Karen Thorne

Dr. Karen Thorne is a Senior Research with over 20+ years experience working at federal agencies to fill critical data gaps to manage coastal habitats. Her research has continued at the Center for Watershed Sciences which focuses on coastal ecology, with particular interests in understanding how coastal ecosystems respond to environmental change and applying ecological principals to support conservation and management decisions. Her research encompasses coastal wetlands, ecosystem elevation dynamics, sea-level rise, climate change, sediment processes, and restoration. She works at the intersection of applied ecology and resource management, with an emphasis on translating scientific understanding into information that can help guide the conservation and adaptation of coastal ecosystems. Her current research spans throughout California and the south Pacific region on mangrove, marshes, and seagrass habitats.