Full Program

Photos

Oral Presentations

• Water Quality in the Guana Estuary: From Monitoring to Management , Nikki Dix, Ph.D., GTM Research Reserve

• Denitrification and the Fate of Nitrogen in the Guana Estuary , Ashley Smyth, Ph.D., University of Florida

• Mussels and Oysters in the Guana River , Hallie Fischman, University of Florida

• Current and Future Threats to Water Quality in the Guana Estuary and Looking Forward for Solutions, AJ Reisinger, Ph.D., University of Florida

• Rakes and Roots: Exploring the Roles of Altered Hydrology and Nitrogen Cycling in Sustaining the Coastal Wetlands of Northeast Florida , Samantha Chapman, Ph.D., Villanova University

• Climate Change-Induced Shift in Mangrove Ranges Drives Above and Belowground Changes to Salt Marsh Habitat , Tess Adgie, Villanova University

• Recruitment of American Eels (Anguilla rostrata) to a Northeast Florida Estuary: Effects of a Changing Climate on Early Life History , Eric Johnson, Ph.D., University of North Florida

• Environmental DNA-Based Wildlife Monitoring and Human Effluent Quantification at the GTM Research Reserve, David Duffy, Ph.D., University of Florida, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience & Sea Turtle Hospital

Poster Presentations Session 1

• Biomonitoring for Estuarine Health: Developing a DNA Metabarcoding Toolkit for Assessing Changing Plankton Communities, Ashley Reaume, University of Central Florida

• Changes in Algal Biomass and Phytoplankton Community Composition Due to Persistence and Abundance of Aquatic Biota Geukensia demissa in Estuarine Ecosystems, Donovan Mitchell, University of Florida

• Effects of Hurricanes on Oyster Rakes and the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus), Amber Marquette, Flagler College

• Enterococci in Saint Johns County Coastal Waters: Site Comparison, Diurnal Variability, and Environmental Impacts, Jacqueline Balzell, Flagler College

• Establishing geohistorical baselines for oyster body size within the Guana River: A Paleoecological Approach, Jaleigh Pier, Cornell University

• First-Year Eastern Oyster Settlement on the Novel Pervious Oyster Shell Habitat Along Two Energetic Shorelines in Northeast Florida, Hunter Mathews, University of North Florida

• Friendly Freeloaders: Observing Coastal Gopher Tortoise Activity Patterns & Commensal Activity Using Wildlife Trailcams at the GTM Research Reserve, Abigail Belchior, Flagler College

• Identifying Hot Spots and Hot Moments of Denitrification in the Guana Estuary, Jenna Reimer, University of Florida

• Investigating the Response of Epiphytic Microorganisms to Nutrient Enrichment Using eDNA Metabarcoding, Anne Hurley, University of North Florida

• MACROINVERT: Macroinvertebrate Assortment in Communities Regularly Overlooked; Investigating Nymph Variance and Endurance in Retention pond Territories, Abigail Belchior, Flagler College

• Marine Observations of Green Sea Turtles (MOST) GoPro Footage in Comparison to DSLR Cameras, Cecilia Kujawa, Flagler College

• Monitoring Marsh Sediment Deposition with Ceramic Settlement Tiles in the GTM Research Reserve During Hurricane Ian, Jacob Berna, GTM Research Reserve

• Pollutant Exposure in GTM Research Reserve Sharks, James Gelsleichter, Ph.D., University of North Florida

• Princess Place Preserve Phytoplankton Project: Comparison of Phytoplankton Biodiversity and Density of Ditched and Non-Ditched Saltmarsh, Gwenyth Evans, Flagler College

• Project Sentinel: A Rapidly Deployable Platform to Study Wind, Hydrodynamic, and Biochemical Conditions on the Beach During Extreme Storms, Brian Phillips, Ph.D., University of Florida

Poster Presentations Session 2

• Assessment of Bivalve Filtration Rates and Associated Ecosystem Services for the Guana Estuary in Northeast Florida, Kristie Perez, University of Florida

• Collaborative Science, Heritage, and Working with Descendent Communities, Sarah Miller, Florida Public Archaeology Network

• Dissolved Organic Matter Spectra Profiling in the San Sebastian River, Olivia Hrymoc, Flagler College

• Drone Surveys of Marine Megafauna in the Atlantic Ocean, Taylor Raycroft, Flagler College

• Exploring the Vulnerability of Coastal Wetlands to Nutrient Pollution at the Marsh-Mangrove Ecotone, Morgan Mack, Villanova University

• Marina Observation of Sea Turtles (MOST): Establishing a Database of North Florida Green Sea Turtles, Leslie Palmer, Flagler College

• Marine Primary Productivity in the Matanzas River Estuary: Comparison of Methods and Sites, Olivia Husik, Flagler College

• Salt marsh Restoration Techniques That Reuse Dredged Sediment and Protect Coastal Community Infrastructure in Northeast Florida, Jennifer Sagan, WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure 

• School Size & Age Range Distribution of Gray Snapper at Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor, Wyatt Starr, Flagler College

• Searching for the Source: Fecal Indicator Bacteria in the San Sebastian River and West Saint Augustine, Monica Maldonado, Flagler College

• Sediment nitrogen cycling and phytoplankton nutrient limitation in an urbanizing estuary, Justina Dacey, University of Florida

• Student Scientists: Creating Programs to Mirror Research, Josephine Spearman, GTM Research Reserve

• The Effect of Environmental Factors on Movement Patterns and Habitat Use of Young of Year Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna lewini) in the Tolomato River Nursery, Matthew Bernanke, University of North Florida

• The Effects of Nutrient Enrichment in a Marsh-Mangrove Ecotone: Will Excess Nitrogen and Geomorphic Position Alter Ecosystem Structure and Processes? Jocelyn Bravo, Villanova University

• Tracking Rehabilitated Juvenile Green Sea Turtles: Proving Navigational Understanding, Josalyn Gomez, Flagler College