Your Company or Organization
University of South Alabama/Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Your Organization Type
Student

Phone
7038958827

Biographical sketch
I am a second year Ph.D. student in Ronnie Baker's lab at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. I completed my B.S. in Environmental Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where I studied fish sound production. I completed my M.S. in Marine Sciences at Savannah State University, under the guidance of Dr. Carla Curran. My thesis revolved around tracking Atlantic stingrays using acoustic telemetry to study seasonal changes in their habitat use. Between completing my M.S. and starting my Ph.D., I worked as a marine science outreach instructor in the D.C. area, then as a biological scientist for FL FWC identifying ideal habitats for the release of hatchery reared red drum and speckled seatrout. I am currently using acoustic telemetry to track red drum around man made structures such as restored shorelines and floating oyster farms. I am studying these movements through ontogeny, including young of year fish previously too small to be considered trackable, and I am integrating the results of my movement study with diet analyses in order to describe the functional value of specific microhabitats. My career goal is to research out of an institution like the Baltimore Aquarium or the Smithsonian (or be a VEMCO product tester, haha), and I love mentoring students, so I am looking forward to being an advisor in my own capacity.

When I am not researching, I am the dedicated pet parent of a small zoo: dog, cat, snake, lizard. I am a voracious reader, devouring books across many genres; I love horror movies and just started my own horror movie review Twitter; and I paint D&D miniatures.

I'm interested in
Attending
Presenting a 12-minute oral presentation

Which which tracks are you most interested in attending
Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Living Marine Resources

1. Healthy Coastal Ecosystems - Shorelines (Oral) - 01 Dec, 2020