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.
Rachel Biton successfully defended her Master’s thesis in August - "Investigating Regional-Scale Differences in the Physical Structure of Mangroves at an Expanding Range Limit in Northern Florida". Her research aimed to identify and document the abundance and the physical structure of two resident mangrove species Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans across five sites near range limits in the northern Gulf of Mexico. She also investigated if differences in regional nutrient availability explained the variation in mangrove height and abundance by quantifying foliar stoichiometry of organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). Lastly, air temperature loggers were initially deployed to test for spatial heterogeneity in winter temperatures, but the unexpected occurrence of severe winter storm Elliot in December 2022, provided the opportunity to analyze spatial variability of freezing temperatures during the event.
Rachel was the recipient of the FSUCML Board of Trustees Graduate Student Research Fund through the Coastal & Marine Conservation Graduate Student Award, which provided a summer research assistantship at the marine lab. She also received support from the Robert K. Godfrey Endowment for the Study of Botany which supported her field work and the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Student Travel Award and the Congress of Graduate Students Conference Travel Award, which funded her conference travels. She also was supported by the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program (FLRACEP) which helped support her work for a full year. She has made countless memories over the past two years, from successfully defending her thesis to traveling to Portland and connecting with other wetland scientists she’s admired for years. However, one of her favorite memories was a day in the field at Pilot’s Cove with advisor, Dr. Josh Breithaupt, and their entire lab. They spent the day trekking through the mud, surrounded by mangroves, discussing research – it was an unforgettable experience.
Since defending her thesis, Rachel has moved back up north to be closer to home. She is working remotely to finish her thesis and working towards submission for publication. In the meantime she is applying for positions in the coastal wetland research field.
Selma will also walk the stage and receive her Master’s due to dissertation work – “Investigating Spatiotemporal Variation of Organic Carbon Density within Coastal Sand Dunes at Saint George Island, FL, USA.” Her research examined organic carbon density across coastal dunes by predicting carbon content using data from previous years on elevation, moisture content, organic matter, nitrogen, and dry bulk density.
In between conducting her research and writing her thesis, Selma also worked as a Teaching Assistant, for which she was nominated for the 2023 – 24 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. One of her favorite memories of the her time at FSU was showcasing the Breithaupt Lab’s work at the FSUCML Open House this past year! She also loved the fieldtrips taken during her Wetlands course in FSU’s Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences college.
After graduation she is traveling to Paris for two weeks as a well-deserved graduation present to herself! Upon her return she will apply for jobs in the Central and South Florida area. Bon voyage and congratulations again to Rachel and Selma! J