Karen McDowell

Senior Environmental Specialist

BIOGRAPHY

Karen McDowell, Senior Environmental Specialist, leads aquatic invasive species issues, oversees the implementation of species and habitat focused actions in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, staffs the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, and coordinates the State of the Estuary Conference and the Bay-Delta Science Conference. She serves on regional, state, and federal invasive species task forces. Karen also managed the Clean Vessel Action Education Program (limiting the impacts of sewage discharge from recreational boats) for 10 years and was the technical adviser for California’s State Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan. She also coordinated a ballast water outreach program for California Sea Grant. Karen has a B.A. in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology.