacclimation dynamics through coupled photophysiological and metabolomic profiling. Journal of Experimental Biology 222: jeb195982. doi:10.1242/jeb.195982
  • Suggett, D., Camp, E., Edmondson, J., Boström-Einarsson, L., Ramler, V., Lohr, K, and Patterson, J. 2019. Optimizing return-on-effort for coral nursery and out-planting practices to aid restoration of the Great Barrier Reef. Restoration Ecology 27: 683-693. doi:10.1111/rec.12916
  • Patterson, J., DiMaggio, M., Green, C., and Watson, C. 2019. Volitional spawning of captive-reared age-4 Alligator Gars. North American Journal of Aquaculture 81: 291-295. doi:10.1002/naaq.10075
  • O’Donnell, K., Lohr, K., Bartels, E., Baums, I., and Patterson, J. 2018. Acropora cervicornis genet performance and symbiont identity throughout the restoration process. Coral Reefs 37: 1109-1118. doi:10.1007/s00338-018-01743-y
  • O’Donnell, K., Lohr, K.G, Bartels, E., and Patterson, J. 2017. Evaluation of staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) production techniques in an ocean-based nursery with consideration of coral genotype. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 487: 53-58. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2016.11.013
  • Lohr, K. and Patterson, J. 2017. Intraspecific variation in phenotype among nursery-reared staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 486: 87-92. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2016. 10.005
  • Patterson, J., Flint, M., Than, J., and Watson, C. 2016. Evaluation of substrate properties for settlement of Caribbean staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis larvae in a land-based system. North American Journal of Aquaculture 78: 337-345. doi:10.1080/15222055.2016.1185068
  • Patterson, J. and Green, C. 2014. Diet-induced fatty acid variation in critical tissues of a spawning estuarine fish and consequences for larval fitness. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 87: 612-622. doi:10.1086/678080
  • Patterson, J., Allgood, T. and Green, C. 2013. Intraspecific variation in reproductive potential with maternal body size in Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Aquaculture 384: 134-139. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2013.01.002
  • Patterson, J., Mims, S., and Wright, R. 2013. Effects of body mass and water temperature on routine metabolism of American paddlefish Polyodon spathula. Journal of Fish Biology 82: 1269-1280. doi:10.1111/jfb.12066
  • Patterson, J., Bodinier, C., and Green, C. 2012. Effects of low salinity media on growth, condition, and gill ion transporter expression in juvenile Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 161: 415-421. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2011.12.019