Tabitha Siegfried
Tabitha Siegfried is originally from Warrensburg, Missouri where she began her undergraduate degree studying biology at the University of Central Missouri. Tabitha has always loved marine life and the ocean, so she transferred to the University of West Florida during her junior year to study marine biology. As an undergrad she worked with PhD student Christina Toms on her dissertation project where she learned how to use Finbase for photo-identification purposes and was able to assist in conducting boat surveys, sighting dolphins. She also spent a week on St. Andros Island, Bahamas at the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station. She graduated in May of 2017 with her B.S. in Marine Biology. Tabitha entered the graduate program at the University of West Florida in the fall of 2018. Her graduate research focuses on developing the methodology for using underwater stereo-video cameras to obtain length measurement data on local sea turtles in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Tabitha Siegfried is originally from Warrensburg, Missouri where she began her undergraduate degree studying biology at the University of Central Missouri. Tabitha has always loved marine life and the ocean, so she transferred to the University of West Florida during her junior year to study marine biology. As an undergrad she worked with PhD student Christina Toms on her dissertation project where she learned how to use Finbase for photo-identification purposes and was able to assist in conducting boat surveys, sighting dolphins. She also spent a week on St. Andros Island, Bahamas at the International Field Studies Forfar Field Station. She graduated in May of 2017 with her B.S. in Marine Biology. Tabitha entered the graduate program at the University of West Florida in the fall of 2018. Her graduate research focuses on developing the methodology for using underwater stereo-video cameras to obtain length measurement data on local sea turtles in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Morgan DuBois
I am a graduate student in Dr. Piacenza’s lab. I was born and raised in Colorado, but I have always been fascinated with marine biology. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. I am interested in wildlife conservation biology and how animal behavior, ecology, and demography influence the effectiveness of management strategies. I am also interested in how all of those fields are impacted by climate change and other anthropogenic impacts. My research involves modeling the drift of juvenile sea turtles hatching from Florida to examine how variable climate conditions affect their survival rates.
I am a graduate student in Dr. Piacenza’s lab. I was born and raised in Colorado, but I have always been fascinated with marine biology. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. I am interested in wildlife conservation biology and how animal behavior, ecology, and demography influence the effectiveness of management strategies. I am also interested in how all of those fields are impacted by climate change and other anthropogenic impacts. My research involves modeling the drift of juvenile sea turtles hatching from Florida to examine how variable climate conditions affect their survival rates.
Chris Noren
I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in Marine Biology and for the past 9 years have been accumulating experience as a marine 'Bio-Bum' following work and adventure in fields ranging from whale shark and manta ray surveys on the Mozambique coast to pacific halibut stock assessment surveys throughout Alaska and Canada. I find joy in experiencing and studying differing geographic ecosystems and discovering their underlying similarities and biological trends. My research in this lab focuses on analyzing local sea turtle lengths obtained using non-invasive stereo video technology.
I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in Marine Biology and for the past 9 years have been accumulating experience as a marine 'Bio-Bum' following work and adventure in fields ranging from whale shark and manta ray surveys on the Mozambique coast to pacific halibut stock assessment surveys throughout Alaska and Canada. I find joy in experiencing and studying differing geographic ecosystems and discovering their underlying similarities and biological trends. My research in this lab focuses on analyzing local sea turtle lengths obtained using non-invasive stereo video technology.
Alex Vidal
I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Maryland in 2016. Throughout my career, I have held positions for USGS, USFWS, and GA DNR, among others. This work has allowed me to conduct research on a wide range of taxa including waterfowl, seabirds, raptors, and sea turtles. As part of the Quantitative Marine Ecology and Conservation Lab, I am studying sea turtle ecology and satellite tag design. My other research interests include coastal, avian, and movement ecology.
I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Maryland in 2016. Throughout my career, I have held positions for USGS, USFWS, and GA DNR, among others. This work has allowed me to conduct research on a wide range of taxa including waterfowl, seabirds, raptors, and sea turtles. As part of the Quantitative Marine Ecology and Conservation Lab, I am studying sea turtle ecology and satellite tag design. My other research interests include coastal, avian, and movement ecology.
Emma Roberto
I am from Chicago, Illinois, and study marine biology with a minor in psychology. I recently graduated with my BS in May 2019. This summer, as a HMCSE SURP intern, I will be assisting Tabatha Siegfried with her master's thesis on measuring juvenile sea turtle lengths along the Gulf Of Mexico and in Eleuthera, Bahamas. We will be doing this by taking underwater stereo video footage of the turtles and will then further analyze their measurements by using different software to compute average lengths. I plan on attending graduate school in 2020 to study marine mammal behavior and ecology; eventually, I would love to earn my PhD and teach marine biology at a university level.
Emma's Stereo-video SURP 2019 poster
I am from Chicago, Illinois, and study marine biology with a minor in psychology. I recently graduated with my BS in May 2019. This summer, as a HMCSE SURP intern, I will be assisting Tabatha Siegfried with her master's thesis on measuring juvenile sea turtle lengths along the Gulf Of Mexico and in Eleuthera, Bahamas. We will be doing this by taking underwater stereo video footage of the turtles and will then further analyze their measurements by using different software to compute average lengths. I plan on attending graduate school in 2020 to study marine mammal behavior and ecology; eventually, I would love to earn my PhD and teach marine biology at a university level.
Emma's Stereo-video SURP 2019 poster
Tommy Akers
I grow up in the Pensacola, Florida Gulf coast area where I learned to appreciate the marine life by fish and surf. I am currently working on my Bachelor’s in marine Biology as an undergraduate at UWF and will graduate Fall 2019. I am a HMCSE SURP intern and my research will be on specimen identification and collection for the marine vertebrate collection.
I grow up in the Pensacola, Florida Gulf coast area where I learned to appreciate the marine life by fish and surf. I am currently working on my Bachelor’s in marine Biology as an undergraduate at UWF and will graduate Fall 2019. I am a HMCSE SURP intern and my research will be on specimen identification and collection for the marine vertebrate collection.