Dr. Kaitlyn Lowder
Dr. Kaitlyn Lowder supports the Ocean Science Equity Initiative with TOF. As a marine biologist, she has researched the effects of ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW) on economically-important crustaceans. Her work with the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) explored how various predator defenses carried out by the exoskeleton—functions such as armor against attacks, a tool to push away threats, or even a window to facilitate transparency—may be impacted by OA and OW. She has also evaluated the breadth of OA and OW research on species in the tropical Pacific and Indo-Pacific in the context of developing sensitivity parameters to inform the Hawaii Atlantis ecosystem model.
Outside of the lab, Kaitlyn has worked to share how the ocean affects and is affected by climate change to both policy makers and the public. She has given lectures and hands-on demonstrations to over 1,000 members of her community through K-12 classroom visits and public talks. This is part of her efforts to encourage conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources and to engage the next generation of scientists, innovators, and members of an ocean-aware society. To connect policy makers with ocean-climate science, Kaitlyn attended COP21 in Paris and COP23 in Germany, where she talked with delegates at the UC Revelle delegation booth, shared OA research at the US Pavilion, and co-led a press conference on OA’s relevance to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As a 2020 Knauss marine policy fellow in NOAA Research’s International Activities Office, Kaitlyn supported U.S. foreign policy objectives in science and technology, including preparations for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
Kaitlyn received her BS in Biology and BA in English from Western Washington University and an MS in Biological Oceanography and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology with a Specialization in Interdisciplinary Environmental Research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. She is a member of the STAY COOL for Grandkids Advisory Council.
Posts by Dr. Kaitlyn Lowder
Passing the Keys: Ocean Acidification Monitoring in the Pacific Islands
Wrapping up seven years of ocean acidification monitoring and capacity building in the Pacific Islands. A community’s ability to monitor and understand the ocean is directly tied to that community’s …
Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability: Co-Designing Global Action on Local Scales
Alexis Valauri-Orton and Dr. Kaitlyn Lowder co-authored a journal article on the OA UN Decade Programme.
Looking Back to Move Forward: 2022 UN Ocean Conference
After the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, we hope to see continued progress toward ensuring the voices of those with the power to make change, and those who are most affected by climate change and ocean destruction, are heard.
A Look Back on the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2022
COVID-19 has brought a plethora of uncertainty. This year’s Ocean Sciences Meeting was about coming together for common goals despite this unsettling time.
What NOAA’s New Climate Council Means for Our Ocean
We’re thrilled to congratulate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on a new Climate Council to bring a holistic government approach in response to our changing climate.
