Kristen Hart, Ph.D.
Kristen Hart is a research ecologist, focusing on population-level studies on the ecology of a broad array of herpetofauna and other wildlife in south Florida.
She leads several research programs and collaborates closely with other USGS, university, and National Park Service scientists. She has built a program of USGS cyclic- and reimbursable funded research; major funding has been provided from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the USGS Priority Ecosystem Studies Program, the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program, and the National Park Service. She works with rare, threatened, endangered, and invasive species of reptiles including Diamondback terrapins, loggerhead sea turtles, green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles, crocodilians, and Burmese pythons. She is based in Davie, FL and has field sites in both Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks in South Florida, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (Gulf Shores, AL), and Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands).
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, Duke University, 2005
M.E.M. (Master's of Environmental Management), Coastal Environmental Management, Duke University, 1999
B.S., Boston College, Bachelor of Science, 1997
Science and Products
Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters
Stable isotope analysis enhances our understanding of diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin foraging ecology
Novel ecological and climatic conditions drive rapid adaptation in invasive Florida Burmese pythons
Informing research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation
Marine threats overlap key foraging habitat for two imperiled sea turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico
Cytonuclear discordance in the Florida Everglades invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) population reveals possible hybridization with the Indian python (P. molurus)
Variation in home range size and patterns in adult female American crocodiles Crocodylus acutus
Partial migration of the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre), from the Dry Tortugas Islands
Evaluating GPS biologging technology for studying spatial ecology of large constricting snakes
Taxonomy: A history of controversy and uncertainty
Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic
δ13C and d15N in the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
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Sympatry or syntopy? Investigating drivers of distribution and co‐occurrence for two imperiled sea turtle species in Gulf of Mexico neritic waters
Animals co‐occurring in a region (sympatry) may use the same habitat (syntopy) within that region. A central aim in ecology is determining what factors drive species distributions (i.e., abiotic conditions, dispersal limitations, and/or biotic interactions). Assessing the degree of biotic interactions can be difficult for species with wide ranges at sea. This study investigated the spatial ecologyAuthorsKristen M. Hart, Autumn R. Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, David N. Bucklin, Donna J. ShaverStable isotope analysis enhances our understanding of diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin foraging ecology
Dietary studies on generalist predators may provide valuable information on spatial or temporal changes in the structure of ecological communities. We initiated this study to provide baseline data and determine the utility of stable isotope analysis (SIA) to evaluate the foraging strategies of an opportunistic reptilian predator, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), which specializes inAuthorsMathew J. Denton, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, John D. Baldwin, Brian Smith, Kristen M. HartNovel ecological and climatic conditions drive rapid adaptation in invasive Florida Burmese pythons
Invasive species provide powerful in situ experimental systems for studying evolution in response to selective pressures in novel habitats. While research has shown that phenotypic evolution can occur rapidly in nature, few examples exist of genome‐wide adaptation on short ‘ecological’ timescales. Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) have become a successful and impactful invasive species iAuthorsDaren C. Card, Blair W. Perry, Richard H. Adams, Drew R. Schield, Acacia S. Young, Audra L. Andrew, Tereza Jezkova, Giulia I.M. Pasquesi, Nicole R. Hales, Matthew R. Walsh, Michael R. Rochford, Frank J. Mazzotti, Kristen M. Hart, Margaret Hunter, Todd A. CastoeInforming research priorities for immature sea turtles through expert elicitation
Although sea turtles have received substantial focus worldwide, research on the immature life stages is still relatively limited. The latter is of particular importance, given that a large proportion of sea turtle populations comprises immature individuals. We set out to identify knowledge gaps and identify the main barriers hindering research in this field. We analyzed the perceptions of sea turtAuthorsNatalie E. Wildermann, Christian Gredzens, Larisa Avens, Hector A. Barrios-Garrido, Ian Bell, Janice Blumenthal, Alan B. Bolten, Joanne Braun McNeill, Paolo Casale, Maikon Di Domenico, Camila A. Domit, Sheryan P. Epperly, Matthew H. Godfrey, Brendan J. Godley, Victoria González-Carman, Mark Hamann, Kristen M. Hart, Takashi Ishihara, Kate Mansfield, Tasha L. Metz, Jeffrey D. Miller, Nicolas J. Pilcher, Mark A. Read, Christopher Sasso, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Erin E. Seney, Amanda Southwood Williard, Jesús Tomás, Gabriela M. Vélez-Rubio, Matthew Ware, Jessica L. Williams, Jeanette Wyneken, Mariana M. P. B. FuentesMarine threats overlap key foraging habitat for two imperiled sea turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico
Effective management of human activities affecting listed species requires understanding both threats and animal habitat-use patterns. However, the extent of spatial overlap between high-use foraging areas (where multiple marine species congregate) and anthropogenic threats is not well known. Our modeling approach incorporates data on sea turtle spatial ecology and a suite of threats in the Gulf oAuthorsKristen M. Hart, Autumn R. Iverson, Ikuko Fujisaki, Margaret M. Lamont, David N. Bucklin, Donna J. ShaverCytonuclear discordance in the Florida Everglades invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) population reveals possible hybridization with the Indian python (P. molurus)
The invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) has been reproducing in the Florida Everglades since the 1980s. These giant constrictor snakes have caused a precipitous decline in small mammal populations in southern Florida following escapes or releases from the commercial pet trade. To better understand the invasion pathway and genetic composition of the population, two mitochondrial (mtDNA) locAuthorsMargaret E. Hunter, Nathan A. Johnson, Brian J. Smith, Michelle C. Davis, John S. Butterfield, Ray W. Snow, Kristen M. HartVariation in home range size and patterns in adult female American crocodiles Crocodylus acutus
The American crocodile Crocodylus acutus is a threatened species that uses relatively deep, open-water habitats with low salinity. Adult female American crocodiles nest on sandy coastal beaches, islands or human-made berms, assist in the hatching process, and can travel long distances to nesting habitat. We satellite-tracked 15 adult female American crocodiles in 2 hydrologically distinct areas inAuthorsKristen M. Hart, Jeffrey S. Beauchamp, Michael S. Cherkiss, Frank MazzottiPartial migration of the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre), from the Dry Tortugas Islands
Nurse sharks have not previously been known to migrate. Nurse sharks of the Dry Tortugas (DRTO) mating population have a highly predictable periodic residency cycle, returning to the Dry Tortugas Courtship and Mating Ground (DTCMG) annually (males) or bi- to triennially (females) during the June/July mating season. For 23 years we have followed the movements of 76 recaptured adults of a total of 1AuthorsHarold L. Pratt, Theo C. Pratt, Danielle Morley, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri, Angela Collins, Jeffrey C. Carrier, Kristen M. Hart, N.M. WhitneyEvaluating GPS biologging technology for studying spatial ecology of large constricting snakes
Background: GPS telemetry has revolutionized the study of animal spatial ecology in the last two decades. Until recently, it has mainly been deployed on large mammals and birds, but the technology is rapidly becoming miniaturized, and applications in diverse taxa are becoming possible. Large constricting snakes are top predators in their ecosystems, and accordingly they are often a management prioAuthorsBrian Smith, Kristen M. Hart, Frank J. Mazzotti, Mathieu Basille, Christina M. RomagosaTaxonomy: A history of controversy and uncertainty
No abstract available.AuthorsJeffrey E. Lovich, Kristen HartEcological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic
Somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. Growth dynamics of large, mobile animals are particularly useful as bio-indicators of environmental change at regional scales. We assembled growth rate data from throughout the West Atlantic for green turtles, Chelonia mydas, which are long-lived, highly migratory, primarily herbivorouAuthorsKaren A. Bjorndal, Alan B. Bolten, Milani Chaloupka, Vincent S. Saba, Cláudio Bellini, Maria A.G. Marcovaldi, Armando J.B. Santos, Luis Felipe Wurdig Bortolon, Anne B. Meylan, Peter A. Meylan, Jennifer Gray, Robert Hardy, Beth Brost, Michael Bresette, Jonathan C. Gorham, Stephen Connett, Barbara Van Sciver Crouchley, Mike Dawson, Deborah Hayes, Carlos E. Diez, Robert P. van Dam, Sue Willis, Mabel Nava, Kristen M. Hart, Michael S. Cherkiss, Andrew Crowder, Clayton Pollock, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Fernando A. Muñoz Tenería, Roberto Herrera-Pavón, Vanessa Labrada-Martagón, Armando Lorences, Ana Negrete-Philippe, Margaret M. Lamont, Allen M. Foley, Rhonda Bailey, Raymond R. Carthy, Russell Scarpino, Erin McMichael, Jane A. Provancha, Annabelle Brooks, Adriana Jardim, Milagros López-Mendilaharsu, Daniel González-Paredes, Andrés Estrades, Alejandro Fallabrino, Gustavo Martínez-Souza, Gabriela M. Vélez-Rubio, Ralf H. Boulon, Jaime Collazo, Robert Wershoven, Vicente Guzmán Hernández, Thomas B. Stringell, Amdeep Sanghera, Peter B. Richardson, Annette C. Broderick, Quinton Phillips, Marta C. Calosso, John A.B. Claydon, Tasha L. Metz, Amanda L. Gordon, Andre M. Landry, Donna J. Shaver, Janice Blumenthal, Lucy Collyer, Brendan J. Godley, Andrew McGowan, Matthew J. Witt, Cathi L. Campbell, Cynthia J. Lagueux, Thomas L. Bethel, Lory Kenyonδ13C and d15N in the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon explosion in April 2010 and subsequent oil spill released 3.19 × 106 barrels (5.07 × 108 L) of MC252 crude oil into important foraging areas of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys kempii (Lk) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). We measured δ13C and δ15N in scute biopsy samples from 33 Lk nesting in Texas during 2010–-12. Of these, 27 were equipped with sateAuthorsKimberly J. Reich, Melania C. López-Castro, Donna J. Shaver, Claire Iseton, Kristen M. Hart, Michael J. Hooper, Christopher J. Schmitt - News