Lucy Keith

Research Scientist, Aquatic Conservation Program, Wildlife Trust

Lucy Keith began her career radio tracking Eastern Coyotes to study habitat use in upstate New York, and has spent the past 19 years working primarily with marine mammals, sea turtles and penguins in both stranding/rehabilitation and field research capacities. Her interests include animal behavior, ecology and conservation, and her specific research interests focus on habitat use, foraging strategies, and mother-offspring behavior patterns.

Ms. Keith has worked for federal, state and non-profit research organizations both nationally and internationally, and has a wide range of field experience with endangered species, including green sea turtles, the Hawaiian monk seal, and both Florida and Antillean manatees. Prior to joining Wildlife Trust in January 2005, Ms. Keith spent six years running a manatee research field station in southwest Florida for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

At Wildlife Trust, Ms. Keith currently oversees three manatee research projects in south Florida that include investigating manatee winter habitat use near a power plant through GPS tracking and seagrass sampling, using aerial surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of manatee speed zones, and using digital photography to identify individual manatees using the Everglades in winter. Ms. Keith is also a principal investigator on a study of the status of the West African manatee in Gabon, and is responsible for developing and implementing future research projects.