About Kathryn (Katey)'s Work

Originally from Massachusetts, Katey graduated from Brown University in 2012 with a BS in Geo-Biology. She always had a passion for conducting science that produces tangible outcomes to support knowledge that communities have of the state of their resources, ranging from the biodiversity of reefs in Tobago, to the management of commercially viable species in Turks and Caicos, and even the heavy metals present in the sediments of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Katey graduated with a PhD in Marine Biology from Boston University, where she is studying the physiological and genetic traits that contribute to heat stress (bleaching) resistance and wound healing ability in staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis). This endangered yet historically important Caribbean coral is now the focus of many active reef restoration projects, and Katey’s work will help advance science that can inform decisions related to such restoration efforts. Most of her research was based in Belize, where she was also a Teaching Fellow for undergraduate field-based courses. Katey has been a Senior Coral Restoration Scientist at Coral Vita, based in Freeport Grand Bahamas, where she is applied her knowledge of the different scales of study necessary for effective reef restoration. In her free time (and when the weather is just right) she enjoys utilizing her skills as a PADI Divemaster, paddleboarding, and skiing.