Greening Takes Reins at Estuary Program

Holly Greening has been selected to lead the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

The first scientist hired by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program takes over as executive director in February 2008, replacing Dick Eckenrod, who has run TBEP since its inception in 1990.

Holly Greening, who joined TBEP in 1991 as the program’s senior scientist, has a master’s degree in marine ecology from Florida State University. Throughout her career, she has focused on implementing and managing freshwater and estuarine research and restoration projects. As the estuary program’s senior scientist, she coordinated bay research projects and oversaw the Technical Advisory Committee. She also supervised development of the program’s habitat restoration strategy, which emphasizes restoration of low-salinity tidal stream areas that provide vital nursery habitat to juvenile fish, and served as principal contact for federal, state, and local agencies as well as consultants.

Nationally, she has served on the governing board of the Estuarine Research Federation, three National Research Council committees on coastal issues, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board.

Under Eckenrod’s leadership, Tampa Bay continued its rebound from a low set in the 1970s and the bay has become the envy of the nation as water quality improves even as populations in its watershed grow. Partnerships developed between the estuary program and state and local governments promise to maintain those improvements.

Greening takes over a staff of seven.