Dr. Ernest Estevez

Dr. Ernest Estevez received his Ph.D. from the University of South Florida and is currently the Director of the Center for Coastal Ecology at Mote Marine Laboratory, which he joined in 1979. Dr. Estevez has conducted ecological studies in three dozen Florida rivers and bays, and has worked for decades to link science and estuarine resource management programs throughout the state. A past president of the Florida Academy of Sciences and the Myakka Conservancy, with whom he received a Governor’s Council for Sustainable Florida Award, Dr. Estevez is also the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of South Florida, and the Eugenie Clark Scientific Explorers Award.

Student Interviewer: Justin Quinn

Justin Quinn is a graduate student studying cultural anthropology at The University of Florida, and a recent graduate of New College of Florida. Originally from Connecticut, his family has been in the area since the mid-1980s, and he himself has been living here since 2003. He specializes in the anthropology of development and tourism, two issues of significance for the counties’ water resources, both of which sparked an interest in his participation in this project.

Interview Transcripts