Kelli O'Donnell Email and Phone Number

The Academic Studies Program (ASP) allows employees to enroll in and attend a certificate, undergraduate or graduate level program at an accredited academic institution of their choice, for up to two years, while receiving their full salary. Employees who successfully complete the first year of studies as ASP participants and who remain compliant with all requirements of the ASP will be re-certified for a second year of funding, budget permitting. The emphasis of this program is to… Show more The Academic Studies Program (ASP) allows employees to enroll in and attend a certificate, undergraduate or graduate level program at an accredited academic institution of their choice, for up to two years, while receiving their full salary. Employees who successfully complete the first year of studies as ASP participants and who remain compliant with all requirements of the ASP will be re-certified for a second year of funding, budget permitting. The emphasis of this program is to support employee retention and engagement. The program focuses on coursework that allows employees to develop expertise and maintain currency in fisheries biology, fisheries management, population dynamics, habitat protection, computer science, ecosystem analyses and other disciplines related to the mission of NOAA Fisheries. Participating employees benefit from the knowledge of recent advances in their occupational fields and obtain or improve skills needed in current or future positions. Show less

• Performance monetary and time off awards recipient• NOAA Bronze Medal Award nominee• Lead for Interdisciplinary Plan Teams developing fishery management plan amendments and frameworks including analyses for the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) region and joint Gulf and South Atlantic regions• Coordinate the review of assigned fishery management plans amendments with Fishery Management Council staff, regional office staff, headquarters, science center, and other entities• Ensure assigned… Show more • Performance monetary and time off awards recipient• NOAA Bronze Medal Award nominee• Lead for Interdisciplinary Plan Teams developing fishery management plan amendments and frameworks including analyses for the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) region and joint Gulf and South Atlantic regions• Coordinate the review of assigned fishery management plans amendments with Fishery Management Council staff, regional office staff, headquarters, science center, and other entities• Ensure assigned fishery management plans amendments are in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and other applicable laws• Attend Council meetings and prepare oral and written pre/post meeting status reports • Serve on South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force• Serve on U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Fisheries working group• Formulate and recommend management policies and practices for conserving living marine resources• Prepare written reports and give oral presentations related to fishery management and scientific activities• Complete NOAA headquarters taskers• Lead for implementing amendments via rule-making process, including but not limited to, responding to public comment, and preparing all supporting documents for final approval/disapproval• Review scientific studies, fishery management plans, stock assessments, and grant applications• Prepare correspondence, reports, and other material• Process research permits• Lead for annual catch limit monitoring• Lead for in-season notices• Establish working relationships and collaborations with constituents including within office, across other NOAA units, the public, industries, Federal, state, territorial, and/or local agencies • Respond to routine industry, public and intergovernmental requests for information and data• Utilize communication skills to desensitize highly charged situations while working with commercial and recreational fishermen to resolve conflict Show less

• Develop a standard operating procedure for aviation organization pilots transporting sea turtles.• Develop and secure funding for producing educational outreach signage on sea turtle cold stunning and their journey from rescue to release. Collaborate with six sea turtle rescue facilities across Florida to display the signs.• Develop a multi-regional sea turtle release guide to inform NOAA and sea turtle rehabilitation facilities of historic release area seasonal information.

• Co-lead a NOAA multi-objective implementation planning team to identify details of CRCP coral restoration activities to be conducted in FYs 19-21 for the Atlantic and Pacific Regions• Co-lead restoration planning team members to ensure effective and efficient application of their CRCP funding allocation with their contributions to coral reef resource management and marine science by addressing CRCP Strategic Plan objectives and Jurisdictional priorities to accomplish regional goals•… Show more • Co-lead a NOAA multi-objective implementation planning team to identify details of CRCP coral restoration activities to be conducted in FYs 19-21 for the Atlantic and Pacific Regions• Co-lead restoration planning team members to ensure effective and efficient application of their CRCP funding allocation with their contributions to coral reef resource management and marine science by addressing CRCP Strategic Plan objectives and Jurisdictional priorities to accomplish regional goals• Collaborate with federal and state agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector to identify Jurisdictional needs and priority goals across the Atlantic and Pacific Regions including developing partnerships and taking into consideration cultural matters• Prepare and review the multi-objective CRCP Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including addressing environmental compliance requirements• Serve on planning committee for 550+ attendee Reef Futures conference including being lead for organizing all plenary sessions and speakers and communicating personal research results• Serve as co-chair for development and growth of the global Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC)• Participate in multiple CRC and U.S. Coral Reef Task Force working groups with participation from no less than 12 federal agencies; seven U.S. states, territories, and commonwealths; and three freely associated states• Work with partners to identify or develop information for management to ensure the effective use of resources for the best available scientific knowledge used in decision-making• Inventory and map restoration efforts and capacity across NOAA and other restoration collaborators Show less

• Perform American Academy of Underwater Sciences scientific SCUBA dives monitoring coral growth, cleaning the nursery, restoring shallow corals, and conducting routine observations• Manage, supervise, lead, and perform multi-organizational professional research and scientific work involving the study of the relationships of marine organisms with each other, with their physical and chemical environments, and with society• Developed, coordinated, and implemented a field-oriented habitat… Show more • Perform American Academy of Underwater Sciences scientific SCUBA dives monitoring coral growth, cleaning the nursery, restoring shallow corals, and conducting routine observations• Manage, supervise, lead, and perform multi-organizational professional research and scientific work involving the study of the relationships of marine organisms with each other, with their physical and chemical environments, and with society• Developed, coordinated, and implemented a field-oriented habitat restoration research project within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary utilizing coral reef assessment methods and ecosystem evaluations to conserve and recover the listed species Acropora cervicornis including defining the problem, planning the approach for the study (data collection procedures, techniques, methodology), development and monitoring of the budget, writing proposals and securing funding, coordinating research permitting, assigning and reviewing work, analyzing data, interpreting results, addressing human impacts ensuring work products meet technical requirements and making decisions on work problems • Evaluate restoration project to ensure environmental goals and financial requirements are met• Supervise, evaluate, instruct, mentor, recognize and support volunteers on both work and administrative matters• Document, evaluate and approve final research findings to integrate information into written technical reports to assess success and results on project • Publish in peer-reviewed journals• Communicate scientific results to a variety of audiences to ensure the public is informed about research/monitoring efforts and findings• Identify other research needs Show less

•Participated in Marine Recreational Information Program sampling (MRIP)•Dockside sampling of recreational anglers gathering data on catch rates, effort, gear, area fished, and socioeconomic information •Collected biological samples for age, growth and reproduction data•Validated charter vessel in or out status

•NMFS Team Member of the Year Awardee•IAP Performance Monetary Awardee•Independently intercepted and collected finfish and invertebrate samples/data from commercial fishermen and fish houses using established methods and techniques for the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Fisheries Statistics Division integrated fishery statistical data acquisition program•Conducted Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) trip sampling coordinating efforts with NOAA Keys region… Show more •NMFS Team Member of the Year Awardee•IAP Performance Monetary Awardee•Independently intercepted and collected finfish and invertebrate samples/data from commercial fishermen and fish houses using established methods and techniques for the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Fisheries Statistics Division integrated fishery statistical data acquisition program•Conducted Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) trip sampling coordinating efforts with NOAA Keys region headboat sampler•Ensured timely processing and preservation of samples collected following NOAA/NMFS protocol•Followed and kept up to date with new sampling and data entry procedures•Provided assistance to dealers with state and federal reporting requirements for fisheries•Provided assistance to dealers with compliance issues and entering data in the Florida Trip Ticket Program•Provided assistance to dealers with fish ID•Informed South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) of industry activities•Verifled accuracy of dealer trip ticket entry vs. captain interview•Trip Interview Program (TIP) data entry•Trip Ticket Review System (TTRS) dealer data entry corrections•Maintained and kept detailed data records•Worked with stakeholders on a regular basis helping them understand fisheries management and regulations•Presented scientific results at meetings•Maintained and repaired field equipment•Outreach presentations•Attended South Atlantic Fishery Management, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Council meetings. Show less

•Independently intercepted and collected finfish and invertebrate samples/data from commercial fishermen and fish houses using established methods and techniques to update the statewide used conversion factor and for entering into TIP integrated fishery statistical data acquisition database•Helped develop new conversion factor data entry program•Ensured timely processing and preservation of samples collected following FWC protocol•Followed and kept up to date on new sampling and… Show more •Independently intercepted and collected finfish and invertebrate samples/data from commercial fishermen and fish houses using established methods and techniques to update the statewide used conversion factor and for entering into TIP integrated fishery statistical data acquisition database•Helped develop new conversion factor data entry program•Ensured timely processing and preservation of samples collected following FWC protocol•Followed and kept up to date on new sampling and data entry procedures•Worked with stakeholders on a regular basis helping them to understand fisheries management•Participated in MRIP recreational sampling when needed coordinating efforts with local state MRIP sampler•Participated in offshore red snapper tagging/sampling project•Participated in SRHS trip sampling when needed coordinating efforts with state headboat sampler•Verified accuracy of trip ticket entry vs. captain interview•Maintained and kept detailed data records•Maintained and repaired field equipment•Outreach presentations•Conducted research projects•Co-authored peer reviewed journal paper Show less

•In charge of Harmful Algal Bloom/water quality sampling •Responsible for YSI instrument maintenance, keeping truck, boat and trailer maintenance up to date, writing monthly reports for 180m seine net catches, keeping our length/weight collections up to date, and completing organization of our 700+ species reference collection•Conducted monthly seine and trawl net sampling to monitor juvenile and adult marine fish, crabs and shrimp of commercial and recreational importance… Show more •In charge of Harmful Algal Bloom/water quality sampling •Responsible for YSI instrument maintenance, keeping truck, boat and trailer maintenance up to date, writing monthly reports for 180m seine net catches, keeping our length/weight collections up to date, and completing organization of our 700+ species reference collection•Conducted monthly seine and trawl net sampling to monitor juvenile and adult marine fish, crabs and shrimp of commercial and recreational importance •Principle Investigator (PI)/Captain of sampling trips•Operated boats up to 24 ft. and trailers up to 30ft. in length•Participated in offshore Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) sampling trips•ID different organisms, flora and fauna, in the field and lab•Otolith, mercury, diet, genetics and gonad sampling of select species for life history research•Data entry in multiple Fish and Wildlife Research Institute programs•Wrote updates that were put into the FIM statewide used procedure manual•Outreach presentations•Conducted research projects•Aided in training new employees/volunteers Show less