Coastal Biology Flagship 2006-Present

Coastal Biology Flagship 2006-Present

Coastal Biology Resources Vessels & Equipment Vehicles

Current Coastal Biology Research – Seagrass and Coral Stress – Dr. Cliff Ross – Shark Biology – Dr. Jim Gelsleichter – Fisheries Biology- Dr. Eric Johnson – Marine Mammal Behavior – Dr. Quincy Gibson – Toxicology in the Coastal Environment – Dr. Jim Gelsleichter – Oyster Restoration – Dr. Kelly Smith – Long-term study of climate change and the estuary – Dr. Nikki Dix – American Eel Immigration – Drs. Hackney, Johnson, Smith and Dix.

Deepwater Horizon Research Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, Associate Professor, and his research team are working with scientists from FSU and others to study the fate of oil and other toxic materials on deep water sharks.

Oyster Habitat Restoration Dr. Kelly Smith and her students are working with the Friends of Guana-Tolmato-Matanzas National Estuarine Reserve to restore oyster reefs in the Reserve.

Seagrass and Coral Stress Studies Dr. Cliff Ross (Biology) and Dr. Amy Lane (Chemistry) lead a team each spring to the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Dr. Ross’s team studies stress on seagrass and corals and Dr. Lane’s students are looking at natural products from marine plants and animals that might be useful to people.

St. Johns River Dolphins Dr. Gibson and her research team have been studying dolphins in the St. Johns River for over four years and have found a population that lives in the river yearround with some unique behaviors.

Exotic Species Invasion Lionfish Dr. Johnson and his lab have been working with the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to understand how this exotic species is impacting important recreational fish species. He and his students travel to Lionfish roundups around the state assisting organizers and collecting specimens for study

American Eels – Larval Immigration Drs. Kelly Smith, Eric Johnson, Nikki Dix and Courtney Hackney. Each winter (December- February) Coastal Biology students and faculty spend very cold nights catching glass eels as they make their way across the Guana Lake weir (leaky dam). Funded by NOAA, through the DEP, the study is in its 14th year and will ultimately be used to determine the status of the species along the Atlantic Coast.

UNF/GTM-NERR Research Education & Research Dr. Nikki Dix –Assistant Research Professor and GTM-NERR Research Coordinator Dr. Dix coordinates research for NOAA under a DEP contract at the NERR site, which includes oyster habitat for nesting oyster catchers, sea level rise impacts and plankton studies.

UNF/GTM-NERR Research Research Dr. Nikki Dix –Assistant Research Professor and GTM-NERR Research Coordinator Dr. Dix coordinates long-term monitoring at the NERR where determining changes in marsh plant growth requires an array of monitoring equipment that is maintained year round. The required data is used to determine subtle changes that occur over decades

GTM/NERR Education

Student Opportunities Every faculty member discussed today engages students in their research either through Transformational learning Opportunity (TLOs) classes or Directed Independent Study (DIS) classes. UNF has taken the lead in developing courses in concert with other state universities, which expands hands-on knowledge in Coastal/Marine Science. The first course, Field Studies in Marine Biology, provides our undergraduate students with experience in Coastal/Marine science around the state and in the open Gulf of Mexico. A graduate class and a summer class for Middle and High School Marine Science Educators is currently in the developmental stages.

FUTURE? Great need for additional faculty in Coastal/Marine Science subjects to accommodate a growing Coastal/Marine Science student population. GTM-NERR/UNF Partnership could potentially provide an on-thewater lab and research facilities. One of the primary Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) ocean-going vessels used by UNF faculty and students, R/V Bellows, is going out of service in December. Hopefully, a replacement designed and proposed last year will be funded and available within a couple of years. Additional classes in Coastal subjects will be implemented through the FIO in the next few years.