Andrew Hardwick (UR)

Alrighty, so then:

There are several suggested ways to harness wave energy. However, the one we will be focusing on in this post would be the attenuator. More specifically, the Pelamis wave energy converter

These bad boys were already used in Portugal in 2008 about three miles off the coast of Agucadoura. Just using three devices, the farm was able to produce 2.25MW of power. For reference: the average American home uses about 867 kWh a month. However, these machines had to be taken out of operation after four months due to technical issues, and because it was during the economy incident (I wouldn't exactly call it a "crisis" in hindsight) occuring around that time, not many people were willing to pay so much money to have them brought back online. Since November 2014 the IP was owned by Wave Energy Scotland, and after two years of testing and trials, was dismantled. The parts are being recycled and the data collected will help future efforts with harnessing wave energy. However, the P2-002WEC device is still operational and used for testing (currently owned by the European Marine Energy Center).


Fast forward to June 2018: A brand new "sea snake" design from a team in Georgia Tech threw the hydraulics idea out the window and replaced it with a technology called triboelectric nanogenerators (otherwise known as TENGs). This tech could revolutionize any kind of method to energy harnessing in the industry. From what I understand, it is able to utilize any kind of mechanical and/or kinetic energy that comes into contact with a surface that is laced with these nano machines. This tech could increase the amount of energy we are able to harness from smaller and weaker waves. Let alone the amount of energy from the larger and more powerful waves.

Elizabeth (UR) - Let's test the Tomoka River

"How does the water quality vary from the head to the mouth?"

The water moves a lot slower as you move towards the head of the river

This past weekend I went for a boat ride up the Tomoka River to see how far I could make it trying to reach the headwaters. I know that many portions are not passable by boat and probably not even by kayak the further you go but I was up for the adventure. I was able to get go south of Ormond Beach but not by much; probably bordering the city line between Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach.

Elephant ears

As we traveled by boat around the basin the Captain taste tested the water. "Yup, salty." He has fished this river since he was a young boy. He has been on it by boat since about the age of 12. He would travel up river tasting the water and once he didn't taste salt any longer he would cast his line to bass fish. That location is called the "change over" and it truly tastes different than out in the basin. This area is just west of the railroad bridge that parallels US 1. The water becomes fresher and you begin to see the aquatic vegetation change. From mangroves in the mouth to elephant ears, pickerel weed, spider iris'; even the trees change a bit. The cedar trees that were once abundant in and around the mouth of the Tomoka River are taking a hard hit. They are not salt tolerant trees so many if not most are dying or already dead. Move towards the head and cedar and cypress are alive and thriving. There is even a 40+ year old azalea bush on the bank of the river.

Man made island with lots of dead trees

Over the last few decades the areas around and on the Tomoka have changed. Some areas drastically and others showing only some signs of change. From housing developments to bridges to dragline / mosquito ditches there have been many ways this river has changed. My main focus though is to see just how far up the head the salt water reaches. The Tomoka River is a tidal flux river. The tide changes from high to low throughout the day and night. The tide runs about 5 hours difference from the Granada Bridge. 

supergreen lawns = run off

I plan to test the water of the Tomoka River in 5 different locations from the Tomoka Basin inland as far towards the headwaters as I can go. I will check the salinity, pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, oxygen and feces... yes poop! Many houses along the river are still using septic tanks and the waste water from those can and will eventually flow into the river. 

An alligator sunning with a fishing lure stuck in his mouth :(

Stay tuned as we see what is in the Tomoka River water samples. 

Jessica (UR) - Sand Temperatures on the Canaveral National Seashore

Since sea turtle sex is determined by sand temperature, there is no better way to figure out if we are getting more males than females or vice versa than by measuring the temperatures at the nesting sites. Canaveral National Seashore is a National Park where sea turtle nesting happens every day/night during nesting season.

Canaveral National Seashore

I am going to measure the temperatures at 6 different locations. The first will be just outside of the park, and the other 5 will be at the each of the 5 sections where there is parking. I will pick a marked nest and dig a hole approximately 80 centimeters (31 inches) deep. This is the depth at which Green Turtles lay their eggs. Each test hole will be approximately 2 meters (6 feet) North of the original nest.

Sea Turtle Nest

( Did you know that when sea turtles lay their nests in Florida, they are marked and covered to keep predators out. )

I will get some morning temperatures, some afternoon temperatures, and some evening temperatures. I will also speak with the park rangers and see if they have any data that I may use. I would like to compare temperatures over the past 5-10 years. I would use line graphs to show the differences over the years. The more warming that occurs, the more likely it is to have for females being born.












Horrocks, J., & Browne, D. (n.d.). Questions About Sea Turtle Biology. Retrieved February 22, 2019, from http://www.barbadosseaturtles.org/pages/faqs/biology.html

Elizabeth (UR) - Mosquitoes SUCK!

Nobody likes that pesky buzzing or those itchy bites so why dig ditches giving them more area to breed? As early as the 1760's mosquitoes have plagued the people living and visiting Florida. William Bartram, during his many travels through Florida often wrote of the sleepless nights from the troublesome mosquitoes. During the late 1800's Florida was plagued by yellow fever and said to be caused by mosquitoes.

A flier for a conference on the elimination of the disease carrying mosquito.

In the 1950's dragline ditches were dug in coastal marshland in Volusia County and all throughout Florida from the Canaveral area to north to Jacksonville. These ditches were thought to expand the areas where fish would breed and live to help control the black salt marsh mosquitoes (Aedes taeniorrynchus) and other mosquito populations by feeding on their larvae. The ditches were also dug to help with drainage. Many of the ditches are not more than 1.5 to 2.5 feet deep and are mostly a mud bottom that remains submerged during most tidal events except during low water events. Approximately 41 ditches were dug throughout the Ormond Beach area adjacent to the Tomoka River and the Tomoka River Basin.

Dragline (excavator) circa 1950s

Dragline ditches before
and after restoration

There are numerous negative effects to this ditching. The mosquitoes were inevitably given more waterway to breed in which didn't exactly help in the long run. Digging left spoils on either side of the ditch altering the flow of water in estuaries. It changed the amount of and in some cases the types of fish inhabiting the marshes and wetlands. Wetlands also provide protection during storms and these ditches diminished that. The spoils on each side of the ditches are higher than the original wetlands themselves. This allowed for non native species to invade those areas. One species that did so is the Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius).






In the early 2000's small grant funding was provided to the St. John's River Water Management District to begin a restoration project to fill in dragline ditches and restore wetlands to their natural habitat. They partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida State Park System. As funding became available they would do small portions in different areas to restore the wetland habitat as much as possible. An Amphibious Excavator is used to dig out trees and other vegetation. This is usually left to be used as fill in certain ditches. The soil is then leveled to the original elevation of the marsh. Some areas had grasses planted whiles others were allowed to restore itself naturally. Fish, birds, crabs and plants have been seen in restoration areas where they had previously moved on due to habitat loss. Marsh grasses have grown quickly in places where the soil was reestablished. During the restoration process, turbidity in the Tomoka River was monitored due to the sediments being disturbed during back filling. Turbidity curtains were installed to at the outlets of the river to minimize impacts.

Amphibious Excavator in a restoration area

Aerial photo of the 121 Acre Restoration of  the Tomoka Marshland

Sources:

Flagler County Wetland Restoration Project – SJRWMD. (n.d.), Retrieved February 20, 2019, from 
https://www.sjrwmd.com/facts/flagler-wetland-restoration-project/

Rey, J.R., Carlson, D.B. & Brockmeyer, R.E. Wetlands Ecol Manage (2012) 20: 197, from
https://doi-org.db06.linccweb.org/10.1007/s11273-011-9235-1

City of South Daytona, Florida // Home Page, Phase 2 Dragline Ditch Project Tomoka State Park, 
Retrieved February 18, 2019, from http://www.southdaytona.org/egov/documents/13179195899818.pdf

Kathryn, Step Aboard for the Gospel of Good Health!, Retrieved February 18, 2019, from 
https://www.floridamemory.com/blog/tag/yellow-fever/

Andrew (UG)- Hang Ten (Kilowatts)!

Hello,

My name is Andrew Hardwick. I am a student at Daytona State College studying Marine Biology. Although I have been leaning more towards finding ways to harness renewable energy over the past year. Although I am fascinated by solar technology and want to find ways to make it more widespread, I recently discovered from my Oceanography professor (one Dr. Debra Woodall), that no one has yet to find out how much energy we could harness from the ocean waves. specifically Daytona Beach.

Of course, we can't realistically dedicate a significant portion of the World's Most Famous Beach to the machinery necessary to harness wave energy, so this will ave to be done offshore so as to not detract from the tourism that Daytona Beach attracts. Therefore I will survey information from four locations (with a bit of wriggle room in the form of .05 degree margin of error), the average height of the waves, the distance between wave crests, and windspeed/direction to determine weather or not:

Is Offshore Daytona Beach A Viable Location to Harness Wave Energy?


the website that I will be using is earth.nullschool.net. It has all of the necessary information which allows me to calculate how much (potential) energy a wave has per meter of length. The equation that is used to calculate the amount of energy a wave has involves the height of the wave crest and the time between waves. The equation is written thusly:

P=0.5xH⋀2xT(Kw/m)

P= power of the wave

0.5= constant

H= height of wave (in meters)

T= Time between waves (in Seconds)

Kw/m= Kilowatts per meter of wave length

Jessica (UR) - Sea Turtles Don't Like Climate Change

Everyday we hear more and more about climate change. the temperature increase slightly every year. The beaches get smaller. Then we will get a cold snap and all of a sudden you will hear a comment like, "What happened to global warming?" 

 I wish turtles could talk! What would they have to say about climate change? I can almost guarantee that they would not be happy. 

Cold-Stunned Turtles

In the northwest Atlantic, the number of cold-stunned sea turtles has been on the rise since the 1970's. This is due to the warming on the inlets and bays. As the waters warm, it attracts the turtles. When you thing of warming, you don't think of hypothermia. Well, that is exactly what is happening. 

Now in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts it gets cold. They get Nor'easters and ice storms. They go ice fishing in the winter, skiing, and, one of my personal favorites, snowmobiling. Does this sound like a good habitat for a sea turtle?

Kemp's Ridley(Lepidochelys kempii)

The most common sea turtle to get cold-stunned is the Kemp's Ridley. They are the smallest of all the species of sea turtles. Before 2009, only 2 (1999 and 2002) years had ever reached a 100 cold-stunned turtles. Since 2009, ever year over 100 cold-stunned turtles are found. Once the sea surface temperature drop to about 10˚C, it becomes dangerous. Once the waters reach about 5.0˚C - 6.5˚C, it is usually too late 😢

This is just the tip of the iceberg. 

When things start warming up, this also creates some problems. 

David T. Booth, from the School of Biological Sciences in Queensland, Australia, has really given some information that I find very valuable. He stated,  "At low temperatures (typically 26–28 °C) predominately males are produced; intermediate temperatures (typically 28–30 °C) produce a good proportion of both males and females, while high temperatures (30–34 °C) produce predominantly females." So, cool equals boy and warm equals girl. Pretty straight forward.

Thermometer

So let's raise the earth's temperature a little bit, only by a single degree or 2. It won't have that much of an impact you say. Wrong! 

By raising the temperature just one or two degrees will produce a multitude of side effects. The nest temperatures will go up. Less males will be born, so the genetic diversity of these turtles will decrease. The polar ice caps will melt faster. Waters levels will rise. The beaches will start disappearing. Then what? Where will these amazing creatures go?

Just a swimmin'

Griffin LP, Griffin CR, Finn JT, Prescott RL, Faherty M, Still BM, et al. (2019) Warming seas increase cold-stunning events for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in the northwest Atlantic. PLoS ONE 14 (1): e0211503. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0211503

Booth DT (2017). Influence of incubation temperature on sea turtle hatchling quality. Integrative Zoology 12, 352–60. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12255

CJ (UR) - A shark can only attack you if you're wet

Since I’m basing my research project off catching sharks and eventually tagging them, these websites could be useful to my research project because they are all websites of organizations that deal with sharks and shark research here in Florida. I plan on catching them and taking data including species, length, girth, sex, and the location where I caught it to further help understand what kind of shark species call these local waters home which in turn could help formulate a conservation and awareness plan here in our county that prides itself in being the “Shark Bite Capital of the World”.

The first source I found was the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center whose mission “is to conduct life history studies of commercially and recreationally important shark species. Our research is focused on distribution and migration patterns, age and growth, reproductive biology, and feeding ecology. We conduct fishery independent surveys of large and small coastal sharks in US waters from Florida to Delaware.”. This source will be useful because it has tagging information which has tips and instructions, research information and species descriptions. 

Like the source above the FWC has all the information you would need about sharks but it is specifically Florida and the species and laws associated with sharks and fishing for them. It gives you information on proper gear, sharks that are prohibited from landing in state waters on top off regulations and species identification. 

The last source I found that could be useful is the Ocearch Shark Tracker. These guys have an app that you can get on your phone that shows you the locations of different shark species tagged by them around the world. It’s one of the best visual representations you can get as far as shark tagging. In addition to that, you can see the species, sex, length, weight, age, the path in which the shark has traveled and where the shark was tagged. 

Sources

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association/Northeast Fisheries Science Center. (2019). Apex Predators Program. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/Narragansett/sharks/

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (2019). Sharks. [Website]. Retrieved from https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/sharks/

Ocearch. (2019). Shark Tracker. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.ocearch.org/?list

Morgan (UR) - Warming Warning over Turtle Feminization

Did you know u to 93% of green turtle hatchlings could be female by 2100?

Sex of turtles are determined by Temperature. 

Hatching temperatures falling between 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit to 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 85.1 degrees tend to make more male turtles and temperatures above that mark typically make more female turtles.

Green sea turtles do not develop into males or females due to sex chromosomes, like humans and most other mammals do. Instead, the temperature outside a turtle egg influences the sex of the growing embryo. And this unusual biological quirk, scientists say, endangers their future in a warmer world.

A study by the University of Exeter and the Marine and Environmental Sciences shows that in warmer temperatures predicted on Climate Change, 76%-93% of hatchlings would be female. They show the gender ratio would initially lead to more females nesting, increasing the population - before the drastic decline in green turtle hatchlings "as incubation temperatures approach lethal levels"

They also predict rising sea levels will deluge 33-43% of present nesting areas.

"Green turtles are facing trouble in the future due to loss of habitats and increasing temperatures. As temperatures continue to rise, it may become impossible for unhatched turtles to survive." - Dr Rita Patricio.

I plan to study this more with the help of my classmate Jessica and find out more about why this is happening, how fast this is happening, where this is happening and found out ways to prevent feminization in Marine turtles.

References:

University of Exeter. (2018, December 19). Warming warning over turtle feminization. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 5, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181219191044.htm

Florida State University. (2016, February 4). Bachelor's paradise: Female turtles outnumbering males due to warming temps: Climate change posing long-term stability challenges for turtles. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 1, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160204111634.htm

Elizabeth (UR) - The Tomoka River

Map of Tomoka State Park

When you hear of the Tomoka River you usually relate it to Ormond Beach and the Tomoka State Park, but just where does the river originate? If you look at maps you can trace the river south from Ormond Beach to the southern edge of Daytona Beach. The headwaters of the Tomoka River originate in a low-lying area south of I-4 and west of I-95. The river flows north northeast and empties into the Tomoka Basin which joins the Halifax River.  The Tomoka River has many manmade canals as well as creeks that flow into it adding to the size of the Tomoka watershed. The watershed drains approximately 150 square miles. This is one of the largest sub-basins in the Florida East Coast Basin. East of the U.S. Highway 1 bridge is an aquatic preserve. The Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve is comprised of areas including the Tomoka Basin and the Tomoka River.

Railroad Bridge at US 1

Royal Oak Arch on the Tomoka

The Tomoka River is said to be a freshwater river, but it is a brackish river. This is due to the inlets north and south of it and the Halifax River that bring salt water into the river. There are many species of wildlife that call this river home. During the warmer months it is a sanctuary for the West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus). Many birds, turtles, alligators and even dolphins have been seen in the river. The river banks are home to live oaks (Quercus virginiana), various palms including our state tree the Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) and in some areas old growth Bald Cyrpess (Taxodium distichum). Many of the cypress trees have died off as they cannot tolerate high salinity. Stay tuned for more on the Tomoka River. 

Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (n.d.). Tomoka Marsh Aquatic Preserve. Retrieved from https://floridadep.gov/fco/aquatic-preserve/locations/tomoka-marsh-aquatic-preserve

Conner, W.H. & Inabinette, L.W. New Forest (2005) 29: 305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-005-5658-y

For Your Daily Dose of the Tropics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tidewater-florida.com/stateparks/tomoka-state-park.htm

Jessica (UR) - Climate Change and its Effect on Sea Turtle Populations

Sea Turtle Eggs

Did you know that the sex of a sea turtle is not predetermined by genetics?
The sex of a sea turtle is determined by the temperature in which its egg is incubated.  The warmer the nest, the result is generally female. The cooler the nest, the result is generally male. If the temperature is a happy medium, you will get a good mix of both male and female.
Here are some more fun facts about sea turtles!


We are all worried about climate change. Well, at least I know that I am. We think about how we are leaving our future planet for our children, grand-children, and great grand-children. Unless you live in a beach area, you don't often think of the effects that the climate change is going to have on the oceans and the life that lives in and around it. Here in Florida, it's what I think about.

The Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is based in Gainesville Florida. They are dedicated to the research and conservation of sea turtles within the Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. They were founded in 1959 by Dr. Archie Carr.

Dr. Archie Carr

Now, if you live in this area of Florida and are into any for of Marine Science, you have most likely heard of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Dr. Carr was the foremost expert on sea turtles. His mission was to save sea turtles from extinction by using science.

There is not one species of sea turtle that is not being affected by climate change. Climate change and global warming are different. Climate change is the fluctuations in the weather around us. Global warming is the  steady increase in global temperature. This is causing the polar ice caps to melt, which in turn causes the sea levels to rise.

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Hatchlings

Rising sea levels poses threats to these newborn, baby sea turtles. Sea turtles "imprint" on the beach where they are born. It is stored in there memory, so when it is time for the females to nest, they go back to where they are born. These beaches are disappearing as the ice caps are melting.

As the temperature is increasing over the years, the coral reef's have begun dying off. These corals are a major source of food for the sea turtles.

Since the sea turtle's sex is determined by the temperature of the nest, the warming that is occurring is also creating another problem. Not enough males. The diverseness in the genetic population is decreasing.

Green (Chelonia mydas) Turtle

With the climate changing more every day, we also need to do our parts. The STC helps a lot during nesting season. They will dig up the nest and incubate the eggs. Once the eggs have hatched, they will release them back to the ocean.

Dr. Archie Carr made it his life's work to do everything he could to protect these beautiful creatures. I intend to do the same.




References:
Information About Sea Turtles: Threats from Climate Change – Sea Turtle Conservancy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2019, from https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-climate-change/

Seaturtle-World. (2014, January 4). Facts about Sea Turtles. Retrieved January 31, 2019, from https://www.seaturtle-world.com/facts-about-sea-turtles/

Morgan (UR) - crazy animal lover with a side of beach bum

Me at the beach in Daytona Beach by Sunglow peir.

I was born and raised here in Port Orange FL, being 10 minutes from the beach I was there before I could walk. The beach has always been my happy place, where I go to escape the real world. Growing up I have always wanted to become a vet, that is still my goal to this day. This will be my last semester at DSC until I transfer to UCF vet technician program. Recently I started to find an interest in Marine Biology so I figured this class would be the perfect opportunity to get more involved with the Marine options.

                                             Me and my pet Raccoons. Remmy and Bonnie.

What started my dream of becoming a Vet is watching both my parents be involved with wildlife and becoming licensed wildlife rehab/rescues. I've grown up around many animals but the two pictured are my favorites. Their names being 'Remmy' and 'Bonnie', my parents rescued these two babies from a tree company cutting down their home about 3 years ago. They were very young and still needed bottle feeding when we first got them, there were 4 of them but only these 2 survived the fall out of the tree. We were able to keep them as pets as they both have disabilities keeping them from being able to climb trees and hunt for food. They are the sweetest cuddle bugs ever and they love people and being held like babies. Watching my parents help many animals like them is what made me want to chase this dream of mine.

CJ (UR) - Don't feed the locals

Daytona Beach, FL

My name is Scott Newlon Jr., CJ for short and I was born on May 12, 1992 right here in Daytona Beach, Florida. My dad was a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and that’s how it all started for me. When I was less than a year old my parents and I moved to Crestview, Florida, on the panhandle, which is about an hour east up I-10 from Pensacola and 30 minutes south of the Alabama state line. My brother and sister were also born there and that’s where I spent the first 7 years of my life. I grew up like any other kid, adventurous and curious, and spent a lot of my time outside. The Gulf was close but not that close, so I spent most of my time venturing out in the woods and grew up catching rattlesnakes, turtles, and frogs in my backyard and at times I sincerely felt like Steve Irwin. There wasn’t a lot of fishing to do, we had creeks and a bay nearby in Milton where we’d do a lot of feeding but my first exposure to the ocean was when we’d take trips to Destin and ever since that point, I loved the ocean. And from that love for the ocean grew the love for the evil shark. I guess I started nerding out over sharks because they were feared and mysterious. They were the kings of the ocean (till I found out that orcas eat the livers of great whites for a snack) and I wanted to learn more about them. I would stare at pictures upon pictures of the different shark species and learn of the variations of colors, shapes, and sizes. Which ones lived in cold water, warm water, in the open oceans or ocean floor and all the species in between. I would read book after book, annoying my parents constantly with new facts I had read. When I was 4 the movie Flipper was released and unbeknownst to me it was a reboot of a 60s TV series but Crocodile Dundee was in it and the field of marine biology looked like a lot of fun in the movie and there was a big bad hammerhead shark that freaked out the locals, the movie had everything. As an electrical engineer my old man would travel a lot, and his work would often times take him overseas and to Seattle, Washington, to do business with Boeing which is eventually where the next phase of my life took place because in 2000, our little Southern family moved across the hypotenuse of the country from the panhandle of Florida to the suburbs of Seattle. 

Crestview, FL

Washington state is great, it really is an outdoorsmans paradise, you've got two mountain ranges, a rain forest and an amazing diversity of wildlife which include my personal favorites, the orca and giant Pacific octopus. I lived in Washington from second grade up until 2016 when I left and moved back home to Florida. I have a lot of fond memories of Washington but the biggest was playing ice hockey. My love for hockey began in Florida when Pensacola had an ECHL team and my dad had season tickets but other than that there was nowhere to learn the game outside of your own driveway. So, when we moved to Washington, the first thing I did was get on a youth hockey team and my goal was to play professionally and that was my dream up until it wasn't when it just wasn't what I was destined to do. I still love the game and a lot of the principles and work ethic that I carry with me today come from my days as an athlete. 

The iconic Space Needle in Seattle, WA

Snowboarding in the Cascades, Stevens Pass, WA

One of the many invitationals our team played in. This particular one was in Spokane, WA.

I went to community college straight out of high school, I wasn’t the greatest student by any means and knew pretty quickly that I wanted to work law enforcement so I got an Associates in criminology and went looking for jobs. At around this time was unfortunately around the time when police officers nationwide were beginning to being killed in the national spotlight so I backed off of that career choice and started working with an ex hockey teammate of mine doing hardscaping, which is building retaining walls, paver walkways/patios and sprinkler systems for a couple years. At around this time was when I started asking myself if this was it. Am I just going to be a laborer for the rest of my life and make a good, honest living doing that or was there something more? 

One of the many hardscaping projects I worked on

At around this time, I watched a relatively dated documentary at the time called Sharkwater by the late Rob Stewart that brought to light the effects of the shark fin trade and the severe decline of shark populations across the planet that my passion for sharks and marine biology reappeared. Watching it made my blood boil, I felt it deep inside of me that I wanted to do something and help, in whatever way that may be. It made me committed to the conservation of vulnerable shark species (like great hammers, tigers, and threshers) and the education of the public about these apex predators. 

Now here I am, back in Florida, seeking out a career in shark biology and shark conservation. I’ve never volunteered anywhere, never been a part of a science club or shark club, haven’t done any community outreach or anything, all I know is that I want to make a difference. I went down to Palm Beach a year ago with a shark diving charter and although I don't have my open water PADI or Nitrox training, I snorkeled at the surface, surrounded by about a dozen full grown lemon sharks and that was a significant moment that changed my life. That solidified my love for them bigger than just a surface fascination but as a fascination that could inspire my life's work. I now am planning on getting my PADI cert and diving with sharks on a more regular basis, again to eliminate the deadly stigma associated with sharks and to educate the public. I love the ocean. I love sharks. That’s why I’m here. My goal I guess right now is to get a job with Florida Fish and Wildlife collecting population samples and using that information to inform the public and educate them on the fact that sharks are just curious about us, and they don't have hands to touch, only those sharp pearly whites that create the stigma that they are man eaters. 

A whale shark I encountered while shark snorkeling down in Palm Beach, FL

With that being said, this is now my fifth semester here at DSC, and I’ve only got two more classes of prerequisites to go before I can enroll at UF. UF has been my dream school ever since I was a little kid in Crestview and after learning that they hold the International Shark Attack File, it made we want to go there that much more. Being in Volusia County, there are definitely healthy populations of sharks, and many different species of sharks call this place home throughout the year which is fascinating. The opportunity to be here really pumps me up and I took OCE1001 with Dr. Woodall last semester and I really loved learning from her and her experiences and her passion for the ocean and I’m really looking forward to spending the semester with you guys and helping each other grow not only their individual marine passions but the ocean as a whole. We've still got time to make a difference. 

Century Tower at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL

Elizabeth (UR) Water in my veins

Currituck County and the OBX

I have spent my entire life on the East Coast of the U.S. I was born in Norfolk, Va, grew up in a small county called Currituck in North Carolina and have lived in coastal Volusia County since 2000. The famous "OBX" aka The Outer Banks of North Carolina is where my mother and stepfather have spent the last 20 years... I still call it "HOME." It is rich with history, tiny fishing villages and thousands of tourists from May to September. I have always lived on or near a sound (a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or a sea or a sea and a lake), a bay, a river or the Atlantic. 

My 1st shark. 1988

Beach seine fishing

I come from a "long line" (pun intended LOL) of fisherman. One grandfather was an oyster-man, another was a singer and fisherman, then there is my third grandpa (step but I love him just the same!!) who took me fishing every summer and I always out fished him. We had the best fish stories. My father loves fishing... mostly for my favorite fish, stripers; also known as rock fish. My brother loves beach seine finishing with my stepfather and stepbrother, but he is hunter of the family. My stepfather is a commercial fisherman on the Outer Banks. He soft crabs twice a year, beach seine nets in the summer, hard crabs if the catching is good, shrimps in the sounds of coastal North Carolina and he even oysters. The man LOVES to be on the water. I don't think he has blood in his veins... just salt water. I have learned a lot from him while fishing with him and listening to the fish tales at the fish houses and on the boats. My step brother has followed closely in his dad's footsteps and some days out fishes him :) he also shark fishes. We have shared our talks about this endeavor but coming from a long line of fisherman himself I know it's how he makes his living and it is in his blood too.

Helping the boys beach seine net fish

Dock fishing 2007

Little fishergirl

A rather OLD whelk
found at the Dry Tortugas 2018

I am not sure when my love of the ocean really happened; it goes back further than I can remember. I will say I have loved water all of my life. It is truly running through my veins and I think I have gills when I swim. In high school I took every science class I could. I loved it especially oceanography, marine biology, ecology, and biology. I got certified to scuba dive in my marine biology class. FUN! Growing up I spent weekends in the woods or on the water; whether at the beach playing in the water, trying to surf, fishing, crabbing picking up shells or laying with marine organisms in tide pools. Learning
new things meant listening and using dusty encyclopedias to see what I had found that day. If I had Google back then... MAN the things I would have known. :)

Over the year's life took hold and my dreams of being a Marine Ecologist and Environmentalist took

Orchid obsession

a back seat... a lot longer back seat than I liked or ever imagined until Daytona State began offering these degree programs! YAY!! So fast forward to present years... I work full-time, go to school part time some semesters and almost full time others. I have 4 furry creatures at home (cats and dogs) and an amazing husband. We love to travel. I LOVE orchids and gardening I would say as much as I love water. How is that possible you ask? Well, it is all intertwined... water, earth, air, right? Gardening is my relaxation after work. My weekend fun is homework (yes, because I get to learn!) and hiking local parks and trails, camping and visiting Florida's beautiful fresh water springs. Last year I got certified in freediving. It is an awesome experience and you truly feel like you belong underwater. All the worries of the world disappear, and you lose yourself in the beauty surrounding you.

Freediving in the springs.

Every time we go to a spring whether  I have been there a once or a hundred times I am awe struck. The water is always 72 degrees, usually crystal clear and you get to see wildlife underwater like turtles, fish and manatees. The springs are in danger though and that is pushing me towards where I want to go with my career. I am very big on plant and animal conservation and saving our wild spaces, but water conservation has my heart. Without the ocean our planet would never be the same; we wouldn't exist. Without the springs Florida loses its drinking water. It's up to us to get this planet and our bodies of water in check... we all contribute, and we can all do our part to help.

My husband (Ben) and I passively
viewing a manatee at a local spring.

sunshine and 72 degree water

So, I have rambled on about myself and my love of water and this EARTH! I hope you have enjoyed getting to know a little bit about me. I am full of fish stories, spring adventure stories and photos, gardening how to's and so much more... just ask, but be warned I might not be able to shut up. :)