Topic: Aquaculture for Marine Restoration

Speaker: Dr. Joshua Patterson

Josh Patterson joined the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences faculty in 2014. He is housed at The Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation in the Tampa Bay area. Areas of research and extension in the Patterson Lab include the use of aquaculture in coral reef restoration, nearshore sponge restoration, seagrass restoration and protection, bay scallop population enhancement and fisheries aspects of large-scale habitat restoration. Josh works directly with government agencies, non-profit organizations and private businesses engaged in restoration aquaculture. Addressing questions about culturing organisms for restoration requires the integration of fields like engineering, genetics, physiology and ecology,  and Josh collaborates with colleagues across these disciplines. He earned his PhD in Renewable Natural Resources from Louisiana State University, MS in Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences from Kentucky State University and BS in Biology from George Mason University.