Coastal Biology Flagship
2006-Present
Coastal Biology Resources
Vessels & Equipment
Vehicles
Current
Coastal Biology Research
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Seagrass and Coral Stress – Dr. Cliff Ross
Shark Biology – Dr. Jim Gelsleichter
Fisheries Biology- Dr. Eric Johnson
Marine Mammal Behavior – Dr. Quincy Gibson
Toxicology in the Coastal Environment – Dr. Jim
Gelsleichter
– Oyster Restoration – Dr. Kelly Smith
– Long-term study of climate change and the estuary –
Dr. Nikki Dix
– American Eel Immigration – Drs. Hackney, Johnson,
Smith and Dix.
Deepwater Horizon Research
Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, Associate
Professor, and his research team are
working with scientists from FSU and
others to study the fate of oil and
other toxic materials on deep water
sharks.
Oyster Habitat Restoration
Dr. Kelly Smith and her students are working
with the Friends of Guana-Tolmato-Matanzas
National Estuarine Reserve to restore oyster
reefs in the Reserve.
Seagrass and Coral Stress Studies
Dr. Cliff Ross (Biology) and Dr. Amy Lane
(Chemistry) lead a team each spring to
the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Dr.
Ross’s team studies stress on seagrass
and corals and Dr. Lane’s students are
looking at natural products from marine
plants and animals that might be useful
to people.
St. Johns River Dolphins
Dr. Gibson and her research team have
been studying dolphins in the St. Johns
River for over four years and have found
a population that lives in the river yearround with some unique behaviors.
Exotic Species Invasion
Lionfish
Dr. Johnson and his lab have
been working with the state
Fish and Wildlife Commission
to understand how this exotic
species is impacting
important recreational fish
species. He and his students
travel to Lionfish roundups
around the state assisting
organizers and collecting
specimens for study
American Eels – Larval Immigration
Drs. Kelly Smith, Eric Johnson, Nikki Dix and
Courtney Hackney.
Each winter (December- February) Coastal Biology
students and faculty spend very cold nights catching
glass eels as they make their way across the Guana
Lake weir (leaky dam). Funded by NOAA, through the
DEP, the study is in its 14th year and will ultimately be
used to determine the status of the species along the
Atlantic Coast.
UNF/GTM-NERR Research
Education & Research
Dr. Nikki Dix –Assistant Research Professor
and GTM-NERR Research Coordinator
Dr. Dix coordinates research for
NOAA under a DEP contract at
the NERR site, which includes
oyster habitat for nesting
oyster catchers, sea level rise
impacts and plankton studies.
UNF/GTM-NERR Research
Research
Dr. Nikki Dix –Assistant Research Professor
and GTM-NERR Research Coordinator
Dr. Dix coordinates long-term
monitoring at the NERR where
determining changes in marsh plant
growth requires an array of
monitoring equipment that is
maintained year round. The
required data is used to determine
subtle changes that occur over
decades
GTM/NERR Education
Student Opportunities
Every faculty member discussed today engages students in their
research either through Transformational learning Opportunity
(TLOs) classes or Directed Independent Study (DIS) classes.
UNF has taken the lead in developing courses in concert with other
state universities, which expands hands-on knowledge in
Coastal/Marine Science. The first course, Field Studies in Marine
Biology, provides our undergraduate students with experience in
Coastal/Marine science around the state and in the open Gulf of
Mexico.
A graduate class and a summer class for Middle and High School
Marine Science Educators is currently in the developmental stages.
FUTURE?
• Great need for additional faculty in Coastal/Marine Science
subjects to accommodate a growing Coastal/Marine
Science student population.
• GTM-NERR/UNF Partnership could potentially provide an
on-the-water lab and research facilities.
• One of the primary Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO)
ocean-going vessels used by UNF faculty and students, R/V
Bellows, is going out of service in December. Hopefully, a
replacement designed and proposed last year will be
funded and available within a couple of years.
• Additional classes in Coastal subjects will be implemented
through the FIO in the next few years.