Aquaculture

This program focuses primarily on research and training in the culture of marine shrimp and tilapia. A series of seminars and short courses, as well as literature reviews, identify research needs in the field, which are then addressed by organized expansion of the facilties.

Chemistry

Studies address the design and development of chemical instrumentation and methodologies employed in the measurement of industrial and environmental samples. The major emphasis is on methods employing spectroscopic techniques. This includes the development of software and determination of physical constants associated with the chemical analyses. Currently the emphasis is on the spectroscopic measurement of oceanic pH. Other constituents are also being investigated that can be tied into the same instrumentation package.

Coral Growth Rate

The growth rate of corals is preserved in the form of annual growth bands (visible by X-radiography) in the coral skeleton. Corals can grow to large size and reach ages greater than 100 years. Applications of a long chronology of coral growth rings include reconstruction of past climate changes or of environmental factors that have influenced reef health over long periods.

Coral Reef Assessment and Restoration

Method development and applications are currently being studied to better describe and assess coral reefs. Many of these important geological structures are currently under severe stress from natural and man-induced perturbations. Pollution investigations include evaluation of effects of ship groundings, oil spills, and beach renourishment dredging. These studies have implications for the protection and restoration of coral reefs.

Fishes

Diverse research studies on fishes are currently underway, including natural history, functional morphology, larval fish recruitment, artificial reef functions, stress response in elasmobranchs, and aquaculture. This research is both applied and basic in nature.

Macrobenthic Community Ecology

Current studies examine the effects of dredging and beach renourishment on estuarine and coastal soft-bottom communities of marine invertebrates, and provide a baseline for understanding spatial and longterm temporal variations in community composition and diversity.

Marine Chemistry/Biochemical Oceanography

Method development and applications are currently being studied to Features studies on the dynamics of dissolved carbohydrates in the sea and their relationship with the microbial plankton in local waters and the open ocean. Marine bacteria are an extremely important, but little understood, group. Valuable baseline data are being collected for understanding of the oceanic ecosystem. Techniques for determining primary production by the oxygen method also are being investigated.

Marine Mammals

Annotated referenced marine mammal projects will be accepted for capstone paper credit. This includes a full survey of all relevant literature on the management, physiology, functional anatomy, and intra- and interspecific interactions of cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenids, and polar bears.

Marine Microbial Ecology

Studies focus on the ecology of the eukaryotic microbes (the protists) that play a major role in the cycling of carbon and nutrients in coastal waters. One group in particular, the amoeboid protozoa, are being investigated because these inconspicuous protists are often overlooked in ecological studies. Current research areas include the design of effective enumeration methods for amoebae, elucidation of their ecological role, and the identification of novel isolates.

Molecular Marine Biology

Molecular techniques are being applied to study the ecology, population biology, and evolution of aquatic organisms. The structure and function of specific genes in marine organisms and their molecular-level adaptations to environmental conditions are being investigated.

Paleoceanography

Studies related to biomineralization, fossil microfauna, and paleoclimate reconstruction. Biomineralization studies utilizing electron microscopy are related to calcification in marine invertebrates. Examination of marine microfauna in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay are current focuses. Paleoclimate studies utilizing floral and faunal assemblages have included reconstruction on time scales from the Pleisocene to the last century.

The Role of Man in the Environment

Studies are underway to deal with the potential impacts of human population growth in the coastal southeastern United States. Research includes restoration ecology, fisheries, impact abatement in estuaries, aquaculture, and the linking of science, policy, and management.

Sea Turtle Conservation

The Broward County sea turtle project provides for the conservation and improved understanding of endangered and threatened loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles. During the nesting season, beaches are surveyed, and most nests are carefully excavated and moved to designated relocation sites, primarily in order to prevent hatchling loss due to their disorientation by coastal lights on highly urbanized beaches.

Systematics and Ecology of Crinoidea

Crinoids have a long fossil record and remain important components of many deep and shallow marine environments. Current studies use stalked crinoids, or sea lilies, as models for better understanding the ecology and taphonomy of their ancient counterparts. Systematic investigations of both sea lilies and unstalked crinoids, or feather stars, attempt to better understand both their phylogeny and the relationship between form and environmental conditions.

Tropical Marine Biodiversity

Amphipod crustaceans are the dominant mesobenthic component in reef systems worldwide. Their poorly known taxonomic status constrains their use in more sophisticated ecological investigations. Amphipods are important micrograzers and converters of organic material and are a primary prey source for fish. The interaction of the mesobenthic community regulates a number of trophodynamic processes in reefs, the exact mechanisms of which are poorly understood. This research module is intended to advance the level of knowledge in amphipod taxonomy and systematics and to explore the processes and dynamics of the mesobenthic coral reef community.

Wetlands

Wetlands research centers around mitigation, a process of creating or restoring wetlands to compensate for losses due to rock mining or various types of development. Researchers study freshwater and estuarine wetlands to evaluate the productivity and ecology of natural versus created/restored habitats. Results of thie research continue to be important to understanding the proper use and management of our wetlands.

Click on the to see a faculty member's publications.

Curtis Burney (Ph.D., University of Rhode Island) : A marine ecologist studying the relationship of dissolved nutrients and marine microbes, especially bacteria, on which marine food chains ultimately depend.

Richard Dodge (Ph.D., Yale University) : A marine biogeologist concentrating on coral reefs and constituent reef-building corals to understand and assess the effects of pollution and climatic change.

Edward Keith (Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz) : A marine mammalogist investigating the conservation, ecology, physiology, and population status of marine mammals in Florida and Mexico, and the current threats to their survival. Also conducts biochemical research with undergraduates at the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences.

Charles Messing (Ph.D., University of Miami) : An invertebrate zoologist studying the ecology and systematics of crinoids as well as macroinvertebrate communities.

Bernhard Riegl (Ph.D., University of Capetown) : A marine biogeologist concentrating on coral reefs and reef-building corals, spatial ecology, remote sensing, and hydrographic surveying.

Andrew Rogerson (Ph.D., University of Stirling, U.K.) : A marine ecologist specializing in the ecology of eukaryotic microbes (the protists) in cycling of carbon and nutrients in coastal water, particularly the amoeboid protozoa.

Mahmood Shivji (Ph.D., University of Washington) : A marine biologist and conservation geneticist using a combination of molecular genetic approaches and field ecological techniques to investigate various aspects of the biology, ecology and conservation of marine organisms. Areas of research interest include conservation biology, assessment of genetic biodiversity, molecular evolution, molecular ecology, and population biology.

Richard Spieler (Ph.D., Louisiana State University) : : An ichthyologist studying fish chronobiology, artificial reefs, and habitat assessment.

James Thomas (Ph.D., Florida Institute of Oceanography) : A marine invertebrate taxonomist studying the systematics, distributional ecology, and ecology of coral reef amphipods. Especially interested in evolutionary scenarios of marine invertebrates as they relate to identifying centers of evolutionary diversification in coral reef systems worldwide.