Joshua Patterson
Associate Professor, Restoration Aquaculture
Florida SeaGrant Affiliate Faculty
Josh Patterson joined the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences faculty in 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Restoration Aquaculture. He is housed at The Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation in the Tampa Bay area. Restoration aquaculture refers to the practice of actively enhancing populations and ecosystems using cultured aquatic organisms. Areas of research and extension in the Patterson Lab are the use of aquaculture in coral reef restoration (corals, sponges, sea urchins), restoration and protection of seagrasses, bay scallop population enhancement, and fisheries aspects of large-scale habitat restorations.
In addition to The Florida Aquarium as a primary stakeholder, Josh works directly with agencies (e.g., Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, etc.), non-profit organizations, and private businesses engaged in restoration aquaculture. Addressing questions about culturing organisms for aquatic restoration requires the integration of fields including engineering, genetics, physiology, and ecology. Therefore, Josh collaborates with academic colleagues from these disciplines.
Courses Taught
| Identifier | Course Name |
|---|---|
| FAS 6238 | Environmental Physiology of Fishes |
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Extension Programs
- Building outreach capacity at the Center for Conservation
- Enhancing operations for restoration aquaculture practitioners
- Restoration aquaculture and aquatic conservation education
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Research Interests
Aquaculture for coral reef, bivalve shellfish, seagrass, and finfish restoration and/or population enhancement.
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Education
- PhD, Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University
- MS, Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences, Kentucky State University
- BS, Biology, George Mason University
