William Fox is the Program Director of the Card Sound Aquatic Preserve, where he leads long-term stewardship with targeted restoration of mangrove fringe, seagrass meadows, and estuarine benthic habitats in the northern Florida Keys. His work focuses on protecting the natural processes that connect land and water within one of South Florida’s most ecologically significant coastal systems. William’s path into coastal conservation began in Baltimore, where he studied environmental biology at Towson University. During his college years, he served as Vice President of We Are Water Collective, supporting initiatives centered on water quality, public engagement, and coastal stewardship, while also volunteering with multiple nonprofit organizations focused on environmental education and outreach. Following his academic training, William participated in wetland delineations and field assessments in coordination with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, gaining experience in shoreline and wetland boundary identification within complex estuarine environments. Seeking hands-on marine experience beyond the classroom, William moved to South Florida to participate in a shark tagging internship at the University of Miami. That experience immersed him in marine fieldwork and helped define his long-term commitment to coastal and ocean science. William went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, where he focused on coastal zone management and the science-policy interface that shapes coastal conservation, restoration, and long-term planning. William later transitioned into environmental regulation and coastal permitting as a Project Manager in the Florida Keys with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In this role, he has worked directly on Section 10 and Section 404 permitting, compensatory mitigation review, and impact assessment for projects affecting wetlands, submerged lands, and navigable waters. He has applied the Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method to evaluate aquatic resource impacts and mitigation proposals, developing proficiency in translating field conditions into defensible regulatory decisions. Together, these experiences shaped William’s approach to conservation, one grounded in field science, informed by regulatory reality, and centered on place-based stewardship. Card Sound represents the convergence of that path, a landscape where mangroves, seagrass, and open water are treated as a connected system and given the space and time needed to recover. As Program Director, William works closely with academic institutions, private investors, nonprofit partners, and government agencies to support research, restoration, and adaptive management within the Preserve, with the goal of safeguarding Card Sound for generations to come.