Final Blog and UWF Week - Alyssa Cotten

This course has been amazing and exceeded all of my expectations. I'm fairly new into my marine biology degree and have not had much experience at all, so getting to see so much of Florida along with meeting so many great students and professors was awesome. I definitely made some memories over this trip I'll never forget, and I've even started planning trip ideas to visit literally all of the places we went again. I'm so overwhelming grateful for this course and everything it came with as I feel much more prepared for a future anywhere in the marine bio world. 

That being said I wanted to point out the different locations we visited and how they all connect. I'm a little bias and was very excited to see we started in Jacksonville and ended in Pensacola as I'm from UWF, so I didn't have to make a long drive at the end of this last week. However even reflecting on the differences in landscape and ecosystem between Jacksonville and Pensacola is very intriguing. Jacksonville was a fairly flat place sitting by the Atlantic ocean. That location made the beaches very high energy which meant large rocks/sediment and rough waves constantly. Whereas Pensacola is located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and we have much calmer water and very fine sediment. Not to mention the very noticeable hilly topography as we traveled North during the week. Farthest South was the Keys. I loved it here but again it's landscape was very different than all others as we were literally on islands the whole time surrounded by the Florida Bay and Atlantic ocean. There weren't really any beaches here like other places; only short narrow sand patches or thick mangrove forests. As we traveled North to Ft. Myers the next week we did see mangrove forests again, but they were considerably smaller. Ft. Myers was beautiful with its almost always flat waves and beaches. We mainly studied the Estero Bay here which I found so interesting as we got to really see the functions and purpose the bay provides. Moving on to Tampa we didn't get to see much of the landscape as our field day was spent on the research vessel offshore. I liked the change in scenery here though as it was a shock from being so close to the beach to all of a sudden right in the middle of a busy downtown in a very large city. Lastly, our week in Pensacola was spent surveying the upper creeks and rivers and then making our way down to the bays and gulf. I learned much more than I thought I would this week and have developed a new found appreciation for our watershed system here locally. 

Overall I would do this course again in a heartbeat to gain the experience and knowledge we did. Even through the stressful and sometimes sleep deprived days I feel like it only helped push us even further into our careers. I went into this course thinking I wanted to work in coral restoration and came out with a new interest in oyster spat, watersheds, open ocean research, sea grass beds, shark research, and most importantly water quality (I will never forget how to use a YSI multimeter ever again). I still have that interest in coral, but with complete confidence I would say this course has put in perspective just how important and intriguing each part of the marine biology world is. Thank you to all of our professors for contributing and organizing this course. I will never forget this opportunity! 

Porcupinefish in Gulf Breeze captured by Barbara Albrecht 

Cushion star found during one of the snorkels in the keys

Urchin found in Bahia Honda state park via Kayley McDowell

Cute little starfish found in the keys

Small filefish leaping out of my hands during a seine net sample via Courtney Collins

Me and Dr. Judkins admiring the porcupinefish via Hannah Schwaiger

Me admiring the cutest porcupinefish for our ethograms via Hannah Schwaiger

Coquina rocks in Jacksonville

Juvenile Scalloped Hammerhead shark being measured via Courtney Collins

UWF - Final Blog - Eliannis S.

During these past five weeks we have been able to visit many of Florida’s habitats, such as mangrove forests/islands, seagrass beds, coral reefs, oyster reefs, rivers, longleaf pine savannas, and even shore bird nesting sites. All of these habitats are very different and unique, but yet still have several things in common. For example, each is home to a variety of species, some have high biodiversity and others low. Yet, for some reason the connection between these habitats that stands out the most to me, is how we humans have altered them in a negative way. We learned that seagrasses are marked by passing boats at the Keys and Vester, then we were able to actually see the markings with our own eyes using the drones at UWF. We constantly went over about how everything that we do on land affects our ocean, and we had the opportunity to see how this occurs at UWF, by visiting severals parts of rivers. Also, we were able to see how shorebirds have adapted to living on the side of a bridge that has much human activity going on, which was very strange to see. Overall, I think that this course made us more aware of the environmental issues that our planet is facing. It is one thing to hear about it on the news or during lecture in a classroom, and another to actually see it for ourselves. During our last week at UWF, we not only learned how the conditions of the ocean are affected by what goes on inland, but also how we can make a difference now and in the future. I am very thankful to have met all of the professors in this course, and to have visited the places we did and seen the things we saw.

Nelson - Final Blog Post (UWF)

FIO Grand Finale

  After an incredible five weeks, our time in the FIO course has unfortunately come to an end.  I've had the great honor of learning from a group of tremendously knowledgeable professors and my outstanding peers. With each week, regardless of the topic, I was able to learn various methods of data collection. These methods included recording both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as how to best display our findings.

During our week at UNF, I was introduced to the YSI and how to properly record and collect water quality data. While it was initially intimidating to operate, I soon felt comfortable handling that piece of equipment and calibrating it. In the Keys, I was taught how to identify a variety of species by utilizing field guides. While this skill may seem simple in retrospect, I had never had to differentiate a species based on minute physical characteristics or based on my own recollection. While staying at FGCU, I became familiar with groundwater sampling techniques. Several tools were used prior to using the YSI to analyze the quality of groundwater. This included the groundwater sampling kit, a pump, an auger, a Trimble, and a water level meter. I also became familiar with ethograms while staying at USF, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The ethograms allowed qualitative data, such as types of behavior, to become statistical pieces of data. During our week at UWF, I learned how to use a transect and how to record the percentages within it. I was also taught the importance of properly placing the transect to prevent sampling the same organisms multiple times.

After becoming familiar with a myriad of tools, I also learned how to record and display the data. Our time at UNF emphasized creating an organized data sheet format so we could later understand our findings. If the data were too messy, we were taught to transfer it onto a new clean sheet. This could only be done after writing “transcribed” onto the original document. While at USF, the importance of using an ANOVA correctly was highlighted as it indicates if there's a significant relationship in the data. This statistical test can show support for a null hypothesis, making it an important skill to know. I also learned the importance of graphically displaying data. Using the incorrect type of graph can undermine data and confuse an audience.

While these skills may seem obvious to a seasoned biologist, most of these experiences were a first for me. Learning how to operate these pieces of equipment and how to best manipulate and record data are invaluable skills that I can’t wait to use again. This course has only strengthened my passion for marine biology and motivated me to continue in this field.

Snorkeling in the Keys with a juvenile reef shark

Using a YSI in the Tolomato River

Identifying seagrass species within a transect

Best Fishes,

     Syd Brown

Week 5: UWF - Courtney Collins

Photo by: Dr. Joshua Voss
Bahia Honda State Park
Big Pine Key, FL 

Our last week of this course was spent at the University of West Florida (UWF) in Pensacola. Similarly to other weeks we spent a large portion of time learning about the local coastal environment. What made this week unique was that we ventured into the local watershed heading upstream to freshwater creeks to understand what causes the water quality issues we have discussed throughout this course. This gave me a whole new meaning to runoff. Prior to this week when I heard runoff I thought of large farms and factories causing issues but never considered apartment complexes or neighborhoods to have a large impact like they do. Dr. Caffrey and Barbara Albrecht did an amazing job at pushing all of us out of our "only saltwater" mindset to allow us to understand why the coastal areas we all love so much are suffering. Throughout this course I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and passionate members of the marine biology community like Barbara Albrecht as well as guest professors like Dr. Frank Gilliam at UWF, Dr. Melissa May at FGCU, and Dr. James Gelsleichter at UNF. 

For me this was the final course I would take before graduating from UWF with a degree in Marine Biology and found that this course really solidified what so many of my professors had told me in class. "This is important you'll use this in the future and need to know this!" and at times I will admit it was difficult to see but throughout this course I have referred back to notes, handouts, even powerpoint slides from class I had previously taken. With that being said I enjoyed how this course compiled so much of what I have learned in my undergraduate degree. Demonstrating how they are all intertwined, equally important, and the importance of collaboration. 

I am sad to see this course come to an end but am excited for what the future holds and eager to see how what I have learned in this course will continue to help me achieve my goals in the future! 

Lastly, here are a few of my favorite photos of just some of the friends I've made along the way!

Photo by: Barbara Albrecht
Gulf Island National Seashore 
Gulf Breeze, FL

Photo by: Hannah Schwaiger
Vester Marine Field Station
Bonita Springs, FL

Photo by: Courtney Collins 
Barbara Albrecht "The Butterfly Whisperer"
Walnut Hill, FL 

Photo by: Courtney Collins 
Kayley McDowell, Lexy Gabos, and Courtney Collins 
aboard the R/V Weatherbird II 

Photo by: Courtney Collins 
Flip Flop
at Navarre Sea Turtle Conservation Center
Navarre, FL

Photo by: Alyssa Cotten
Johnson Beach
Pensacola, FL 

Gabbie Nelson, Alyssa Cotten, and Courtney Collins
at the Florida Aquarium 
Tampa, FL 

Week 5 - UWF - Final Blog Post

 

Photo by: Barbara Albrecht

    This final week at UWF was really interesting and a lot different than the previous locations we went to. Unlike the other locations that had mangroves and coral, this location had bayous, carnivorous plants, and a variety of shore and seabirds. Although it was very different with its topography and orange clay, it also had many similarities with the other locations. Nearly every location we went to, including the Keys, Vester Marine lab, and USFSP there were many seagrasses. Thallassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme were the main three seagrasses seen at each sight. Before this class, I knew nothing about seagrasses, but now I realize that these seagrasses encompass a large part of Florida's ecosystems and provide habitation for many different species. For instance, many shrimp, and fish species live within the seagrasses, as well as snails and crabs. From the seine nets in Estero Bay and snorkeling in the seagrass beds at UWF, many similar species were found, for instance, the filefish that were found at the various locations. Pufferfish were also found at UWF, Estero Bay (FGCU), the Keys, and offshore on the weatherbird. Many of the same species were found in different locations depending on which life stage they were in as well. At Vester, a baby barracuda was found in a seagrass bed of turtle grass, and out in the keys there were significantly larger barracudas around mangroves and at many of the coral reef sites, we went to. Also, at the Navarre sea turtle conservation center, there was a map showing tracking of different sea turtles and I noticed many had been in the keys, then traveled up through Estero Bay, so sea turtles definitely have a large range showing how connected all of the sites are. Sharks were another species that were important at many of the locations, at UNF many of the pups were found around Pine Island in the St. Johns watershed, that would eventually go out into the Atlantic. We also saw many sharks in the keys while snorkeling and although they were different species of sharks the ones caught at UNF, the hammerhead, and sandbar sharks are also still within that range. The discussion of sharks was also brought up at UWF when graduate and undergraduate students showing their sea turtle research took note that every time a shark was spotted at a dive site, no sea turtles were found, which I found to be a really interesting connection. 

    There were also connections between the research methods used, seine nets were used at both UNF and FGCU Vester to take a biodiversity count of estuary sites. Snorkeling and identifying different plant, coral, and fish species were also done at many of the locations. Using identification field guides for invertebrates and vertebrates was also done at every site which has definitely helped me in knowing many of the native Florida species that are common. A YSI was also used at nearly every site to take water quality data, except on the weatherbird when a CTD was used to take data at various depths. Overall, this experience has helped me to understand Florida's ecosystems at different points as well as what similarities exist around Florida's coast. 

Photo by Heather Judkins

Photo by Hannah Schwaiger

Photo by Karen Asplund

UWF- Jess Marquis

 It is crazy that this course is now over, it has been a fun five weeks. This past week we spent at UWF looking at the local watersheds. It was interesting watching Barb interact with people we met and how her connections made it so we could see some rivers on private property. These locations were quite beautiful and due to them being on private property, it meant these locations rarely have human foot traffic. This week highlighted the connections between the watershed and the ocean. I know that pollution and runoff is bad for the environment, but this week we actually got to see the impacts in person.