Chair, Chesapeake Bay Program SAV Workgroup; Program Chief, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

brooke.landry@maryland.gov

Brooke Landry is an SAV ecologist at Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s SAV Workgroup. Her work spans the gamut from SAV research – focused primarily on anthropogenic drivers of SAV dynamics - to restoration, monitoring, outreach, and management. She runs the Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers program, a volunteer monitoring effort, as well as the brand new Chesapeake Bay SAV Sentinel Site monitoring program. On the management front, she leads the development and implementation of the Bay Program’s SAV Management Strategy and biennial workplans by translating her own research and that of partners and collaborators into actionable approaches to SAV conservation and recovery. Additional interests include social marketing as a means of environmental outreach and the advancement of women’s roles in science and management through positive collaborations and mentoring.

Chesapeake Bay Program’s SAV Workgroup

PhD, Associate Professor of Marine Science, Stockton University

elizabeth.lacey@stockton.edu

Dr. Elizabeth ‘Z’ Lacey is an associate professor in Stockton University’s Marine Science Program in Galloway, New Jersey. Dr. Lacey is a marine ecologist interested in holistically studying marine plant communities: which means investigating both living and nonliving components, how these components interact, and how those interactions influence ecosystem functioning. Her research examines the effects of disturbances on ecosystem dynamics such as decline, recovery, and resilience and to use this knowledge to communicate viable protection and enhancement strategies for resource management agencies and policy makers.

Marine Ecology Research Lab, Stockton University

PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington

jarvisj@uncw.edu

Dr. Jessie Jarvis is an associate professor in the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Biology & Marine Biology Department. Jarvis is a coastal plant ecologist interested in the ecology of estuarine and coastal shallow water environments vegetated with seagrasses and other submersed aquatic vegetation. Her research examines the connections between environmental factors and seagrass ecosystems health and resiliency. Her recent work has focused on seed bank dynamics, seed bank viability, and the role of sexual reproduction in large-scale patterns of resilience in shallow coastal lagoons in both temperate and tropical environments. Other research interests include ecological modeling, remote sensing of coastal seagrass ecosystems, restoration methodology, and water quality monitoring.

Coastal Plant Ecology Lab, UNCW

Natural Resource Biologist, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

kaitlin.scowen@maryland.gov

Kaitlin currently works for Brooke Landry at Maryland Department of Natural Resources. She is quickly learning the ropes of the SAV world. Her position involves educational outreach and SAV research and monitoring. Most of her background is as an outdoor educator with previous work as a park guide, divemaster, and lecturer of environmental biology. She is passionate about ocean conservation and has a particular interest in marine invertebrates. Her main goal is to become a bridge between scientists and the public.