I obtained my bachelor's degree in 1999 from the University of California, San Diego in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution.  After graduation I worked for the California Department of Fish and Game on various projects, including population assessment of the Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, and fecundity research on the market squid, Loligo opalescens.  I started my Ph.D. at UF under Dr. Tom Frazer in 2002.

The aim of my dissertation research is to identify key aspects of the settlement and recruitment of Diadema antillarum while also evaluating the potential of translocating D. antillarum as a management tool to improve degraded coral reef habitat in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.  Much of the current information linking D. antillarum to coral reef recovery in the Caribbean is anecdotal, lacks proper controls, or confounds effects of D. antillarum with other effects.  Thus, I propose a more rigorous evaluation of the relationships between sea urchins, macroalgae, and corals by conducting an experiment at multiple sites in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.  I will quantify settlement of D. antillarum in off-reef rubble and patch reef habitats.  Recruitment and survival of D. antillarum will be monitored to identify which areas may serve as 'sources' or 'sinks' to the adult population.  Meanwhile, juvenile sea urchins will be translocated from rubble zones to isolated patch reefs.  The effects of D. antillarum translocation on benthic community structure will be assessed by monitoring changes in benthic cover, species richness, and juvenile coral density.  The ultimate goal of my research is to provide a better understanding of coral reef communities to ensure the long-term viability of reef-related resources.  

e-mail address: klazar@ufl.edu

Kate's CV (pdf)

Diadema antillarum census in South Caicos, 2003

Page updated April 20, 2005