As a marine biologist with Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy, I was one of 5 main researchers to educate, demonstrate and instruct proper field work tagging methods for sharks and sting rays in the Tampa intercoastal waterways. My most prominent responsibilities surrounded both animal and student safety, as only two staff researchers were on a boat with 10 students (and one was captaining the boat) I was the one who demonstrated to students how to set animal catching methods, how to retrieve catching tools, how to bring sharks and stingrays onboard safely, untangle, de-barb, and secure the animals, then instruct on tagging and releasing methods as well all while educating on speciation, identification and ecology of the animals as we caught them. Outside of the field day, I was responsible for completing daily boat maintenance and cleaning, transporting students to program housing, preparing bait, and aiding in “lecture” demonstration before the field day begun.
There are two major educational takeaways I received from this research experience. Not only did I solidify my ideas of graduate schooling on marine ecology and biology, but I also grew a great understanding of what my potential as an educated research scientist is.
After schooling on general zoology at Ohio State, I knew I wanted to pursue a research based professional track, but I didn’t quite know what route in the biological kingdoms I wanted to pursue. I had always loved the ocean and the animals in it, but I always saw marine biology as farfetched and impractical, as Ohio State focuses on land and freshwater systems predominantly. After spending time with CMERA as a student in 2020, I got the little taste of marine research and what it could be. After getting to spend two full months not only with CMERA but actually as a staff marine biologist, I know that marine science is the field I excel in and also am most interested in.
I was also very fortunate to get to be an eye witness to the changing health of our oceans and grew a deep connection to climate change as a major issue in society today. Day after day I returned to the same spots and watched as less and less fish appeared, less sharks and rays get caught, and more dead and decaying plants and animals in the water.
While with CMERA, I was extremely fortunate to become close to two of our resident professors who teach the daily lectures and utilize our data for many research projects. As I felt more and more comfortable working with the sharks and rays, I decided to devote some time and energy into developing a professional research grant proposal. I built a full graduate thesis proposal surrounding the data I was collecting at CMERA and when I sat down with the professors and some other staff, I was backed with an overwhelming amount of both excitement and support on my ideas. This was the moment I realized that I am more than capable of working in a research field without the aid of a class or school. I am extremely proud to say that proposal, “An Examination on Barb Defense Mechanisms of Florida Intercoastal Sting Rays,” is now in the hands of several shark research labs programs and aiding in my graduate schooling applications!
I also developed a greater understanding of the threats our ocean faces in terms of global warming and other environmental detriments. To start, when I arrived in Florida, I was taken to Piney Point, more specifically at the water treatment plant in that city, which just drained thirty million gallons of wastewater into Tampa Bay, causing a mass seagrass death and subsequently the highest Manatee death rate in the last 10 years. Nearly 6 weeks later, CMERA was forced to move to a marina 5 or so miles up coast to escape the worst and earliest red tide Clearwater has ever faced. Red tide is a harmful algal bloom that deoxygenates the ocean. The spread of this bloom started at and remained in highest concentration at Piney Point, right at the wastewater drop point, it also resulted in a mass fish death for nearly 4 miles of coastal water, driving all large species off shore and northern. After moving north, the first shark I caught was an 8-foot immature Lemon Shark, Negaprion brevirsostrus, the shark had a plastic shipping strap wrapped around his head and sinking into his flesh, with several spots already surrounded with healed scarring. The plastic not only was causing his swimming to be affected, but also kept the large male from migrating to tropical mating and feeding grounds in the Bahamas.
Being present for these events really opened my eyes to the reality of the health of our oceans and how quickly they can change quite literally in front of our eyes. It’s one thing to stay current in ocean research and global warming events on paper and in media, but actually witnessing small scale climate change effects in front of my own eyes is a different feeling of fear that I hadn’t ever felt before. I had always been concerned for climate change, but as of right now, while I type this out, I feel as if I should be obligated to continue to tell people about what I saw and how it will only get worse with no change. All in all the best outcome of my project was growing a great appreciation and drive to continue to help our oceans through research, education and outreach of my work.
Growing up I was always told that doing what you love is worth more money than any other job. I always took this to heart and continue to do so every time I think about my future. Since the first time I dove into the gulf and pulled up buckets of sand dollars, shells and other little critters, I was in love. I would sit in class as a child and doodle waves, I would ask my parents to go back every Christmas and birthday that passed. As high school came around, I really started to realize that science was my future, I was good at it! I didn’t really think though, that the ocean and science could work together for me. As college passed, I watched a multitude of national disasters, tragedies and uprisings, war, peace and everything in between. The biggest threat to the entire planet is hands down climate change, yet it is the most on the backburner, in fact it may not even be in the kitchen at all. Climate change is rooted in the ocean, no blue no green: no blue, no us.
My whole life had built up to lead me into working with the ocean, but working with CMERA was the first time it actually came into fruition. I was actually hands on, taking specimen samples, collecting unknown data, tagging 500 pound tiger sharks, and teaching people about the ocean and the threats to it. I was allowed to make a difference, I was allowed to utilize my education and be a voice in science worth listening to and yet, I am only just beginning. My work with CMERA has since turned into a returning employment position, meaning I will return to CMERA every season to continue collecting, educating, and exploring. The opportunity to complete this work was truly a turning point in my life where I went from being the student to the point where I was the teacher. I can go into new ventures in my graduate schooling with a sense of confidence in myself and I know that I will continue to love working for the future health of the ocean.
