Coral Reef Ecology Course

Coral Ecophysiology LabReef Ecology and Evolution LabMicrobial Ecology Lab

Coral Reef Ecology CourseMarine Biology and Oceanography Research CourseAmerican Academy of Underwater Sciences Course

The experiences I gained from this fellowship shaped my understanding of the interaction between environmental and physiological variability within coral reef ecosystems. For my research project, I worked with Dr. Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley researching the effects of parental habitat on the early life history stages of the brooding coral, Porites astreoides, across an inshore patch reef, an offshore rim reef, and an upper-mesophotic reef. We found that larvae from the upper-mesophotic site had higher rates of settlement success, growth, and survival compared to shallow-water sites. Not only was I learning novel functions of the reproductive patterns found in mesophotic coral reef ecosystems, Dr. Goodbody-Gringley allowed me to make critical decisions within this research project, preparing me to perform my own research in the future. I took on new responsibilities during this project and gained a mentor that pushed me to think critically about the implications of every aspect of the project. Dr. Goodbody-Gringley also emphasized the importance to teach various interactive courses during research, inspiring me to apply for teaching assistant positions in coral reef ecology the following year. My work on this project led to another co-authored manuscript in Coral Reefs.

My senior thesis in Dr. Peter Simard’s Dolphin Lab at Eckerd College investigating the effects of ambient noise levels on dolphin communication and whistle morphology. Our findings showed that dolphins alter their minimum, maximum, and peak frequencies in the presence of ambient noise. Through this experience, I was able to troubleshoot various acoustic analyzing software, collect hydrophone measurements and collaborate with graduate students to analyze dolphin whistles recorded in Tampa Bay. My work on this project also led to my first co-authored manuscript publication in Bioacoustics.

This conservation technician position was designed for scientists, managers, practitioners, and local communities to come together and build a solid foundation on coral reef restoration using the coral reef gardening concept. Learned how to complete a coral reef restoration project using the coral reef gardening concept, how to build mid water nurseries and how to out-plant corals onto a degraded reef site, the course provides guidance on appropriate design, logistics, and evaluation of the project based on the Reef Rescuers’ experience in the Republic of Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. The program included practice of low-cost field tested methods as well as troubleshooting problems encountered in field conditions.I developed coral conservation projects with Nature Seychelles community organization and created and presented a coral restoration development plan to the public and stakeholders.