Over the last few weeks, the Florida State University community has come together to grieve, to reflect, and to support one another like never before.  This weekend, we will come together in celebration as we recognize students walking in the spring commencement.  In the words of FSU President Richard McCullough, “These ceremonies will be a powerful reminder of what we share as a community: strength, compassion, and hope for the future.”  We are excited to celebrate one of our undergraduate students, Erin Tilly, as she walks the stage this weekend.

Just like that, 2024 is coming to a close! We have two spectacular graduate students from the Breithaupt lab walking the stage during FSU’s winter commencement – Rachel Biton and Selma Squafi. Both will receive their Master’s – congratulations! We can’t wait to see the impact you will make in your future endeavors. Read on to learn about their time at FSU and where they are headed next.

Jenny Bueno, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geography, just published a new paper on "The application of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) for monitoring intertidal oyster density and abundance." Below is a quick synopsis about her research, but here full paper is Open Access and can be read HERE.

Dr. Sandra Brooke, Dr. Josh Breithaupt, and Dr. Dean Grubbs were among the many scientists who contributed to the "Results and Impacts of the First Decade of the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program" report. This report covers a variety of fields and projects within Florida in the aftermath of the BP Horizon Oil Spill.

Erin is an undergraduate student that has been conducting research in Dr. Breithaupt’s lab. Erin has been chosen to represent FSU and her undergraduate Honors in the Major project at the 2024 ACC Meeting of the Minds at Notre Dame in April!

When Dr. Breithaupt joined the FSU Coastal & Marine Lab he was surprised to learn that there were mangroves in the area. Like many, he shared the perception that mangroves weren’t found north of Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Much of his previous research has explored the importance of carbon in mangrove ecosystems, particularly the soils. So, when Dr. Steinmuller* joined Dr. Breithaupt’s lab as a Postdoctoral Scholar in August of 2021, one of the first projects they tackled was the question of how mangrove replacement of local saltmarshes might affect soil carbon storage in the Apalachicola Bay region.

Dr. Joshua Breithaupt joins the FSUCML faculty and the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative research team in studying the Bay and is poised to develop both restoration and management plans to support its recovery.