Kim B. Ritchie

Kim B. Ritchie is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Prokaryotic Cell Biology at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB), affiliated with the Department of Natural Sciences. Her research spans over 30 years in coral and marine microbiology, focusing on disease mechanisms, climate change impacts, and beneficial microbial interactions.

• Education: PhD in Genetics (2000), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; BS in Biology (1994), University of South Carolina at Aiken.

Research Interests include coral and invertebrate diseases, host-microbe dynamics under climate stressors, and antibiotic discovery from marine bacteria. Current work explores wound healing in elasmobranchs (sharks, rays) via beneficial microbiomes.

She teaches courses such as Bacteriology, Microbiology, and Marine Policy, with a career trajectory combining genetics, oceanography, and conservation research. Contact: kritch@uscb.edu.