Kara Gadeken is a marine ecologist and faculty member at College of the Atlantic, where she holds the Mitchell P. Rales Chair in Ecology. Her teaching and research focus on marine biology, environmental science, and hands-on field and laboratory investigation.

Before joining COA, Kara taught marine ecology at Williams College’s Coastal and Ocean Studies Program at Mystic Seaport Museum and co-instructed the Investigative Marine Biology Laboratory at Shoals Marine Lab. She completed her doctoral research at the University of South Alabama and Dauphin Island Sea Lab, where her work focused on marine ecosystems, benthic communities, and experimental marine science.

Kara brings extensive experience in field research, scientific diving, marine sampling, and research instrumentation, along with a strong interdisciplinary background that bridges ecology, technology, and hands-on environmental science.