Meet Our Team
Hunter was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Growing up, his love for Florida’s beaches, springs, and waterways sparked a passion for Florida’s ecosystems and conservation. He received his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Florida State University and began working as a biologist for the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, where he found his calling to study and protect our estuaries. He received his master’s degree in biology from the University of North Florida, where he focused on oyster reef restoration ecology, studying the performance of a novel oyster reef restoration method, the Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat (POSH). Hunter founded Jax Oyster Conservation in 2024, motivated to provide an oyster shell recycling program for local restaurants, citizens, and events, to reduce our landfill contribution and provide oyster shell for coastal restoration and resilience projects in the area.
Hunter Mathews, MS
Founder and Director
.png)
Kelly J. Smith, PhD
Director
Kelly has always had a strong interest in human impacts on ecological systems and has been involved in ecological restoration projects in multiple estuarine systems including northeast Florida’s intracoastal waterway, Delaware Bay, and the Hackensack Meadowlands near New York City. At the University of North Florida, her research interests focused on developing coastal and shoreline resilience to climate change related challenges such as erosion, sea level rise, and changing precipitation patterns. Kelly has been investigating the effects of different methods of shoreline restoration on fish habitat use and abundance. With her recent move back to New York from Florida her research is transitioning to a focus on freshwater wetlands.
.png)
Capt. J. Silas Tanner, MS
Director
Silas is the Program Director for Matanzas Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the health of the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas estuary and watershed through advocacy, education, and community engagement. Silas holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biology from the University of North Florida, where his research focused on the impacts of shellfish harvesting and novel sensor technologies for monitoring estuarine health. He is also a U.S. Coast Guard Captain and previously worked as a staff scientist at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. In his off-time, Silas enjoys fishing, kayaking, hiking, and traveling with his wife Katelyn.
.png)
Christopher Paige
Secretary
Chris grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. His first experiences in the workforce came at a local seafood restaurant, where he worked his way up from shucking oysters and deveining shrimp to eventually holding a general management role within the industry. Those early years sparked a deep love for food, community and a commitment to sustainability. Motivated by these values, Christopher earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an interdisciplinary minor in sustainable development from the University of North Florida. His career has since spanned logistics, distribution, and operational management, and he now serves as a Sales and Operations Planning Coordinator for a Jacksonville-based company. Outside of work, Christopher enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, fishing, reading, and staying active.