Sarah Lester

New FSU program to fund research focused on sustainability and climate solutions

Florida State University has launched a new program to jumpstart research opportunities addressing sustainability and climate change issues. The Office of the President’s Sustainability and Climate Solutions grant program promotes research that is crucial for long-term societal well-being, environmental health and economic prosperity. “Florida State is dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary research that will play a […]

Bright spots could be key to securing the future of declining coral reefs

In recent decades, the decline of living hard coral on reefs around the world has raised concerns among marine experts. For years, the presumption was that decline signaled that an entire reef’s future was threatened.     A study by Florida State University researchers shows that might not always be the case. While a complement of healthy coral is still preferred, dead […]

The makeup of mariculture: FSU researchers examine global trends in seafood farming

When Florida families settle down to enjoy a seafood dinner they may not realize the main dish wasn’t freshly caught in the nearby Gulf of Mexico, but rather farmed off the coast of Panama. The process of farming seafood in the ocean, known as mariculture, is a growing trend yet little is known about the […]

FSU researchers: Multifactor models reveal worse picture of climate change impact on marine life

Rising ocean temperatures have long been linked to negative impacts for marine life, but a Florida State University team has found that the long-term outlook for many marine species is much more complex — and possibly bleaker — than scientists previously believed. FSU doctoral student Jennifer McHenry, Assistant Professor of Geography Sarah Lester and collaborators […]

Faculty and Staff Briefs: July 2018

HONORS AND AWARDS Susan Fiorito, Ph.D. (Entrepreneurship) was presented with the Alpha Chi Omega Award of Achievement at the 60th Alpha Chi Omega National Convention held June 30 in Austin, Texas. The award recognizes outstanding Alpha Chi Omegas who have made significant contributions resulting in national and regional recognition in their chosen professional fields. Fiorito also […]

Women’s History Month: FSU women leading the research charge

Women’s History Month, celebrated every March in the United States, provides schools, workplaces and communities around the country the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of American women to our society. At Florida State University, those contributions are on full display. Over the past year, FSU women have conducted breakthrough research with the […]

Advanced spatial planning models could promise new era of sustainable ocean development

Earth’s vast oceans brim with potential for commercial activities ranging from tourism to shipping to alternative energy, but planning for the sustainable coexistence of different and competing industries has proved a complicated task. Now, researchers led by Florida State University Assistant Professor of Geography Sarah Lester have introduced an advanced, holistic analytical model that could […]

FSU professor: Inadequate resources diminish benefits of marine protected areas

A Florida State University researcher and a global team of scientists have published a new study that demonstrates how a widespread lack of personnel and funds are preventing marine protected areas from reaching their full potential. FSU Assistant Professor of Geography Sarah Lester partnered with more than 20 institutions on a multiyear research project that […]