Welcome Grad Students! On Friday, September 6th FSUCML hosted Grad Night at the lab. New graduate students for the fall semester were invited to the lab for dinner and an overnight stay. On Friday night the students got a chance to meet each other and returning graduate students. The marine lab faculty and staff were also on hand to greet the new students. On Saturday morning, Dr. Dean Grubbs took the new students on a pontoon boat tour and trawl of the coastal area around the lab. Returning graduate student Zach Boudreau and FSUCML Associate Director Mary Balthrop assisted Dr. Grubbs.

Dr. Felicia Coleman and Dr. Christopher Koenig, accompanied by grad student Chris Malinowski, are onboard the RV Walton Smith (the ship after which the R/V Apalachee was modeled) conducting research in Pulley’s Ridge and the Tortugas, 350 miles from Miami, where the cruise set sail. The objectives are to determine the density of red grouper in selected sites, and to determine whether fish living here are related to fish turning up in coastal sites like Florida Bay.

One of the ECSC's main educational tools includes the training and the dissemination of specific Knowledge and skill based competencies for all student participants. From August 4-9th, these students participated and completed their 2013 Center-Wide Core Competency Course at the marine lab.

Researchers from the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab and the University of North Florida returned to port on August 5th after completing the maiden extended day voyage aboard the Research Vessel Apalachee. The purpose of the trip was to study deep sea fish communities of the northern Gulf of Mexcio and examine these organisms for exposure to and metabolism of toxins that may be related to the Deepwater Horizon oil blowout.

On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory welcomed 50 students and staff from the Taylor County 4-H Club. Their day began with a lecture on Dr. William Herrnkind's curriculum on salt water marine habitat and sea life found in the Gulf of Mexico in the Big Bend Area. From there a trip to the greenhouse with wet tables in which they got to interact with various marine species with instruction from Dr. Stephen Gosnell.

On Saturday, May 25, 2013, students from Chiefland High School and Bronson High School visited the lab under the GEAR UP program. GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a grant that was developed to prepare low-income students in grades seven through twelve for postsecondary education. It sets rigorous academic standards to ensure higher rates of college attendance in these underprivileged students.

The time has come! Last week the Deep-C team picked up the sailbuoy, recently named "ArgoKnot", after its two month long journey in the Gulf of Mexico. Read the blog to discover the meaning behind the sailbuoy's newly-appointed name. "ArgoKnot" had a purpose to its sailing journey and that was to measure and record temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Although it had a few stalls, having to fight some strong wind, currents, and waves, along the way, it made great progress and followed fairly closely to its predetermined path. This project serves as a trial for future sailbuoy projects. Scientists who worked on the "ArgoKnot" hope to install additional sensors and record more extensive data about the Gulf. They hope that in the unfortunate event of another oil spill, that a sailbuoy will prove an invaluable tool for monitoring the evolution of the surface spill. See the complete journey of "ArgoKnot" here.

On Thursday, May 2, 2013 new post-doctoral associate, Dr. Stephen Gosnell, participated in the Tallahassee School of Arts and Sciences' Science Night. Presenters came and set up tables and presentations for students and their parents interested in variable science topics. The audience ranged from kindergarten students to middle-school students. Despite the rain, there was a great turnout and everyone had a fantastic time. Amy Akridge, a science resource teacher, noticed a group at the end of the night exclaiming, "We love Science Night!" We are thrilled that Dr. Gosnell could be a part of inspiring such enthusiasm in young students.

Dr. Sandra Brooke is setting sail with NOAA to further explore the submarine canyons between Charleston, SC and Norfolk, VA. In 2010, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA funded a four-year project to conduct multidisciplinary research that will be used to manage canyon ecosystems.