Kevin Dillon

Dr. Kevin Dillon is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in the Division of Coastal Sciences within the School of Ocean Science and Engineering. His primary affiliation is at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He holds a PhD in Groundwater Hydrology from Florida State University (2003), an MS in Chemical Oceanography from the same institution (1998), and a BS from the University of West Florida (1991).

Dr. Dillon's research focuses on marine biogeochemistry, food web dynamics, and groundwater hydrology. He specializes in using stable isotopes to investigate nutrient cycling, trophic interactions in coastal ecosystems, and the impact of human activities such as nutrient pollution and artificial reefs. His work includes studies on restored wetlands, Sargassum communities, and the effects of riverine inputs on coastal acidification and nutrient dynamics.

He teaches courses such as Coastal Processes I, Stable Isotope Ecology, Water Quality, and Microbial Oceanography. His recent publications (2019–2025) emphasize trophic dynamics in Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, artificial reef impacts, and biogeochemical responses to altered freshwater flows. Notable studies include assessments of red snapper ecology, sargassum-associated juvenile fish trophic interactions, and the role of stable isotopes in quantifying ecosystem processes.

No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts. His advising and grants are not detailed here, but his research has received support from institutions like the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute and USGS. He is actively involved in coastal conservation and restoration projects, though specific lab affiliations are not listed.