Currents Fall 2012 Newsletter - Volume XXVII, Number 2

13 CRUSTACEAN AND AMPHIPOD LABORATORY Researcher: James Thomas, Ph.D. “The questions are in the lab; the answers are in the field.” Research Focus: Our primary research focuses on the ecology and evolutionary biology of cryptic coral reef invertebrates, with an emphasis on commensal amphipod and decapod crustaceans. Research Activities: • crustacean and amphipod taxonomy • using invertebrates as model organisms for global biodiversity • taxonomy, systematics, and ecology of novel amphipod species • using biological models for investigating potential environmental impacts to the Florida Keys inshore and offshore reef systems • dissection and microscopy of marine invertebrate species inhabiting cryptic sponges in various biological niches (e.g., Great Barrier Reef, Florida Reef Tract, French Polynesia, and New Zealand) • reproductive biology of crustaceans, with further analysis of the potential effects of bopyrid parasitism on the fitness of snapping shrimp colonies (Genus: Synalpheus ) FISHERIES LAB Researcher: David Kerstetter, Ph.D. “As human use of the oceans increases, the field of fisheries science becomes vital to the sustainability of harvested wild populations. The fisheries laboratory provides a resource for both the management agencies and the fishers themselves through a combination of biological research, gear conservation engineering, and outreach.” Research Focus: Fisheries science is the discipline of managing and understanding the harvesting of aquatic species, including finfish. It is a multidisciplinary field, which draws on aspects of oceanography, ecology, engineering, ichthyology, socioeconomics, and management to provide an integrated picture of fisheries and their effects on the environment. Fisheries research at the Oceanographic Center has historically focused on the commercially and recreationally important coastal and pelagic fishes, including billfish, tunas, and swordfish. More recently, the fisheries laboratory has engaged in alternative fishing gear outreach programs in Turkey, Morocco, and the Gulf of Mexico. Research Activities: • conservation gear engineering • socioeconomics of South Florida recreational fishing tournaments • effects of anthropogenic contaminants in coastal pelagic fishes • age and growth of tunas and mesopelagic fishes • electronic tagging of tunas and swordfish • trophic analyses of coastal pelagic fishes, mangrove fishes, and seabirds • modeling and description of fisheries bycatch interactions M.S. student Brittnee Barris collecting shrimp in the Florida Keys OC students from the Fisheries Research Laboratory collect specimens during the tournament M.S. student Travis Moore