Dr. Kara Gadeken (NSF Postdoctoral Fellow) – My interests lie at the intersection of ecology and biogeochemistry in marine sediments. For my Ph.D. I studied how animals living in sediments change their behaviors throughout a diel oxygen cycle, and the effects these behavioral shifts have on sediment metabolism. My postdoctoral work focuses on describing how seagrass roots and rhizomes affect the sediment around them, create a unique habitat for sediment-dwelling organisms, and affect the ability of seagrass beds to sequester carbon.
I am originally from Northern Virginia and received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary in 2014. In 2022 I completed my doctoral work at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. When I’m not marine science-ing I enjoy other water-related activities like swimming and scuba diving, touring museums, galleries and historic sites, and being a nerd with my D&D group.