Sarah Lester

Dr. Sarah E. Lester is a faculty member in the Geography Department at Florida State University. She received her PhD in marine ecology from UC Santa Barbara; her dissertation examined the roles of dispersal ability and reproductive output in driving large-scale biogeographic patterns in marine species. Her current research focuses on the ecological effects of marine protected areas, applying tradeoff analysis to marine resource management and spatial planning, sustainable management of fisheries and mariculture and ecosystem-based management. She has conducted global syntheses on the ecological effects and factors influencing effectiveness of marine protected areas, and works to connect science about MPAs to managers and conservation practitioners.