Kayla Gardner
Academics, Faculty
Kayla Gardner
Adjunct Faculty: Oceanographer
Education:
PhD, Biological Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program
BS, Marine Science- minors in Biology and Math, The University of South Carolina
About
Research Areas & Interests
Deep sea ecology; marine ecosystems in a changing climate; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; stable isotope analysis
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy centers around experiential, hands-on learning and fostering an inclusive, supportive community. I prioritize instruction based in knowledge and experiences from diverse perspectives. Additionally, my focus as an educator is to have students accomplish their individual learning and professional development goals and carry forward a passion for ocean stewardship into a variety of careers.
Selected Publications
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Willis, C., Gardner, K., Arostegui, M., Braun, C., Jin, D., Houghton, L. A., … & Thorrold, S. (2026, February). Making Deep Connections: The Role of Mesopelagic Food Webs in Sustaining Tuna and Swordfish Populations. In American Geophysical Union, Ocean Sciences Meeting (No. 25, pp. DS24B-025).
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C. Willis, K. Gardner, M. Arostegui, C. Braun, W.Golet, L. Houghton, J. Llopiz, A. Govindarajan, S. Thorrold (2025). Evaluating the importance of mesopelagic prey to three top teleost predators in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 82(3) 028.
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Batta-Lona, P., K. Gardner, J. Questel, S. Thorrold, J. Llopiz, P. Wiebe, A. Bucklin (2024). Role of salps in mesopelagic food webs: metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis
of trophic interactions and diet diversity. Marine Biology, 171(12), 233.
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
Sigma Xi, The Oceanographic Society, Marine Technology Society, Phi Beta Kappa, North American Association of Fisheries Economists
Personal Interests
Beach volleyball, fiber arts, paddleboarding, rock climbing, scuba diving, my dog Remora!
