Recently, President John Thrasher, First Lady Jean Thrasher, VP for Research Gary Ostrander and his wife, Frances Ostrander visited our lab to take a tour of the facilities, meet faculty and staff, and go on a scenic boat ride aboard our flagship research vessel, the R/V Apalachee. Also in attendance were members of our Board of Trustees: Chairman, Jim Muller of Muller & Associates, Ed Mansouri of Ucompass, and attorney Tommy Warren.

The day started with a tour of the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Lab’s facilities, led by our director, Dr. Felicia Coleman. The tour included visitation of our fresh seawater tanks; necropsy room filled with a wide array of species archived in jars; and Dr. Dean Grubbs’ lab where his grad students discussed their research into various species of sharks, specifically, a bonnethead shark on which they were collecting data.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on a gorgeous ride aboard our flagship vessel, the R/V Apalachee, captained by the experienced, Ephey Priest. President Thrasher and guests met with our research faculty Dr. Chip Cotton, Dr. Dean Grubbs, and Dr. Sandra Brooke and heard fascinating stories describing their work at the lab. Dr. Gary Ostrander met with our new Dive Safety Officer, Chris Peters, who shared personal tales of his diving experience and adventures. First Lady Jean Thrasher bonded with our Dive Technician, Dionne (Dee) Wilson, and presented Dee with a lovely, golden FSU pendant.

Also discussed was the lab’s growing need to expand our research facilities and plans for new development, for which President Thrasher offered his full support! We are so honored by the visit from our President John Thrasher, First Lady Jean Thrasher, VP for Research Gary Ostrander and his wife, Frances Ostrander. It was a delightful day with our guests and board members on the coast and at sea!