Florida Sea Grant Management Office
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Karl E. Havens |
Responsibilities The Director provides leadership for strategic planning, program implementation, formation of strategic partnerships and investment of program resources. He is responsible for the objectivity, scientific rigor, responsiveness and impact of the Florida Sea Grant College Program. The Director represents the program and enhances its value to the citizens of Florida and the National Sea Grant College Program through effective communication with and engagement of state and federal agencies, non-for-profit institutes, elected officials and other decision makers, and the people of Florida who have an interest in the economic and environmental sustainability of Florida’s coastal systems. Specialties Dr. Havens has over 20 years of professional experience in aquatic research, education and outreach, and has worked with Florida aquatic ecosystems and the use of objective science in their management for the past 15 years. His area of research specialty is plankton ecology, and he is particularly interested in how natural and human-related stressors impact the structure and function of plankton and other components of shallow aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Havens has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles in his area of expertise, several book chapters, a number of invited review papers and an edited book with colleagues in the P.R. China. He also has written papers dealing with integration of research and resource management and competencies that resource management agencies look for in new hires, as guidance for graduate education programs. He has research collaborations with scientists in Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea and the Netherlands. He is the founding editor of the electronic journal Freshwater Systems, served as Associate Editor for Environmental Pollution for over 14 years, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Korean Journal of Limnology. He is a recipient of the Edward Deevey, Jr. Award from the Florida Lake Management Society for his research dealing with Florida lake ecosystems. He is a member of the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council, which provides the Florida Legislature with an annual research plan addressing critical coastal issues. He also is a member of the Florida Ocean Alliance, a non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing together government, academic and private sectors in Florida to protect and enhance the coastal and ocean resources. Dr. Havens worked for 11 years at the South Florida Water Management District prior to joining the faculty at the University of Florida. He led an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers conducting applied research to address critical issues affecting Lake Okeechobee and the regional south Florida ecosystem, was a primary liaison with stakeholders, partner agencies and decision makers, and served as a member of the science guidance team for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program. Dr. Havens presently is a Professor and Chair in the UF/IFAS Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (through January 2009). Education PhD, Biology, West Virginia University, 1984 |
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