Past Students
Kim Taplin
Thesis Title: Evaluation of Competitive Interactions between Halodule wrightii and Caulerpa prolifera in the Indian River Lagoon
Date of Graduation: August 2001
Current Status: Regional Project
Manager, South Florida Restoration,
Karen Berresford
Thesis Title: The Role of Predation in Determining the Recruitment of Infaunal Bivalves Including Hatchery Spawned Hard Clams, Mercenaria mercenaria
Date of Graduation: October 2001
Current Status: Project Planner,
Erin McDevitt
Thesis Title: Age, Growth, and
Mortality of Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris) in
Date of Graduation: February 2003
Current Status:
Michelle Reiber
Thesis Title: Effects of light reduction on competitive interactions between Halodule wrightii (a seagrass) and Caulerpa prolifera (a macroalga)
Date of Graduation: May 2002
Current Status: Supervising Regulatory Scientist, St. Johns River Water Management District, Palm Bay Field Office
Bryan Cheaveau
Thesis Title: A comparison of Epibenthic Communities Among Three Concrete Artificial Reefs and Two Nearby Natural Rock Reefs off Sebastian Inlet, Florida
Date of Graduation: July 2003
Current Status: Hydrographer, NOAA,
Michelle Parr
Thesis Title: Management Recommendations for Exotic and Nuisance Plant Species Control in a Disturbed Maritime Hammock Community at the EEL Program's Pepper Cover Barrier Island Ecosystem Center, Brevard County, Florida
Date of Graduation: December 2003
Current Status: Project Scientist II, Environmental Services, Inc., Jacksonville, FL
Becky Raves
Thesis Title: Influence of Seagrass Density and Substrate Type on the Propagation and Growth of Caulerpa prolifera
Date of Graduation: December 2003
Current Status: Natural Resources Biologist III, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Felix Morales
Dissertation Title: Genetic Structure of the Queen Conch in the Intra Americas Sea
Date of Graduation: May 2004
Current Status: Professor of
Biology, Universidad de Zulib,
Elesha Goodfriend
Thesis Title: The Effects of Turbidity as Influenced by Phytoplankton and Suspended Sediments on the Foraging of Juvenile Red Drum
Date of Graduation: July 2005
Current Status: Supervisor, City of
Palm Bay Water Quality
Nancy Sloan
Thesis Title: Burial Tolerances of
Date of Graduation: July 2005
Current Status: Enrolled in Ph.D. program at Florida Tech
Jaime Zsiros
Thesis Title: Potential Competitive Interactions between the Nonindigenous Macroalga Caulerpa brachypus and the Endemic, Threatened Seagrass Halophila johnsonii in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida
Date of Graduation: December 2005
Current Status: Regulatory Scientist, St. Johns River Water Management District
Morgan Le Lay
Thesis Title: The Effect of Quantity and Spectral Quality of Light on Halodule wrightii and Caulerpa prolifera
Date of Graduation: December 2005
Current Status: Staff Hydrologist, Contractor – Environmental Quality, Inc., Water Use Regulation Division, South Florida Water Management District
Heather Holberger
Thesis Title: The Effects of Freshwater Canal Discharges on Growth and Mortality of American Oysters, Crassostrea virginica, in the St. Lucie Estuary, Florida
Date of Graduation: May 2006
Current Status: Supervisor, Oyster Restoration Project, Florida Oceanographic Society
Cheryl Fossani
Internship Project Title: 2006 Dune and Berm Reconstruction Project, Brevard County, Florida
Date of Graduation: August 2006
Current Status: Project Manager, National Science Foundation, Ocean Sciences
Robert Gorecki
Thesis Title: A comparison of sandy versus rocky
surf-zone fish assemblages along the east central coast of
Date of Graduation: May 2007
Current Status: Fisheries Scientist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Greg Delfosse
Thesis Title: Short and Long-term Variation in Ghost
Crab Burrow Abundance and Size in
Date of Graduation: December 2007
Current Status: Environmental Scientist, EW Consultants
Carolyn Malphurs
Internship Project Title: Enhancement of the Management Plan for Vertebrate Commensal Species of Gopher Tortoise Burrows within the Victoria Park Preserve
Date of Graduation: December 2007
Current Status: Biologist I, Miller Legg Environmental Consulting
James Clay Backus
Thesis Title: Comparison of Acoustic and Optical Methods for Benthic Surveys and Monitoring in Low Visibility Environments
Date of Graduation: May 2008
Current Status: Environmental/Coral Recovery and Enhancement Specialist, Resolve Marine Group, Inc.