Aarin Allen

PhD Student, Biological Sciences

Email: acallen@fiu.edu

Advisor: Dr. Jeremy Kiszka

Aarin has worked with marine mammals since 2009 and has extensive experience from husbandry and training to strandings, rescue and necropsy. His previous research has taken him from Florida to Central America studying marine mammals. He also has experience working as a scuba instructor and USCG-licensed captain. Currently, his research examines the drivers of resource selection in South Florida manatees, and their vulnerability to the decline of seagrass beds. Aarin also investigates how manatees, as large herbivores, influence ecosystem dynamics. As manatees feed on a diverse range of vegetation and travel between marine, brackish, and fresh water, they can impact the flow of nutrients between environments.