Kassandra Dudek, Ph.D.

Title

Lead Faculty and Instructor in Marine Resource Management

Location

Turks & Caicos Islands

Pronouns

She/Her/Hers

Education

B.S in Biological Science (Genomics)

Ph.D. in Environmental Life Science

Teaching

SFS 3131 Marine Megafauna Ecology and Conservation

SFS 3530 Tropical Marine Ecosystems: Monitoring and Management

SFS 3740 Marine Resource Management

SFS 4910 Directed Research

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About

Faculty Profile


As a marine microbial ecologist, I specialize in the study of microorganisms that live in the ocean and their interactions with their environment. My research historically focused specifically on the “plastisphere,” which refers to the microbial communities that colonize plastic debris in the ocean. I am interested in understanding how these communities form, how they function, and what their ecological impacts are on marine ecosystems. Through my research, I have also studied the different types of plastics that end up in the ocean, how they degrade over time, and how they are ingested by marine animals. I am also interested in the economic and social impacts of plastic pollution on coastal communities that rely on healthy oceans by looking into microplastic contaminated seafood.

Academics & Research

Professional Affiliations


Research Interests


  • Marine Microbial Ecology
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Fishery Science
  • Outputs

    Publications

    Presentations

    Invited guest lecture at McGill University. Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2020
    Invited speaker at Center of Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics (CFAM) Seminar Series 2020. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.