Corals Digest Their Zooxanthellae

Here's the link to the article that we discussed in class! Peruse at your own pleasure :]


Corals Digest Their Zooxanthellae

Day 2: Coastal Processes, Evening Canoe Trip

Wednesday 5/29

After an afternoon of learning about coastal processes in the classroom, we took off on a short canoe trip on Guana Lake, in the GTM NERR.  The weather was great - a little breeze kept the bugs away!

Kenneth, our intrepid guide, led us around the lake (which is brackish), and we were able to observe some of the topics we had discussed in class.

The GTM staff are active in oyster restoration.  Oyster reefs have many roles in estuarine environments - food source, habitat, water filtration, ecosystem engineers...  It's pretty cool that larval oysters prefer to settle on adult oyster shell.  There is active research along the southeast coast attempting to identify the cues these larvae are using.  I know of labs focused on both chemical cues and aural cues given off by existing reefs.  As we move through this course, I encourage you to delve into topics of interest more deeply.  Many of you have indicated that you would like to continue your education in the field beyond a bachelor's degree, and this field course should be an excellent opportunity to see what other scientists do on a daily basis and how they go about their work.  As you think about the topics covered in this course and experience them in the field, start noticing patterns and question what you see and hear.  Think about how you might go about answering these questions.  This type of thinking is the basis of biological research and is often a skill that takes time to refine.  

Some of my favorite marsh critters are fiddler crabs.  Their mating dances are entertaining to watch, and are cool because they are species-specific.  Besides this, they can process massive amounts of sediment over the course of a tidal cycle.  And, as an added bonus, their burrows increase the area of the oxic zone of marsh sediments.  If you're interested in any aspect of fiddler biology, I suggest looking up John Christy (STRI) and R. Tankersley's (FIT) work.

Hey girl, heyyy.

Hey everyone,

 My name is Kenneth Adair I am going into my Junior year at FAU in the fall and I am a Biological Science major with an emphasis on Marine Biology. I first became introduced to the marine ecosystems as a little kid through going out fishing. As I got older I began to enjoy being under water more than fishing above it. Once I started skin diving regularly I began to fall in love with reefs and the amazing diversity of organisms located on or around them. After awhile I then set up my own reef aquarium, which helped spur on my passion for sea life. I am so excited to be apart of this class and to meet some new salty friends that share a passion for the sea. Through this program and the amazing opportunities that it offers I will be able to learn more and more about various marine ecosystems throughout the great sunshine state. I am hoping that this course will help me become well suited to take on research of coral reef ecology, or produce different methods of coral gardening to help supplement and rebuild our coral reefs throughout the world which would be long term goal.

Hey everyone! my name i Jesse VanderMey and I am going into my junior year here at UNF and I am a Coastal Biology major with a minor in business. I enjoy playing all kinds of sports and play a lot of intramurals. I also play the drums every week for RUF which is one of the campus ministries here at UNF. When i heard about this trip I was immediately stoked to go because I am hoping to possibly go into a research position when i graduate and I thought this trip would give my a foretaste of what was to come. I also really enjoy fishing and think that they are pretty sweet organisms and i'm stoked to get to learn more about them. I can't wait to spend a month studying the coastline around the state!

Hey everyone!

My name is Lauren Wiley and I will be starting my sixth year here at UNF in the fall. I am finally considered a senior and will be graduating spring 2014 with a coastal biology major and a psychology minor. I was born in Tampa but I’ve lived in Jacksonville since I was 5 years old so I basically consider myself an official Jacksonvillian! Getting into my last year I need to start deciding what I’d like to start focusing my education on but there’s so many things I enjoy about biology I just can’t choose one and there's so much out there i don't even know about. So by taking this field course I’m hoping I’ll come across a topic I’m interesting in or a type of research I may want to get into to help guide me into my future. The first few days of this course have already been a lot of fun and I’m so excited to make new friends and learn loads of information throughout the summer!

Weatherbird II Tour

Here's a video tour of the FIO research vessel we will be going on during week 2:

Check out the link for more info on the R/V Weatherbird II

Hey everyone,

My name is Mike Fallar. I just finished my fist semester at UNF as a Coastal Biology major and it's been a great experience so far. I spent the first sixteen years of my life near the calm, rocky north shore of Long Island and being battered by the surf on the south shore. I moved to Florida in 2004 and a year later I set up my first marine aquarium which was an experience that led me to where I am today. I would like to get involved in coral reef restoration/conservation and marine aquaculture after I graduate. I hope to learn a lot from this course and I am grateful to all those who are making this experience possible.

Hello Everyone

Hi!
My name is Kierstin Masse and I am now a Junior at the University of North Florida. I am studying Coastal Environmental Science and I am really excited for the things we'll get to do in this course. I plan on at least going to graduate school after I get my bachelor's degree and hopefully traveling to different Universities around Florida will help me see some of the options available to me. I am a Jacksonville native, growing up only a few short miles from UNF's campus. I have always loved the outdoors and I feel very passionately about protecting it. On a side note, I like to surf and skate, though I wish I had more time for both, and have been a vegetarian  for the past 7 years.
Later,
Kierstin :)

Day 1: Big Tides

Day 1: Tuesday 5/28

It was great meeting everyone yesterday!  We covered a good amount of basic information on the Atlantic coastline and its processes.  Thanks for being active participants in the lecture/discussions.

I have lived and breathed by tidal cycles for the last 15 months of my life, literally planning vacations and scheduling my teaching load around the spring tides.  So, I thought I'd share a few cool mega-tidal events.  Dr. Smith mentioned that the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, has the largest tidal range in the world.  I found this video of the tidal bore at the Bay of Fundy.  And here's a video of the awesome tidal bore coming up the Amazon.  These events are pretty impressive when compared to the creeping flood tides experienced along some portions of the Florida coast.

Low tide in the Bay of Fundy~

Hello, my name is Jennifer Stone.  I am in this program to hopefully learn more about what all is involved in field work and to see if this is the career that I want.  I am currently in the marine biology program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. My ultimate goal is to live on a boat for a time and to study different migration patterns of marine organisms.  In addition to this course I will be doing independent research studying the species distribution and abundance of Mangroves in all four locations.  Hopefully if time permits, I can accomplish this course, along with the research, without losing my senses.

Cheers(:

Nine legged spider in scuba gear!!!!

All right everyone my name is Cody Pierson and as you can see I am a little on the eccentric side and am a big goofball. I am a junior going into my senior year at UNF (you never finish) for a degree in coastal biology and have loved every minute. I am inspired by the ocean and everything in it. I love the water and was at one point an experienced free diver. For my high school science fair my buddy and I did a project on "species diversity and richness in the east Destin Florida jetties" and it was the most awesome project ever and would have gone to state for it but I had prior engagements (we did win regional's or maybe it was county whatever). All around I just like to have a grand ole laughing time, i'm very outgoing and helpful as well so if any of you have any questions about me or anything else just ask.

A little info about your TA

Hi folks,

I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this course in it's inaugural year!  I think that we have a lot to look forward to - awesome field locations and excellent instructors at every site.  A little bit about myself: I've been involved in marine ecology for some time now - I got my start as an undergrad at The College of William and Mary working in Emmett Duffy's lab at VIMS.  I knew that I ultimately wanted to pursue a graduate degree in the field but wasn't sure where I wanted to focus my energy coming out of my undergrad years.  So, I started teaching high school in St. Johns County - mainly marine science and AP environmental science - and ended up doing that for a few more years than originally planned.  I really enjoy teaching and hope to pick up with it again in the future - just likely at the college level.  Later this summer, I will be starting a Ph.D. program in evolutionary biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette - where I'll continue to investigate larval recruitment, though my focus will be a bit more molecular than it has been for the past few years.  I'm looking forward to getting to know you all over the next few weeks!

Hi everyone!

Hi,
My name is Arien Widrick, and I am going into my sophomore year at the University of North Florida in the Coastal Biology program. I have always had a love for animals, and after earning my doctorate degree, I hope to pursue a career working with marine mammals, perhaps marine mammal rehabilitation. I'm also interested in climate change and could see myself going in that direction as well!  I think this course is a great opportunity for my future in biology, as well as finding out what types of things I enjoy the most! This picture is me from the last time I was in the Florida Keys, at the Hemingway House.

Hello Fellow Explorers!

My name is Laura LaBeur (pronounced La-burr!). I am currently a junior at Florida Atlantic University located in sunny Boca Raton. My major is Biological Sciences with a focus in marine science. I was born and raised in Sebastian, Florida. I plan on continuing my education and eventually obtaining a PhD. My topic of interest is coral reef ecology with a focus in the symbiotic relationships that occur there. I love being out on the water, whether I am on a boat, snorkeling, or surfing. I am a certified SCUBA diver and I consider it one of my many hobbies. I look forward to getting to know you all better as we journey together! It's nice to meet so many passionate individuals :)

Ta-ta for now,

Laura

About Me

Hey Guys,

My name is Jessica Smith I am currently in my senior year at University of South Florida St. Pete.  I am a biology major with an environmental science focus. I plan on getting my M.S. degree in applied environmental science.  I am a Florida native; being raised in marine  coastal environment has shaped my interests and passions to be marine focused. I am here doing my undergraduate research. My research is on biodiversity of seagrass beds and which abiotic factors may have an effect on species distribution of the grasses. Essentially I am looking to see if biodiversity is higher in mixed seagrass beds or monotypic beds, and to see if this holds true through the many locations we will be visiting. From this trip, I look forward to gaining knowledge and field experience working with the many marine ecosystems. 

Cheerio,

Jessica Smith

Hey everyone!
My name is Angelina Dichiera (pronounced dee-chair-uh, but you don't ever have to use my last name. It's too complicated-looking, right?). I am so excited about this course! I'm just now a senior in the Coastal Biology program at UNF, and I love my major! I'm not really sure what I'd like to do after I graduate...graduate school is the plan, hopefully somewhere beautiful like Hawaii. As long as my career allows me to work outside, I am positive I will be happy! I am interested in shark biology, marine mammalogy, geological oceanography, and conservation to name a few things. I'm hoping that this trip helps me gain insight and focus as to specifically what I'd like to do in the future, since I have so many ideas. I think it's going to be a great time! Oh, and also, I recently got a waterproof case for my phone, it's the best thing in the world, so you may see me take a LOT of photos throughout the trip (just a heads up)! :)

Hello,

My name is Paige Duffin and I am a student at the University of North Florida. My major is Coastal Biology, and I am going into my Junior year. I plan on getting my Graduate, but I have no idea where! I'm really interested in Environmental Science and Ecology; I found out about this trip in Dr. Hackney's Ecology lecture this spring. Right now I work in Dr. Waddel's lab at UNF doing genetic work (partnering with SEZARC) involving the Major Histocompatability Complex in White Rhinos, coding about 10 samples' worth of genomes in that region, and looking for genetic differentiation. I also do coral larvae research with Dr. Ross at UNF in the Keys every summer. Below is a picture from the trip this year :) I hope to not only learn more about the ecosystems around Florida, but make invaluable connections with professors and researchers from around the state. 

Sincerely, 

Paige Duffin 

Introductions continued

Hi Folks,
I'm one of the instructors from UNF.  I will be leading many of the first week discussions and participating in some of the other activities in the course.  Much of my research focuses on estuarine fish ecology and salt marsh ecology.  Recently I have become more active in coastal restoration work.  Courses I teach include Ichthyology, Limnology, Environmental Studies, and occasionally Marine Biology.  I am new to the world of blogging so I don't expect to be too fancy with my updates.  I can't even seem to get pictures to load correctly... : )
The best way to reach me is via email at ksmith@unf.edu.  I do not tend to check my gmail much (too much spam).  If you have general questions, of course you should check Blackboard for updates at blackboard.unf.edu
See you soon!
Kelly

Hello everyone! A bit about me....

Hi everyone!  I am one of the co-instructors for the FIO Field Studies course and ready to get the class underway.  I will be teaching week 2 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg,  the "open ocean" week where students sail out to sea to learn the sampling techniques that are conducted in the field while studying the biological, chemical, physical and geological parameters of the ecosystem.  We will be focusing on biodiversity and how it changes as we move along the continental shelf aboard the Weatherbird II.

I have been out to sea many times and so eager to share this exciting piece of field work with the students.  

The class is starting soon!

We are putting all the pieces together for a great course!  Look forward to seeing how this goes!