Karen Filbee-Dexter

Karen Filbee-Dexter is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia (UWA), holding an academic position in the School of Biological Sciences and affiliation with the UWA Oceans Institute. She leads and contributes to interdisciplinary projects addressing global kelp forest decline and restoration, including the development of the Green Gravel tool and Arctic kelp expansion studies.

Education: Karen earned a PhD in Biology (Role of deep-living sea urchins in kelp ecosystems) from Dalhousie University in 2016, and a BSc (Honours with Distinction) in Biology from the same institution in 2010.

Research Interests: Her work focuses on climate-driven changes to kelp forests, blue carbon dynamics, Arctic marine ecosystems, and interdisciplinary questions linking social and ecological systems. She explores restoration strategies, regime shifts (e.g., kelp to turf reefs), and ethical considerations in marine conservation.

Current Projects: Includes DECRA (2019–2022), Turf Wars (2019–2022), BlueConnect (2019–2023), ArcticKelp (2019–2023), and SUKER (2017–2019). These projects involve international collaboration and aim to quantify stressor impacts, develop restoration tools, and assess ecosystem services.

Grants and Collaborations: She has secured grants from the ARC, ArcticNet, SANOCEAN, and the Research Council of Norway. Collaborations span institutions like the Institute of Marine Research, University of Greenland, and Arctic fjord communities.