Email: kyla.kelly@noaa.gov

Kyla Kelly is a 2024 Sea Grant Knauss Fellow working to support the GOMO Carbon Program. Kyla is finishing up her Ph.D. in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography from the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on phytoplankton and climate change, mainly harmful algal blooms (HABs) and open ocean nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, using a combination of physiological and molecular techniques. In graduate school, Kyla also pursued her passion for STEM outreach and education by writing ocean and climate science curriculum for K-12 audiences, hosting several professional development workshops for educators, and developing human health and climate change informational brochures to better inform the public.

Originally from Connecticut, Kyla received her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of New Haven. Though her passion for marine science began at a young age, her time with NOAA as a Hollings Scholar, where she collaborated with stakeholders to monitor HABs in Puget Sound, Washington, truly sparked her interest in public service and applied science. In her free time, Kyla enjoys spending time outside, hiking, scuba diving, and cycling.