About Me

Hi, I’m Lauren Griffiths.

I am a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of South Florida and a current Biological Scientist at the University of Florida where I split time between Dr. Mark Clark’s Wetland Ecology lab and Dr. AJ Reisinger’s Urban Soil and Water Quality Lab. I am also Courtesy Faculty at the Everglades Wetland Research Park at Florida Gulf Coast University in Naples, Florida and have previously worked as a Postdoc at the same institution. I have a strong research background in environmental ecology which has spanned across multiple sub-disciplines including wetland ecology, biogeochemistry, environmental science, restoration and disturbance ecology, marine biology, and plant and soil science.

My most recent research projects have focused on mangrove soil carbon dynamics after a hurricane in both Puerto Rico and Florida, created wetland nutrient retention, red tide in the Gulf of Mexico, and algal bloom reduction in Florida waterbodies.

In addition to research experience, I have both technical and teaching experience. I have worked at Palm Beach County’s department of Environmental Resource Management where I got field experience in marine, aquatic, and terrestrial field techniques as well as became adept at writing technical government reports and using ArcGIS for data interpretation and visualization. As Courtesy Faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University, I have instructed and co-instructed six classes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

My long-term goals are to develop a research program focused on ecosystem services and environmental restoration, protection, and creation. I also enjoy taking a creative approach in teaching people of all backgrounds and education levels to help them retain useful information that they can use to implement sustainable, environmental change within society. I believe that through education, collaboration, and research, we can help solve local and global water issues.