Joan Arrington Browder September 2, 1937 - May 16, 2024

Miami, Florida - Joan Arrington Browder passed away peacefully in the company of her loving family on May 16th, 2024. Joan had a distinguished professional career as a fisheries biologist and ecologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service with a focus on the South Florida marine and estuarine environment. Her passion for nature and the environment began as a young girl growing up in Amarillo, Texas where she enjoyed long hikes in Paloduro Canyon and on the high Texas plains. Joan was born in Enid, Oklahoma in 1937. Her parents, Kyle and Syble Arrington, moved from Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas where Joan matriculated from Amarillo High School. Joan married her then husband, Joe Browder, and, after falling in love with South Florida while on vacation visiting Joe’s father, they moved with their two young sons, Ron and Monte, to South Florida in 1960. After years of exploring the Everglades and running a small tropical nursery business, Joan decided to return to school and obtained her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in biology at the University of Miami. It was there that she met her current husband and surviving spouse, Peter B. Schroeder, who was just beginning his graduate degree ( PhD) in marine biology. Joan decided to obtain her PhD as well and enrolled in the graduate school of Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida under the tutelage of Dr. Howard T. Odum, a distinguished ecologist. In her research supporting her dissertation, Joan and Pete spent countless hours in a small plane observing the woodstorks and their migration patterns and feeding habits in the constantly evolving Everglades ecosystem. Joan graduated with her PhD in 1976 and the title of her dissertation was “Water, Wetlands, and Woodstorks.” Joan then moved back to Miami and began her professional career at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Sciences of the University of Miami but after a short tenure there, she secured her job as a fisheries biologist at the National Marine Fisheries service across the street on Virginia Key in 1978. She worked at NOAA for forty-six years until her passing. Dr. Joan Browder was a passionate scientist for NOAA and published papers on a range of contemporaneous topics in fisheries biology. Her love and interests ranged from studying periphyton to monitoring the behavior of sawfish in Biscayne Bay among countless other projects. She loved the team of people she worked with over the years and every single person there was special to her. Joan was able to secure funding grants from multiple sources to help support her colleagues in fisheries and estuarine science. In addition to her numerous publications, NOAA honored Joan for 38 years of sustained dedication, leadership excellence and scientific contribution to NOAA’s efforts in ecosystem and Everglades restoration. Joan also received the 2016 Robert Porter Allen Award from Florida Audubon for protecting Florida Bay through science. Dr. Browder was also honored by Dr. Thomas Frankovich of Florida International University who named a new species of diatom found in Biscayne Bay after her. The diatom, Proschkinia browderiana, was among several new species found under projects supported by Joan and it was in recognition of her research accomplishments in Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay and other coastal and estuarine ecosystems in South Florida. At the time of this honor in March 2020, Joan had worked for NMFS (NOAA) for 42 years. Prior to her passing, Dr. Browder was still a full- time employee with NOAA. For her contribution to Everglades restoration, Joan was honored by being named a “Dame of the Everglades” along with Marjorie Stoneman Douglas by the Everglades Foundation. Joan leaves behind her loving husband of almost fifty years, Peter B. Schroeder, along with her sons and their spouses, Ron and Sarah and Monte and Mary Beth, and grandchildren, Benjamin Browder (Ron’s son) and Monte and Mary Beth’s children, Alexandra, Elizabeth, and Kyle. In addition to her passion for her work and for her family, Joan loved her Dandie Dinmont Terriers over the years and participated in many, many dog shows. Joan also loved her ballet lessons which she took with her special friends well until she was in her seventies. She loved her wild, tropical yard with its beautiful, towering trees and she loved long walks in her neighborhood. Joan loved her friends and neighbors as well, many of whom she met on her slow walks-all of whom took a sincere interest in her well-being. She also loved playing scrabble with her children and grandchildren. She was passionate about winning as well.

A Celebration of Joan’s Life will be held later date to be announced and will be in a marine, estuarine environment.