Kiersten Rankel, MS Ecology, Environmental Biology

Background

Originally from New York, Kiersten’s journey has brought her from the marshes of Long Island to the rocky Oregon coast, through the coral reefs of the Florida Keys and the muddy swamps of Louisiana.

Education

Beginning her career as an educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension marine science summer program, Kiersten has been sharing the gifts of the world with others through science communication for over a decade. She earned her masters degree from Tulane University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology after her undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology, also from Tulane.

Research

She has conducted or assisted on research studies covering countless species including the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), elkhorn corals (​​Acropora palmata), gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus), the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), trees such as the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), swamp maple (Acer rubrum), and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) as well as important marsh grasses including Juncus, Spartina, and Phragmites.

Focus

Kiersten is a certified Louisiana Master Naturalist and volunteers with local nonprofits to help restore critical ecosystems along the Gulf Coast. She has worked closely with organizations conducting research on tree and marsh-grass plantings to combat the increasing coastal land loss crisis in Louisiana.

Interests

In her spare time, Kiersten trains service dogs, and appreciates the gifts of the Earth by crabbing, running, hiking and of course - tending to her houseplants and vegetable garden!

See Kiersten Rankel’s full background on LinkedIn.