News at FSUCML

Suitability of Free-Living Marine Nematodes as Bioindicators: Status and Future Considerations


Ph.D. student Aaron Ridall has published his first paper in Frontiers in Marine Science journal!! Co-authored by advisor, Dr. Jeroen Ingels, they focused on the role of nematodes as bioindicators across the globe and identified the patchiness regarding their use. They also highlighted future directions they’d like to see addressed in the field of marine nematology with a special emphasis on understanding nematodes' responses to microplastics pollution.

R/V Apalachee Undergoes Biannual Maintenance


A couple months ago, Captain Matt Edwards and small boat technician Lance Crum took FSUCML’s Research Vessel (R/V) on the Intracoastal Waterway to Miller Marine in Panama City to undergo its biannual hull inspection, cleaning, and maintenance. From fresh paint to cleaning sea valves to fixing broken toilets, the R/V received an overhaul in all aspects of the ship! Check out the pictures below to learn more:

Navigational tools: Sharks use Earth’s magnetic fields to find their way home


Recent PhD graduate, Bryan Keller, is the lead scientist on new research finding that sharks likely use the Earth’s magnetic fields to help guide them on their migrations. Keller specifically examined a group of bonnethead sharks that spend the summer off the coast of the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab, before migrating south for the winter. Other populations of bonnetheads have been shown to undertake migrations over 1000 km roundtrip. The team’s work is published in the latest issue of Current Biology

FSUCML Researchers Tag 7 Large Sawfish in Three Days in Everglades National Park!


The FSUCML sawfish research team recently completed their first tagging trip of 2021. Consisting of FSUCML faculty member Dr. Dean Grubbs, FSU graduate students Ashley Dawdy and Blake Hamilton, and UNF graduate student Kristin Palmrose from Dr. Jim Gelsleichter’s lab, the team successfully tagged 7 large endangered smalltooth sawfish over three days.

Mercury on the Rise in Goliath Grouper


A new study led by former FSUCML graduate student Dr. Chris Malinowski (Dr. Felicia Coleman and Dr. Chris Koenig’s lab) investigates the health and reproductive consequences of mercury toxicity on Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara). This newly published paper builds off of their two previous manuscripts: one on spatial mercury patterns in Goliath Grouper off the coasts of Florida (2019) and the other a baseline health assessment of Goliath Grouper (2020).

Community Ecologist Dr. Andrew Shantz Dives into Work at FSUCML 


After a year of conducting research amidst a global pandemic, life at the FSUCML has continued to adapt, allowing new research to flourish and new faces to join our faculty and staff. The newest member of the lab is Dr. Andrew Shantz, joining the FSUCML faculty and the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative research team.

The Movements of Bonefish


Dr. Grubbs co-authored a new paper using acoustic telemetry to describe movements of bonefish from spawning areas to adult home ranges in Andros, Bahamas. The work highlights the role marine protected areas, such as a marine national park, can play in conserving economically important species.