A new Calusa Waterkeeper has been appointed to lead the organization's mission to protect the Caloosahatchee River, which stretches from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf and its estuaries.
According to Calusa Waterkeeper, Inc., Joe Cavanaugh has been selected as the new Calusa Waterkeeper after a competitive search process. He is the third person to hold the role since the organization joined the Waterkeeper Alliance in 2016.
Cavanaugh brings decades of marine science experience, including water quality monitoring and habitat protection work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
He has been especially active in Southwest Florida, where he contributed to efforts safeguarding critical habitat for the endangered Smalltooth Sawfish in the Caloosahatchee River, the organization said.
“Safeguarding our local waters has always been personal to me,” Cavanaugh said. “This is a critical time for our waterways, and I’m ready to be their strongest advocate.”
Cavanaugh holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s in marine science from Boston University’s Marine Program in Woods Hole.
Cavanaugh’s first day will be Wednesday, May 15.
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