Graduate students are the life blood of the marine lab, coming from the departments of Biological Science and Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences to work with resident faculty. Their enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, and creativity are contagious to everyone with whom they interact on the laboratory campus, including the staff, each other, and the faculty.

Laura Anthony, Ph.D. Candidate (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke)

 lanthony@bio.fsu.edu                         
(she/her) I am broadly interested in deep-sea coral ecophysiology. My dissertation research assesses how environmental variables influence the reproduction of reef-building deep-sea corals across the northern hemisphere. I hope to use my work as a way to gauge reef health in the context of climate change and conservation. 

Donaven Baughman, Ph.D. student (Advisors Dr. Joel Trexler and Dr. Dan Okamoto)

 dbaughman@bio.fsu.edu                         
(he/him) My research focuses on the impacts of predators and environmental factors on the physiological processes and allocation of energy to various important life history characteristics (e.g., growth, predation defense, and reproduction) of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica). The goal of my work is to inform the future management of wild oysters and improve aquaculture outcomes by understanding the impacts of biotic (predators) and abiotic (environmental) factors on individual oysters and how these impacts may scale-up to alter population dynamics and oyster harvest outcomes.

Rachel Biton, MSc. student (Advisors Dr. Josh Breithaupt and Dr. Tom Miller)

 rb22q@fsu.edu                      
My research interests focus on mangrove ecosystems, and I am broadly interested in studying the above ground structure, biomass accumulation and productivity in mangrove communities across multiple barrier islands located in Apalachicola Bay. I am also interested in exploring how various physical and chemical factors influence mangrove dispersal and establishment dynamics. This information will help to better understand how various environmental factors influence mangrove species and their shift in distribution patterns to help future management strategies and predict dispersal responses to environmental changes in an ecosystem.  

Annais Muschett-Bonilla, Ph.D. Candidate (Advisor Dr. Dean Grubbs)

�� amuschettbonilla@bio.fsu.edu 
My research investigates reproductive strategies in elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, rays, and sawfish). My goal is to understand variation in maternal investment between closely and distantly related species, along with variation at an individual level. The physiological mechanisms that drive the mode of embryonic nourishment in these species are being investigated, along with studies attempting to highlight the biochemical content and nutrient composition of fluids used to nourish embryos in various species. Finally, after attempting to understand how and to what extent mothers nourish their embryos, my research aims to determine the effects of maternal investment on the mother and assess potential costs of large maternal investment in these species. 

Ashley Dawdy, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Dean Grubbs)

adawdy@fsu.edu
I am primarily interested in elasmobranch movement ecology, particularly for species of conservation concern. My past research used active and passive acoustic telemetry to investigate drivers of movement behavior in coastal sharks. My MS research includes the use of acoustic telemetry to investigate social and mating behavior in the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in the Florida Keys, as well as to study the habitat use of Atlantic cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in Apalachicola Bay, FL. This work contributes to the delineation of essential fish habitat and informs the building of successful species conservation plans.

Jessica Dehn, MSc. student (Advisor Dr. Dean Grubbs)

jnd22b@fsu.edu                       
My research interests lie in fish trophic and population ecology, specifically focusing on the Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae). Within trophic ecology, I am studying maternal influence on Atlantic sharpnose sharks' diet post-birth using stable isotope and gut-content analysis. This will help in the understanding of how diet behaviors change between neonates and before their juvenile stage. For the population ecology aspect, I am studying the population of Atlantic sharpnose sharks in Florida's Big Bend and how catch-per-unit-effort could be changing due to various changes in abiotic factors.

Adin Nahoa Domen, MSc. student (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke)

 and18h@fsu.edu                     
I am generally interested in how marine communities are adjusting and adapting to oyster reef restoration efforts done by the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative.

Chenoah DuBree, MSc. student (Advisors Dr. Jeroen Ingels and Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor)

 sdubree3@fsu.edu                      
I have broad interests when it comes to ecology, however, I have come to love benthic ecology from working in the Meiolab at FSUCML. Meiofauna are goldmines when it comes to researching ecological changes and offers many opportunities to stay flexible between studying coastal and deep-sea environments. For my current work, I will be investigating the impact of recycled water from Orange County Sanitation (OCSAN), looking into it’s affect on nematode communities. I will use DNA barcoding and taxa to determine what species live there and how that might change over the years. My hope is that this work will convince other sanitation programs to consider using nematodes and other meiofauna as bioindicators for monitoring their impact.

Emily Fuqua, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke)

 efuqua@fsu.edu 
My research interests are based in applied ecophysiology. I am interested in how anthropogenic changes to the environment, such as increasing ocean temperature and increasing anoxic zones, affect an organism’s physiology, and in turn, how physiological changes affect an organism’s behavior and ecology. My PhD research will focus on Eastern oyster health in the Apalachicola Bay system, and my goal is to assist fisheries managers and conservationists in restoring and preserving a healthy oyster population in Apalachicola Bay.                      

Morgan Hawkins, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke)

meh17d@my.fsu.edu
My research focuses on using natural and artificial chemical cues oyster larvae use to set onto a substrate, and using those cues to increase settlement rates in a hatchery setting. Using these findings, I will be able to research which techniques are optimal for restoration purposes. I hope to also explore southern bay scallops, by developing a technique to use within our own experimental hatchery to better understand their diminishing populations, ultimately finding which restorative methods are the most successful in returning a healthy number of scallops to our bay.

Joseph Horacek, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Jeroen Ingels)

hhoracek@bio.fsu.edu
I am primarily interested in the ecology of marine meiofauna, particularly metazoan meiofauna. My research at FSU primarily deals with investigating genetic and morphological connectivity between populations of meiofaunal nematodes. I am also interested in molecular ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology. Meiofauna are an important yet often under-studied component of the benthic environment. I hope my research will help elucidate the role of meiofauna in the marine ecosystems.

Emma Jackson, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Dean Grubbs)

 esj19@fsu.edu                    
My research interests include trophic dynamics and community structures related to Elasmobranchs. I am particularly interested in the influence climate change has on complex food webs and how it may change over time. Previously, I have studied the diet of sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) off the Southeast coast of the United States which has driven my interests related to trophic ecology. I also have a broad background including paleoclimatology, marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation, and biogeochemical cycling.

Harris Krasner, MSc. Student (Advisor Dr. Joel Trexler)

hjk24b@fsu.edu                         
I have a range of broad interests within aquatic and marine ecology, especially within sensitive ecosystems under threat from climate change, pollution, runoff, and chemical imbalance. I aim to explore how diverse aquatic animals respond and adapt to these changes across the food web and the ecological community. 

Jeremy Levine, MSc. student (Advisor Dr. Joel Trexler)

 jjl19g@fsu.edu                   
My research interests are broad, but I intend to conduct research in relation to oyster reef ecology.

Marty Martinez, MSc. student (Advisor Dr. Scott Burgess)

 mmartinez@bio.fsu.edu
My research interests are mainly focused on the ecology and genetics of marine invertebrates. I am currently interested in documenting the effects of environmental stress on the severity of inbreeding depression in Bugula neritina, a species of bryozoan located in the Gulf of Mexico. I have previously researched the interactions between marine microbes and carbon, sulfur, and energy cycles in the ocean.

Brian Moe, Ph.D student (Advisors Dr. Chip Cotton and Dr. Joseph Travis)

bmoe@bio.fsu.edu
My research interests are rooted in the ecology, life history, and population dynamics of elasmobranchs. My past research focused on using biphasic life‐history trade‐offs to model elasmobranch lifetime growth and to estimate mortality rates and rebound potentials (still of great interest), whereas my current research describes the age (using near-infrared spectroscopy), growth and life history patterns of deepwater sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, many of which are still poorly understood.

Bobbie Renfro, Ph.D. Candidate (Advisor Dr. Janie Wulff)

brenfro@bio.fsu.edu                          
I am generally interested in conducting research, teaching, and public outreach related to tropical marine ecology and anthropogenic disturbance. Specifically, my dissertation research explores the effects of nutrient enrichment on Caribbean reef sponges.

Simone Schuster, MSc. student (Advisors Dr. Josh Breithaupt and Dr. Austin Mast)

ses24d@fsu.edu                      
(she/they) I am interested in nutrient cycling in coastal environments, specifically coastal soils and mangroves. Growing up in Florida, I have a strong passion for the coast, and I am interested to gain more understanding of how our coastlines can help with the climate crisis. 

 Selma Squafi, MSc. student (Advisors Dr. Josh Breithaupt and Dr. Tom Miller)

sjs22f@fsu.edu                    
My research focuses on the ways that sea-level rise impacts coastal ecology in critical habitats such as wetlands.  I am currently considering how sea-level rise and inland expansion of saltwater may modify the role of aquatic animals in biogeochemical processes related to wetland surface elevation change.

Michael Wintermantel, Ph.D. student (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Don Levitan)

 mwintermantel@fsu.edu                        
My research interests focus on the organismal biology and physiology of marine organisms. I am particularly interested in larval and planktonic life-stages, and am working with the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative to help understand the challenges faced by the larvae of Eastern Oysters. I aim to understand how stress early in an oyster’s life affects its development, survival, and reproductive success as an adult. I hope to contribute my research to restoration efforts of the Bay’s ecosystems and to find a solution for future enjoyment of a healthy ecosystem and sustainable oyster fishery.

Adam Alfasso, Ph.D. Candidate (Advisor Dr. Sandra Brooke)

aca16e@my.fsu.edu

My research interests are focused on marine and aquatic ecology, and the response of communities to changing environmental factors.  I am particularly focused on predictive habitat and distribution modelling for marine fishes and coral ecosystems.  My current project is creating a habitat suitability model for mesophotic corals in the Big Bend region.  I aim to produce research that can be applied to the protection and management of at risk marine habitats.

Jenny Bueno, Ph.D. Candidate (Advisors Dr. Sandra Brooke and Dr. Sarah Lester)

 jbueno@fsu.edu                          
Jenny’s research focuses on the application of remote sensing to answer biogeographic questions of intertidal coastal systems. Her first two years focused on mapping the intertidal oyster reefs of Apalachicola Bay using unoccupied aerial systems (UAS, also known as drones). She is now a Margaret A. Davidson fellow, working on understanding the expansion of mangrove trees in the Apalachicola Bay region. Specifically, she is examining the rate at which mangroves are encroaching and their geographic differences across the bay. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Jenny earned her B.Sc. in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also worked professionally at the Illinois State Geological Survey, using remote sensing techniques to detect coastal change in lacustrine environments.