Darrell Herbert Email & Phone Number

18001 Old Cutler Road, Palmetto Bay, Fl 33157

Developing a predictive statistical model that associates estuarine community characteristics and composition with water quality data. Geo-referenced community and water quality databases have been constructed from multiple public and private data sources. Temporally, the data span 20 years and the spatial includes three National Parks; Biscayne Bay, Everglades, and Dry Tortugas. An Arc-GIS platform is used for spatial representations and geo-statistical interpolations. The model approach uses both discriminant function analysis and multi-dimensional scaling to predict community characteristics from water quality, percent surface ambient light reaching the benthos, and substrate qualities.The project has importance to water management relative to habitat integrity for a variety of wading and diving seabirds, several important fish species to the sport fishing industry, and the commercially important pink shrimp industry.Below is a recent exercise making use of USGS data. Is sea level change altering sediment elevation on mud banks across Florida Bay? A reevaluation of data from 1996 to 2007 using R and 3-D graphing. The reevaluation illustrates the value of using spatial representations rather than means when examining landscape effects. In several cases it appears that turbulence around benchmarks is causing erosion.

Benthic marine ecology and statistical modeling. Currently assimilating submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) data (18 years, 56,000 records) and water quality data (22 years, 72,000 records) from multiple sources into a uniform, geo-spatially referenced database supported by MS-Access and Arc-10 GIS. One product from the database will be a predictive statistical model to assess SAV characteristics and health on the basis of water quality across a spatial extent including Biscayne Bay, Keys, Dry Tortugas, Florida Bay, White Water Bay, and Rookery Bay. Other activities include: (1) Independent research in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), Everglades National Park, and the Florida Everglades LTER. (2) Benthic long-term monitoring of permanent sites in the FKNMS with the purpose of detecting changes in abiotic and biotic characteristics. (3) Monitor the effects of reduced nutrient loading in the benthic near-shore ecosystems of Marathon, FL following implementation to sewage collection and treatment facilities. (4) Application of statistical models to project spatial reorganization of benthic communities in response to the management of freshwater delivery from the Everglades to Florida Bay. (5) Map trophic linkages in Shark River, Everglades National Park, FL via fatty acids, nutrient content and nutrient isotope composition of biotic entities. (6) Cooperate with Florida Department of Environmental Protection, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Park Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in various monitoring programs. (7) Grant writing. (8) Present research findings at conferences, symposia, and state and federal meetings. (9) Present results in conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. (10) On a voluntary basis with NOAA, participate as in fish surveys in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Greater Boston Area

College of General Studies.Undergraduate education in the Natural Sciences.Responsible for the Natural Science education of 100 to 120 undergraduate students. Include all aspects of the development and delivery of lectures, laboratories, and tutorials, and all aspects of grading and evaluation.

Ecosystems research focused on biogeochemistry, resource supply, and species diversity. Included work in the Alaskan Arctic, the Brazilian Amazon, and New England hardwood forests.Specific duties included (1) Modeling synthesis of the impacts of tropical forest conversion on carbon fluxes and storage, and on nutrient dynamics in Amazonia (NASA-LBA). (2) Organization and logistics for work the Tapajos National Forest in Para, Brazil. (3) Synthesis and modeling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics associated with land-use. (4) Presentation of results at professional meetings in Brazil and in the U.S. and in peer-reviewed journals.

Ecosystems Research. Development and application of a multiple-element-limitation (MEL) biogeochemical model. Present results in meetings and in peer-reviewed journals.

Ph.D In Agronomy And Soil Science, Montane Forests Of Hawaii

Researched ecosystem dynamics of Hawaiian forests with a focus on structure and function,biogeochemistry and resource-use.

Ms, Botany

Aquatic Botany and Ecology

Bs, Biology