*** In Person Speaker ***  Please join us for dinner at 6 p.m.

Dr. Aaron Pilnick’s dedication to marine ecology and conservation began in his childhood, when he and his brother developed a shared interest in keeping reef aquariums while growing up in the suburbs of New York. This early fascination with aquatic life led him to pursue a career in marine science, gaining his first professional experience at the New England Aquarium while studying at Tufts University. After graduating, he completed multiple research internships studying fisheries ecology in the Northern Gulf and cold-water coral reef ecology in New England. He later worked as a full-time Aquarist at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where he managed live coral reef exhibits and developed a passion for life support engineering and coral reef conservation.

In 2018, Aaron returned to his home state of Florida to help develop a burgeoning coral restoration program alongside The Florida Aquarium, working on aquaculture critically important reef species at their land-based conservation facility. At the same time, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology in December 2022, focusing on restoration aquaculturing and coral reef ecology with an emphasis on marine invertebrate biology. Now a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of Florida, Aaron continues to develop reef restoration solutions while also researching topics such as coastal sponge enhancement and marine disease ecology.

Aaron’s talk will explore his work developing a restoration aquaculture program for the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum), a critically important reef herbivore. His research on overcoming production challenges has contributed to new strategies for advancing restoration goals in Florida. Through this work, his talk will provide broader insight into science-based solutions for reef restoration and ecosystem recovery.