AOML's Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division


Red Tide Water Quality Assessment Research Cruise

Cruise Participants

DR. CHRIS KELBLE

Dr. Christopher Kelble is a research oceanographer with the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Dr. Kelble will be serving as chief scientist on the cruise. He will oversee the data collection and cruise planning, as well as the analyses for primary productivity, zooplankton grazing, and CTD casts.

DR. DIGNA RUEDA-ROA

Dr. Digna Rueda-Roa is a biological oceanographer from the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida (USF), with expertise in satellite remote sensing and ocean time series analyses. The USF team will be getting samples to measure different seawater optical properties as well as biological samples, for the Florida Keys Project - Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON). The samples collected will be used to measure photosynthetic pigments, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), environmental DNA from phytoplankton, bacteria and archaea, and spetroradiometric measurements of light from the ocean and the sky, among oth.

STEPHEN DAVIES

Stephen Davies is a researcher and data debriefer for the Pelagic Observer Program at the National Marine Fisheries Service. He will be collecting data on sea turtles and marine mammals throughout the research cruise, as well as assisting the other researchers.

LAUREN GADOURY

Lauren Gadoury is a senior biology undergraduate student at the University of South Florida Sarasota Manatee Campus. She is currently an intern at Mote Marine Laboratory in the phytoplankton ecology department. Her role on the cruise will be to help with filtering and processing water samples for HPLC analysis.

BRETT PITTINGER

Brett Pittinger is a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and part of a team from the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute investigating the impacts of red tide on fish populations. Brett will oversee deployment and operation of submersible video cameras to look for changes in reef fish communities in red tide impacted areas.

ELI BASTIAN

Eli Bastian is a fish health specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and part of a team from the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute investigating the impacts of red tide on fish populations. Eli will be collecting blood and tissue samples to measure stress levels in reef fish exposed to red tide.

MICAH BAKENHASTER

Micah Bakenhaster is a fish health specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and part of a team from the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute investigating the impacts of red tide on fish populations. Micah will be collecting tissue samples to measure red tide toxins in fish and look for signs of disease in reef fish communities impacted by red tide.

DEVIN BURRIS

Devin Burris is a staff biologist in both the Phytoplankton Ecology and Environmental Health programs at Mote Marine Laboratory. Additionally, she is a master's student at Florida Gulf Coast University under Dr. Michael Parsons. Devin will be collecting and processing samples for HPLC analysis of phytopigments for chemotaxonomic determination of phytoplankton community.

CASEY STREETER

Casey Streeter is a commercial grouper fisherman, offshore charter captain and seafood market owner. He will be assisting the cruise coordinators to help gain further knowledge of the current state of the nearshore/offshore ecosystems and the effects of the Karenia brevis red tide bloom.

CHARLES KOVACH

Charles Kovach is a contractor (Global Science & Technology) working for NOAA/NESDIS/STAR. He will be measuring ocean optics for ocean color satellite calibration/validation and algorithm development.

KELLY MONTENERO

Kelly Montenero is a Research Associate in the Ecosystems Assessment and Modeling Lab led by Dr. Chris Kelble at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL. She will be assisting with cruise logistics as well as performing sampling of nutrients, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon sample collection, zooplankton grazing, CTD casts, and sampling for primary productivity via incubations and chlorophyll-a.

IAN SMITH

Ian Smith is a Research Associate in the Ecosystems Assessment and Modeling Lab led by Dr. Chris Kelble at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL. He will conduct data organization, assist with cruise logistics and pilot the Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle. He will also participate in the sampling of nutrients, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon sample collection, zooplankton grazing, CTD casts, and sampling for primary productivity.

SEBASTIAN DIGERONIMO

Sebastian DiGeronimo has an Environmental Science degree. He is currently working at the Remote Sensing Laboratory of the University of South Florida (USF) on different methods of Chlorophyll-a measurements, ranging from in-situ to satellite determination. As part of the USF team, Sebastian will be gathering samples to measure different seawater optical properties as well as biological samples for the Florida Keys Project - Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON).