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Kaitlin Kovacs

Kaitlin Kovacs is the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. 

EDUCATION

Master's in Environmental Management (MEM), Ecosystems Science and Conservation, Duke University, 2012
Masters Project: Development of a Coral Reef Restoration Framework: A Maldivian Case Study

Bachelors of Science, Biology, University of Florida, 2006

Science and Products

Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats

This report summarizes research funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) on the ecology of deep chemosynthetic communities in the Gulf of Mexico. The research was conducted at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE; formerly Minerals Management Service) to complemen
Authors
Steve W. Ross, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Christina A. Kellogg, Cheryl L. Morrison, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl L. Ames, Tara L. Casazza, Daniel Gualtieri, Kaitlin Kovacs, Jennifer P. McClain, Andrea M. Quattrini, Adela Y. Roa-Varon, Andrew D. Thaler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Food-web structure of seep sediment macrobenthos from the Gulf of Mexico

The slope environment of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) supports dense communities of seep megafaunal invertebrates that rely on endosymbiotic bacteria for nutrition. Seep sediments also contain smaller macrofaunal invertebrates whose nutritional pathways are not well understood. Using stable-isotope analysis, we investigate the utilization of chemosynthetically fixed and methane-derived organic matter
Authors
Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Daniel Gualtieri, Kaitlin Kovacs
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
link
Alligator entering water

Educational Resources

Whether you’re interested in ways to make neighborhood nature walks more engaging, or on the hunt for science material to help your students stay focused, we’re here to help. USGS WARC scientists conduct research on aquatic and wetland ecosystems, the plants and animals that rely on those habitats, and the stressors threatening these systems and species. To help home-based students lea

link

Educational Resources

Whether you’re interested in ways to make neighborhood nature walks more engaging, or on the hunt for science material to help your students stay focused, we’re here to help. USGS WARC scientists conduct research on aquatic and wetland ecosystems, the plants and animals that rely on those habitats, and the stressors threatening these systems and species. To help home-based students lea

Learn More
link
Research diver and manatees - WARC

Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
link

Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 17
link

Showcasing USGS Science at the 2023 St. Petersburg Science Festival

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center celebrated science with the St. Petersburg community...

Read Article
link

Event: Explore USGS Careers in Florida and the Caribbean

Have you ever wondered what it takes to pursue a career with the U.S. Geological Survey? Our virtual event on February 23rd, 2023, offered the chance...

Read Article
link

USGS Virtual Science Career Event

Have you ever wondered what it takes to pursue a career with the U.S. Geological Survey? Learn about the science career opportunities offered at the...

Read Article
link

Putting the ‘T’ in ‘STEAM’: using technology to share USGS research with the next generation of scientists

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center shared U.S. Geological Survey science via live...

Read Article
link

USGS Shares Coastal Hazards, Ecosystems Science with Local Community at the St. Petersburg Science Festival

The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center shared USGS science via live sessions and pre...

Read Article
link

Assessing Contaminants at Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument

The U.S. Virgin Islands attracts more than two million people each year, most of whom are eager to explore the white sandy beaches and tropical marine...

Read Article
link

USGS Deploying Storm-tide Sensors in Louisiana, Mississippi in Advance of Hurricane Ida

To learn more about USGS’s role in providing science to decision-makers before, during and after Hurricane Ida, visit www.usgs.gov/ida.

Read Article
link

Wetland Word: Blue Carbon

Coastal ecosystems, like wetlands, may be smaller in size when compared to say, a forest, but they have the ability to sequester more carbon per unit...

Read Article
link

Wetland Word: Hydrophyte

These water-dwelling plants are found in aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands.

Read Article
link

Wetland Word: Hydric Soil

Soil is more than just a substrate we walk on

Read Article
link

Why the Ocean?

USGS scientists share brief thoughts about why they have focused their careers on studying our oceans and coasts. Here’s why they study the ocean:

Read Article
link

After Hurricane Devastation, Sea Turtle Scientists Rebound, Help Rebuild

Seven months after their home base in the Florida Panhandle was demolished by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Geological Survey sea turtle researchers are...

Read Article

Preliminary data from animal borne cameras on loggerhead sea turtles in St. Joseph Bay, Florida (2018-2019)

This is a fifty-four second video which includes short segments compiled from video collected using GoPro cameras mounted on two individual loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) within St. Joseph Bay, Florida as part of a preliminary data release for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) outreach publications. Approximately 90 minutes of video footage was collected per individual prior to retrieval. This i
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Screenshot of slide labeled 'Explore USGS Career Paths in Florida and the Caribbean' over a photo of a SCUBA diver underwater link
Screen capture of a Microsoft Teams meeting showing 6 people smiling on camera link
Screenshot of a Microsoft Teams meeting with 6 people smiling on camera link
Screenshot of a Microsoft Teams meeting showing 8 people on screen smiling link
Three UGSS staff smiling at a table with various animal displays under a tent
link
USGS staff holds a bony scale from a large fish at a table outside while talking to the public
link
USGS staff points to a toy turtle on a table outside while speaking to a family at an outreach event
link
A USGS staff member smiles at a child, holds a prop next to a tank filled with water and confetti at an outside public event
link
USGS staff at a table with a box filled with sand and water speaks to a group of children link
Pike killifish found in Big Cypress
link

USGS Science in the American Territories

The United States is more than just the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Five permanently inhabited territories in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are overseen by the U.S. and are home to more than 4 million people, many of whom are American citizens.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Science and Products

  • Publications

    Deepwater Program: Studies of Gulf of Mexico lower continental slope communities related to chemosynthetic and hard substrate habitats

    This report summarizes research funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) on the ecology of deep chemosynthetic communities in the Gulf of Mexico. The research was conducted at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE; formerly Minerals Management Service) to complemen
    Authors
    Steve W. Ross, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Christina A. Kellogg, Cheryl L. Morrison, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl L. Ames, Tara L. Casazza, Daniel Gualtieri, Kaitlin Kovacs, Jennifer P. McClain, Andrea M. Quattrini, Adela Y. Roa-Varon, Andrew D. Thaler
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Environmental Health Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

    Food-web structure of seep sediment macrobenthos from the Gulf of Mexico

    The slope environment of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) supports dense communities of seep megafaunal invertebrates that rely on endosymbiotic bacteria for nutrition. Seep sediments also contain smaller macrofaunal invertebrates whose nutritional pathways are not well understood. Using stable-isotope analysis, we investigate the utilization of chemosynthetically fixed and methane-derived organic matter
    Authors
    Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Daniel Gualtieri, Kaitlin Kovacs
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
  • Science
    link
    Alligator entering water

    Educational Resources

    Whether you’re interested in ways to make neighborhood nature walks more engaging, or on the hunt for science material to help your students stay focused, we’re here to help. USGS WARC scientists conduct research on aquatic and wetland ecosystems, the plants and animals that rely on those habitats, and the stressors threatening these systems and species. To help home-based students lea

    link

    Educational Resources

    Whether you’re interested in ways to make neighborhood nature walks more engaging, or on the hunt for science material to help your students stay focused, we’re here to help. USGS WARC scientists conduct research on aquatic and wetland ecosystems, the plants and animals that rely on those habitats, and the stressors threatening these systems and species. To help home-based students lea

    Learn More
    link
    Research diver and manatees - WARC

    Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

    Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
    link

    Manatee Photo ID as a Tool for Research: The Manatee Individual Photo-Identification System (MIPS)

    Since 1978, USGS scientists have photo-documented manatees in the Southeast United States. Now, more than 3,000 manatees can be found in the MIPS database.
    Learn More
  • News
    Filter Total Items: 17
    link

    Showcasing USGS Science at the 2023 St. Petersburg Science Festival

    The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center celebrated science with the St. Petersburg community...

    Read Article
    link

    Event: Explore USGS Careers in Florida and the Caribbean

    Have you ever wondered what it takes to pursue a career with the U.S. Geological Survey? Our virtual event on February 23rd, 2023, offered the chance...

    Read Article
    link

    USGS Virtual Science Career Event

    Have you ever wondered what it takes to pursue a career with the U.S. Geological Survey? Learn about the science career opportunities offered at the...

    Read Article
    link

    Putting the ‘T’ in ‘STEAM’: using technology to share USGS research with the next generation of scientists

    The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center shared U.S. Geological Survey science via live...

    Read Article
    link

    USGS Shares Coastal Hazards, Ecosystems Science with Local Community at the St. Petersburg Science Festival

    The St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center and the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center shared USGS science via live sessions and pre...

    Read Article
    link

    Assessing Contaminants at Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument

    The U.S. Virgin Islands attracts more than two million people each year, most of whom are eager to explore the white sandy beaches and tropical marine...

    Read Article
    link

    USGS Deploying Storm-tide Sensors in Louisiana, Mississippi in Advance of Hurricane Ida

    To learn more about USGS’s role in providing science to decision-makers before, during and after Hurricane Ida, visit www.usgs.gov/ida.

    Read Article
    link

    Wetland Word: Blue Carbon

    Coastal ecosystems, like wetlands, may be smaller in size when compared to say, a forest, but they have the ability to sequester more carbon per unit...

    Read Article
    link

    Wetland Word: Hydrophyte

    These water-dwelling plants are found in aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands.

    Read Article
    link

    Wetland Word: Hydric Soil

    Soil is more than just a substrate we walk on

    Read Article
    link

    Why the Ocean?

    USGS scientists share brief thoughts about why they have focused their careers on studying our oceans and coasts. Here’s why they study the ocean:

    Read Article
    link

    After Hurricane Devastation, Sea Turtle Scientists Rebound, Help Rebuild

    Seven months after their home base in the Florida Panhandle was demolished by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Geological Survey sea turtle researchers are...

    Read Article
  • Data

    Preliminary data from animal borne cameras on loggerhead sea turtles in St. Joseph Bay, Florida (2018-2019)

    This is a fifty-four second video which includes short segments compiled from video collected using GoPro cameras mounted on two individual loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) within St. Joseph Bay, Florida as part of a preliminary data release for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) outreach publications. Approximately 90 minutes of video footage was collected per individual prior to retrieval. This i
    By
    Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
  • Multimedia
    Screenshot of slide labeled 'Explore USGS Career Paths in Florida and the Caribbean' over a photo of a SCUBA diver underwater link
    Screen capture of a Microsoft Teams meeting showing 6 people smiling on camera link
    Screenshot of a Microsoft Teams meeting with 6 people smiling on camera link
    Screenshot of a Microsoft Teams meeting showing 8 people on screen smiling link
    Three UGSS staff smiling at a table with various animal displays under a tent
    link
    USGS staff holds a bony scale from a large fish at a table outside while talking to the public
    link
    USGS staff points to a toy turtle on a table outside while speaking to a family at an outreach event
    link
    A USGS staff member smiles at a child, holds a prop next to a tank filled with water and confetti at an outside public event
    link
    USGS staff at a table with a box filled with sand and water speaks to a group of children link
    Pike killifish found in Big Cypress
    link
  • Web Tools

    USGS Science in the American Territories

    The United States is more than just the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Five permanently inhabited territories in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are overseen by the U.S. and are home to more than 4 million people, many of whom are American citizens.

    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center