Cathy McNally

Assessing Change in Coastal Ecosystems
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI



I grew up on Grand Island New York, which is an island located in the Niagara River. Although surrounded by freshwater for most of my life, it was the annual visits to my Grandparents home in Florida where I fell in love with the ocean! I received a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Marine Sciences at Cornell University. During my senior year at Cornell, I had the opportunity to spend a semester at the School for Field Studies Center for Coastal Studies in Puerto San Carlos, Mexico and partake in a research project comparing the efficiency and selectivity of three trawling nets used by the local small-scale shrimp fishermen. It was this experience that affirmed my desire to work in applied coastal science and management. After working for a couple of years at the South Florida Water Management District, I returned to school and received a M.A. in Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island. I am in the first year of my Ph.D. program in the Department of Natural Resources Science working with Dr. Art Gold, and my research interests are the affects of anthropogenic nitrogen on coastal ecosystems, marine protected areas, and the integration of natural and social science into coastal policy. I am thrilled to be in the IGERT program because it presents an opportunity to study all of these issues in concert with one another, and learn how to effectively communicate with various types of stakeholders. When I am away from school, I enjoy running, hiking, biking, diving, camping, and kayaking with my husband Pat. Please feel free to contact me at cgmccarthy@mail.uri.edu if you have any questions or would just like to chat about URI or CIIP.

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