Thursday, December 14, 2017

FSU Coastal & Marine Lab Fall 2017 Newsletter

Director's Report
Announcing Plans for Discovery Hall, a New Research Building  

We are very pleased to present you our plan for a new research building, currently known as Discovery Hall. This building will provide a significant increase in research space and support state-of-the-art technology, faculty offices, a graduate student office complex, and a conference room that will be transformative for our faculty, our students, our alumni, and our partners.  It will also have a lobby with interactive displays, coupled with significant event space - currently called The Gallery of Florida Art and Auditorium - that will enhance our community engagement in the region with secondary school students, state and federal agencies, legislative bodies, and the general public.  Further, it will allow Florida State University to increase its impact on science, art, and education locally, nationally, and globally.  This marvelous new building will define our future not only to our students and faculty but to our many collaborators and users. Help us make it a reality.  

Here's to the future of Florida State University's marine lab!

If you have questions, please contact me, Dr. Felicia Coleman, Director, by phone 850.697.4137 or by email fcoleman@fsu.edu.  

Research & Highlights at the FSUCML

The Faculty

Dr. Sandra Brooke
FSUCML Research Influences White House Drilling Ban - 
Dr. Brooke's discovery of Lophelia pertusa in the mid-Atlantic contributed  to the White House decision to protect the region from drilling.  Read more.
 
18-day West Florida Shelf Expedition Aboard The Nancy Foster -
See the daily mission logs of discoveries from 50m to 550m deep on this remarkable research cruise. Read more. 


Dr. Dean Grubbs 
Endangered Sawfish Mating Grounds  - Dr. Grubbs and his team documented a female smalltooth sawfish giving birth.  Also for the first time in 17 years of Florida-based research, the Grubbs team discovered a mating ground for sawfish.  Read More.

Chesapeake Bay's misguided war on the Cownose Ray.  By compiling research from a range of disciplines, Dr. Grubbs and his team, found a vastly different picture of the Chesapeake Bay rays.  Read More 
   
Dr. Jeroen Ingles 
Antarctic Ecosystem Workshop - An international group of polar scientists met here to discuss the Antarctic ecosystem and effects of ice shelf collapse. They thoroughly engaged local school children as ambassadors in the The 
Polar Academy. Read More 

Dr. Felicia Coleman
Coleman named among 11 Women You Should Know to keep informed about Florida's environment She is noted as being among those who have made their careers by communicating and inspiring nationwide interest in environmental issues facing Florida.  
 
2017 Graduate Student Spotlight 
 
The students at the Florida State University Coastal & Marine Lab are swimming in recognition this year! Check them out on the web here:  
 

PhD students Abbey Engleman and Bryan Keller received Florida Sea Grant Scholar awards. Abbey's research employs 3-D printing technology to restore coral reef habitats while Bryan's work focuses on the use of magnetic navigation and migratory patterns in coastal sharks.
 
 
Save Our Seas Grant for his work with sharks goes to Bryan Keller.  

Ph.D. students Bryan Keller,  Brian Moe, and Cheston Peterson receive Guy Harvey Scholarships.  They represent the 8th, 9th, and 10th recipients of this award by FSUCML-mentored graduate students.  This is the second time that Peterson has received the Guy Harvey award. Well done, all.
 
FSUCML Coastal & Marine Conservation Research Award.  Brian Moe is the 1st recipient of this award., which provided him with a Research Assistantship for the entire summer so that he could focus on his work filling information gaps regarding deep-water sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you to Tommy Warren and Kathy Villacorta for making this award possible and for their continuous support of the graduate student research.
 
FSUCML Graduate Research Scholarship Recipients 
Maggie Vogel, Kevin Olsen, and Austin Heil. Bryan Keller, and Chris Malinowski. 
 
FSUCML Matt Beard Award for Excellence in Research - for the student in the FSU scientific diving community that best embodies the spirit of former FSU student Matt Beard -- goes to Abbey Engleman.  
New Folks Around the Lab
We have a number of new faces around the lab you need to know!
 
Chris Peters, Dive Safety Officer
Chris is a native of Tallahassee and is proud to be back at FSUCML. Chris graduated from FSU with a Master's Degree in Geography and worked at FSUCML with Dr. Coleman and Dr. Koenig. He left Tallahassee to surf big waves and dive with sharks in Hawaii. Since returning to FSUCML, he has completely reorganized and re-invigorated the Scientific Diving Program. His scientific diving course was a big hit with 14 students from the departments of Biological Science, Anthropology, and Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.  A highlight of the course included a dive on K-Tower, a new experience for many of his students.  To learn more about the program, visit the website here: Diving Into Science
.
Travis Mohrman, Facilities Director
Travis started at the FSUCML in February. He came with considerable experience working in a remote field station-clearly good preparation for life at the lab. His previous experience was decidedly inland at Tyson Research Center, at Washington University in St Louis, MO, where his background in botany and experience as an arborist suited him well as the lands manager. He has adapted quite nicely to saltwater and warm weather and makes solid use of his expertise in restoring the North 70 longleaf pine forest.  His primary duties include running general facilities and marine operations while helping coordinate research activities among researchers. He is the go-to person when you need a difficult situation resolved because when he says, "No problem,"  he means it. 
 
Katrina Bayliss, Marine Technician
Katrina arrived at the lab in early April to take up the reins as  primary marine technician. She is responsible for maintaining research equipment across the laboratory and is available to all FSU and visiting researchers who need help in the field or in the laboratory. Katrina grew up in Ohio and relocated to the east coast of Florida for college in 2010. She graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 2013 with a B.S. in Marine Biology. After finishing an internship during her last semester of college she worked in the Benthic Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce for 3.5 years.  
Tianna Forbes, Administrative Assistant 
Tianna grew up in Tallahassee, FL, and is not entirely new to the lab. As a teenager, she participated in the Saturday-at- the Sea Summer camp program where she gained an interest in biology.  Her interest in botany and experience working in plant nurseries led to her to the University of Central Florida where she graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.  Her duties here at the lab include serving as the assistant to the Director which includes working with the Board of Trustees, various advisory boards, and the Foundation. She is responsible for proposal submissions and works closely with volunteers and docents. 
Outreach
Open House April 22,2017: Coastal Literacy - Connecting Marine Science to Society  
This year's event highlighted the importance of improving human awareness of the tight linkages between healthy ecosystems and healthy societies. Active engagement in protecting our oceans and coastlines is something we all can do.  Click Here for photo gallery.
2017 Whatever Floats Your Boat Regatta was "Irma-rupted! 
We were all ready for the race.  Until Hurricane Irma reared her head with other ideas, forcing us to cancel this year's regatta.  Your efforts in boat building were not in vain as the 2018 Regatta will be on April 21, 2018. Click Here for more information and registration.  Get your boats ready!
2018 Conservation Lecture Series - Mark your Calendars - Two Great lectures to start the year. 
"Florida's Invasive Lionfish:  Be the Predator!" -
By Hanna Tilloston, Biologist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. For information Click Here
 

"Sharks, Cancer & Fake News"  
By Dr. Gary Ostrander, Vice-President for Research, FSU.  For Information Click here  
  

The Florida State University 
Coastal & Marine Laboratory
 



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