Kelly Cox

Kelly Cox

Director of Everglades Policy

Kelly Cox is an environmental attorney and advocate. As director of everglades policy, Cox oversees Audubon’s Everglades work by coordinating efforts in public policy, advocacy, and science in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. In 2022, Cox was elected to serve as Co-Chair of the Everglades Coalition—an alliance of nearly 60 non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing Everglades restoration. Based in South Florida, Cox is heavily involved in restoration efforts that benefit Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and Everglades National Park

Cox also serves on the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council as a voting member in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Seat. She is a member of the FKNMS Connectivity Team and assists in coordinating efforts for the Florida Keys Restoration Partnershipa coalition of environmental non-profit organizations working to advance protections for natural resources of the Florida Keys.

Since 2017, Cox has been a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, where she teaches in Environmental Law and Policy, Fisheries and Wildlife Law and Policy, and other courses to graduate-level students. She has published in academic literature on topics such as mangrove protections, invasive species, and threatened and endangered species. Cox holds a JD/ MPS from the University of Miami and completed her undergraduate studies in Natural Resources and Political Science at North Carolina State University. A South Florida native, Cox enjoys fishing, kayaking, and exploring the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park in her spare time.

Articles by Kelly Cox

Lake Okeechobee Discharges to East and West
Everglades

Lake Okeechobee Discharges to East and West

— Everglades restoration key to preventing the need for future releases.
Step Forward in Ongoing Everglades Restoration
Everglades

Step Forward in Ongoing Everglades Restoration

— The C-43 Reservoir will improve water quality and work toward preventing algal blooms in the Caloosahatchee Estuary.
State of the Everglades: A Letter from Kelly Cox - Fall 2023
Everglades

State of the Everglades: A Letter from Kelly Cox - Fall 2023

— Read the latest from our director of Everglades policy.
Completion of the Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area Means a Healthier Lake Okeechobee
News

Completion of the Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area Means a Healthier Lake Okeechobee

— The completion of the Lakeside Ranch Stormwater Treatment Area this summer is a major step in cleaning water flowing into Lake Okeechobee, and making strides towards restoring this critical ecosystem.
12,000-acre Everglades Restoration Project Complete
Everglades

12,000-acre Everglades Restoration Project Complete

— The C-44 canal was first dredged in 1923 to divert flood water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie estuary. It has taken decades and millions of dollars of funds to restore the C-44 area.
Audubon Florida Launches Advocacy Effort Against Urban Sprawl that Threatens the Everglades
News

Audubon Florida Launches Advocacy Effort Against Urban Sprawl that Threatens the Everglades

— A new development would require an expansion of the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) – a legal line that limits the extent of westward development permitted in Miami-Dade County toward the Everglades.
Audubon Celebrates Completion of Landmark Everglades Restoration Projects in 2021
Everglades

Audubon Celebrates Completion of Landmark Everglades Restoration Projects in 2021

— Removal of Tamiami Trail roadbed and Kissimmee River Restoration project overviews.
Kissimmee River Project - Largest Restoration Initiative of its Kind - Complete After Nearly 30 Years
Everglades

Kissimmee River Project - Largest Restoration Initiative of its Kind - Complete After Nearly 30 Years

— Audubon celebrates this critical milestone for Everglades restoration.