Karen Bohnsack

Karen Bohnsack

Associate Director

Karen.Bohnsack@noaa.gov
(305) 434-9377

Karen Bohnsack works with the superintendent and deputy superintendent to support the day-to-day operations of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary including leading Florida International University affiliate staff, supporting science and resource protection efforts, and serving as site lead for water quality and South Florida ecosystem restoration activities. Prior to joining Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Bohnsack worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection where she supported the state's co-management of the sanctuary, oversaw two aquatic preserves, and coordinated coral disease response activities. Bohnsack holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a master's degree in coastal marine resources management from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California-Santa Barbara. Born and raised in Miami, Bohnsack spent much of her childhood in the Keys where she later began her career working for the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute and Reef Relief.