Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III Biography
Roy "Robin" Lewis III is a marine scientist with 50 years of experience in Florida working on ecological preservation and restoration, most of those years focusing on the preservation of Tampa Bay. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1966 at the University of Florida, where he made the decision to change his major from medicine to biology. Lewis earned his master's degree in zoology from the University of South Florida in 1968 and has published extensively on the ecological basis of wetland restoration and creation. Lewis is currently President of both Lewis Environmental Services, Inc. and Coastal Resources Group, Inc. He is consulting on several projects including mangrove restoration projects in India, Indonesia, and Jamaica.
In this interview, Lewis remembers his early life as a “junior naturalist” growing up in Daytona Beach and rural Jacksonville. Lewis also discusses his time working with various environmental agencies in Tampa Bay, including the Agency on Bay Management, the Florida Audubon Society, and Save Our Bay, Inc. Lewis describes his groundbreaking studies and experimental research on the mangrove and seagrass populations. He also shares his history of environmental activism, the work he’s done protecting the wildlife preserve islands in Florida, and the connection between seagrass and mangrove habitat and fisheries management.