Les Kaufman

Les Kaufman is a Professor of Biology at Boston University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kilachand Honors College. He holds a BA and PhD from The Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on aquatic biodiversity, coupled human-natural systems (CHANS), and coral reef dynamics, with fieldwork in tropical and temperate regions including Lake Victoria, the Mesoamerican Reef, and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Education: BA and PhD in Biology from The Johns Hopkins University.

Research interests include the interplay between human activities and ecosystems, coral reef resilience, climate change impacts on aquatic species, and conservation policy. His lab uses interdisciplinary methods like remote sensing, computational modeling (MIMES-MIDAS), and field experiments in marine reserves. Key projects address ecosystem service tradeoffs, coral genomics, and sustainable fisheries management in regions like Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, the Florida Reef Tract, and East Africa’s Nile Valley.

Teaching includes courses on climate change, coral reef dynamics, and marine ecology. Collaborations span universities (e.g., University of Belize), NGOs (Conservation International), and agencies (NOAA’s Coral Restoration Consortium). His work emphasizes policy innovation for coastal ecosystems and fisheries conservation.

Publications span coral health indices, fisheries modeling, and AI applications in geoscience education. Current projects explore coral hybridization, mangrove-coral interactions, and spatial planning for offshore renewable energy.