Best Student Poster

2020

Best: Casey Murray (UF)- Characterizing the Digestive Ontogeny and Larval Gastrointestinal Morphology of Lachnolaimus maximus to Inform Nutritional Protocols for Aquaculture Production

Runner-up: Brittany Savercool and Sean Wilms (NSU): Preliminary Trials to Assess Bycatch Reduction Potential for Deep-Set Pelagic Longline Gear in the U.S. Atlantic Fishery

2019

Best: Michael Espriella (University of Florida) and V. Lecours. Using Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis to Characterize Oyster Reefs: A Feasibility Study.

Honorable Mention: Julie Vecchio (University of South Florida), C.D. Stallings, J.S. Curtis, A.A. Wallace, and E.B. Peebles. The δ15N in teleost muscle and liver tissue varies predictably and can be used as an indicator of site fidelity.

2018

Best: Steven Garner (UF), W.F. Patterson III, and C.E. Porch. Cooperative research onboard charter boats to evaluate hook performance, selectivity, and management alternatives for Red Snapper in northern Gulf of Mexico.

Runner-up: Jordan Massie (FIU), N. Viadero, and J. Rehage. Hurricane driven movements of Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis in the Florida coastal Everglades.

2016

Best: Emily Gipson (University of Central Florida) and R. Gorecki. Habitat preference and spatiotemporal trends in abundance of the Dwarf Seahorse.

Honorable Mention: John Hargrove (University of Florida), O. Weyl, M. Allen & J. Austin. Invasion History and Genetic Diversity of an Invasive Fish Predator Abroad.

Honorable Mention: Carrie Schuman (University of Florida) and S. Baker. The Secret Lives of Filter Feeders: Estimating Oyster Filtration Rates in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

2015

Best: Emily Kroloff (FIU), J.S. Rehage, J. Heinen, R.C. Santos, and R.E. Boucek. Where are all the bonefish? Integrating angler perspectives and ecological changes influencing bonefish declines in the Florida Bay.

Runner Up: Chelsey Crandall (University of Florida), K. Lorenzen, M. Monroe, and J. Dutka-Gianelli. Why participate? Understanding citizen science volunteer motivations.

2014

Best: Michael Drexler (University of South Florida) and C. Ainsworth. Modeling population connectivity and larval drift in the Gulf of Mexico and developing a cumulative contaminate exposure mortality function for pelagic larvae

Runner Up: Jennifer Granneman (University of South Florida), D. L. Jones, S. A. Murawski, and E. B. Peebles. Detecting trace element anomalies in offshore fish otoliths coincident with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

2013

Best: Benjamin Belgrad (Eckerd College). The effect of stormwater on the peripheral olfactory nervous system of juvenile Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Runner Up: David Gandy (Florida International University), and J. Rehage. Nonnative Fishes in Freshwater Canals of the Florida Everglades: Implications for Better Management

2012

Best: Chelsey Campbell (University of Florida), D. Parkyn, and D. Murie. Otolith shape as a tool for examining stock structure in Gulf of Mexico greater amberjack

Runner-up: Julie Vecchio (University of South Florida), and C. Stallings. Comparison of Reef Fish Assemblages Sampled Using Common Fishery-Independent Techniques

2010

Best: Calvin Gilkey (Undergraduate, Eckerd College), S.H. Denison and W.A. Szelistowski. Genetic analysis of the Atlantic and Pacific forms of the Amphi-American fish Oligoplites saurus.

Honorable Mention: Alan Downey-Wall (Undergraduate, Eckerd College), L.B. Van Woudenberg, W.A. Szelistowski and S.H. Denison. A Preliminary analysis of genetic structure in Florida populations of dusky pipefish Sygnathus floridae and chain pipefish Syngnathus louisianae.

2009

Best: John Hargrove (MS, University of Florida). Hargrove, J., D. Parkyn, D. Murie, and J. Austin. Use of polymerase chain reaction to aid in visual analysis of stomach contents of French grunts.

Honorable Mention: Heidi Da Silva (MS, Nova Southeastern University). Da Silva, Heidi, Cheryl Cross, and David W. Kerstetter. Combined stomach content and stable isotope analyses of three mesopelagic teleost fishes.

2008

Carvalho, F., J. Pacheco, F. Hazin, D. Murie, and G. Burgess. Effects of hook type and soak time on shark catches for a pelagic longline fishery in the southwestern equatorial Atlantic Ocean

Runner-up: Olson, G.L. and W.A. Szelistowski. Adaptations of juvenile mangrove littorinids to decrease predation by the pufferfish, Sphoeroides rosenblatti

2007

Karouna-Renier, N. K., T. Lange, S. M. Gibson, R. A. Snyder, and K. Ranga Rao. Contamination Profiles in Largemouth Bass and Mullet Collected in Northwest Florida

Runner-up: Funk, J. M., R.S. McBride, and A. B. Collins . Classification schemes for monandric, protogynous fishes: a review and extension of Moe’s (1969) model

2006

Comparative age and growth of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico, Eddie Leonard, D.J. Murie, and D.C. Parkyn
Runner-up: Habitat utilization by juvenile reef fishes in Manzanillo, Costa Rica, Lauren Yeager

2005

Phylogeography and divergence times of Alosa species separated by the Florida peninsula, Bowen, B. R. and B. R. Kreiser.

Runner-up: Estimating age from otolith morphometrics in the gray angelfish (Pomocanthus arucatus), Steward, C. A.

2004
Wetlands initiative at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge:V. Ichthyofaunal community structure under three differing water management strategies by Eric Reyier, Russell Lowers and Douglas Scheidt

Runner Up: Spatiotemporal variation in ichthyoplankton communities of the northern Indian River Lagoon Complex with emphasis as to the importance of a no-take fisheries reserve by Eric Reyier and Jon Shenker

2003
Divergent survival tactics among gobies inhabiting hyperthermal mangove swamps on Hoga Island, Indonesia by Josie Taylor, Melissa Cook, Aimee Kirkpatrick, Stacey Galleher, Micheal Reaid, and Wayne Bennett

Runners-up: Utilization of patch reefs by three common species of damselfishes within Dry Tortugas National Park, April 2002 by Heidi Wallman, Katie Fitchett, Cheyenna Reber, Chris Pomory, and Wayne Bennett

Annual abundance of young-of-the-year striped mullet, Mugil cephalus, in Tampa Bay, Florida, from 1996 to 2001 by Jordan Sanford and Tien-Shui Tsou

2002
Josie Taylor, Melissa Cook, Aimee Kirkpatrick, Stacey Galleher and Micheal Reaid had the winning submission titled “Divergent survival tactics among gobies inhabiting hyperthermal mangove swamps on Hoga Island, Indonesia”

2001
B.P. Whitlock, R.A. Krause, and W.A. Bennett, “The relationship between size differences and bioenergetics of largemouth bass populations from brackish adn freshwater habitats in the Escambia River and marsh.”

Honorable Mentions: Nann Fangue, Jodie Rummer and W.A. Bennett, “The Role of Temperature on Behavior and Movement of Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina from St. Joseph’s Bay, Florida”,

K.J. Fitchett and W.A. Bennett, “Reproductive Behavior and Resource Partitioning between Gulf Toadfish, Opsanus beta and Florida blenny, Chasmodes saburrae.”

2000

Micah Bakenhaster, Richard McBride and Wayne Price, “The Life History of the Parasitic Isopod Glossobius hemiramphi and its Relationship to its Host Hemiramphus brasiliensis”.

Honorable Mention: Anthony MacWhinnie II, “Life History and Population Dynamics of the Bearded Brotula, Brotula barbata, in the the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico”.