Current Post-docs
Dr. Liberty Boyd
Dr. Boyd earned a BS from Florida Atlantic University’s Wilkes Honors College and earned a PhD in Biology from Florida International University, advised by Dr. Mike Heithaus. Dr. Boyd worked as the Sea Turtle Program Lead Research Scientist at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas from 2020-2022. As of September 2024, Dr. Boyd has joined the FEC lab as an FAU Jumpstart Postdoctoral Fellow. Her current research project investigates the foraging ecology of loggerhead sea turtles in Florida and measures the bioaccumulation of harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins in loggerheads through dietary pathways. She also works closely with The National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation and Florida Hawksbill Project by assisting with research on the abundance and distribution of critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles in South Florida. Broadly Dr. Boyd is interested in foraging and movement ecology of marine megafauna in coastal habitats and is passionate about science communication and youth engagement in ocean conservation.
Dr. Katie Flowers
Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Flowers earned her Ph.D. in Biology at Florida International University and was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Mote Marine Laboratory before joining the lab as a Researcher in August 2024. Dr. Flowers’ current project seeks to understand what factors influence coastal stingray abundance in Belize. She works with fisherfolk, incentivizing them to participate in research to reduce the number of days they fish for sharks. Dr. Flowers is a passionate advocate for science and community backed conservation. Her collaborative efforts led to the first smalltooth sawfish rescue during the Florida Keys abnormal fish behavior event and legislative changes in Belize, including extended marine protected area boundaries for reef sharks and full protection of all ray species. She has expertise in anthropology, behavioral ecology, conservation biology, fisheries management, and marine policy.
Former Post-docs
Dr. Lauran Brewster
Dr. Brewster was with the FEC lab from 2019 to 2022. She was instrumental in developing biologging tags for multiple taxa (goliath grouper, young bull sharks, and whitespotted eagle rays) and the associated analyses involving various sensors (motion, sound, video, etc.). Lauran also helped obtain funding for multiple projects involving shark depredation in recreational fisheries.
Dr. Brewster continues to collaborate with our lab and is currently an Assistant Research Professor at University of Massachessetts-Dartmouth and will begin a tenure-track position there in Fall 2024. You can read more about her work here: https://lauranbrewster.com/.