I am a marine botanist with main research emphasis on subtropical and tropical marine macroalgae, including ecological and floristic approaches. I study macroalgae in seagrass and reef ecosystems in South Florida and the Mexican Caribbean. I teach courses in marine biology and management of coastal ecosystems, particularly phycology and Marine Protected Areas. I am lucky to be the principal investigator of the MMRL where amazing students are the living force of the lab. I am also the Associate Chair of the Department of Biology. You can access my CV here.

I got my Ph.D. in 2018 focusing on the role of herbivory, habitat heterogeneity, and sedimentation on the community ecology of coral reefs in the Caribbean. After being a Postdoctoral scholar studying the ecology of freshwater fishes in the Everglades and a Research Scientist at SECORE International studying coral reef conservation and coral restoration, I am now an Assistant Teaching Professor at Florida International University. I focused on ecology and conservation of coral reefs. You can access my CV here

Research Interests: Marine macrophyte-invertebrate epifaunal interactions

I received my B.A. in Biology from California State University, San Bernardino in 2016 before making the cross-country trip over to Miami, Florida for my Ph.D. I am interested in the characteristics of marine macrophytes (seagrasses and macroalgae) that make them suitable biogenic habitat for small invertebrate epifauna. I study this in shallow coastal systems, which include seagrass beds, mangrove prop roots, and swash zones of sandy beaches, where I can compare these interactions between submerged and intertidal systems that are adjacent to each other. I am also the Communications Manager of the International Sargassum Network (SargNet) Listserv and manage the “Sargassum Watch - Community Science Project” run on the Epicollect5 app. Read more about our community science initiative here. You can access my CV here.

I'm a third year Ph.D student in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU. I'm interested in further contributing to understanding the impacts of climate change on blooming species of macroalgae in tropical and subtropical regions. As marine systems are predicted to change in the future, my dissertation research aims at determining the ecophysiological responses of pelagic Sargassum in South Florida with respect to fluctuating sea surface temperature, nutrient concentrations and carbon dioxide concentrations.

I’m a master's student enrolled in the Institute of Botany of São Paulo's graduate program in plant biodiversity and environment guided by Dr. Ligia Collado. My project focuses on the tissue nutrient content of pelagic and benthic species of Sargassum from Brazil and Florida.

I am a Honduran Biologist. I am interested in understanding more about the dynamics of marine areas in order to protect them. Currently I am in the master's program "Integrated Management of Tropical Coastal Areas" at the University of Costa Rica. I am researching the current situation with respect to floating Sargasso in the Caribbean of Central America. My focus is to create a management proposal of the Sargasso strands based on the collective experience of the region. This initiative is based on the absence of published information for this region, my major advisers are Dr. Cindy Fernandez from the University of Costa Rica and Dr. Ligia Collado-Vides from the Florida International University.

I am a recent alumna of Florida International University, having graduated with my Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences and working under Dr. Ligia Collado-Vides. As part of the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab, my work deals with processing Sargassum spp. and analyzing data on the nutrient and trace heavy metal content. Through my participation in the lab, I have gained experience in research and the chance to work with a team of talented individuals from different backgrounds.

I am a Senior at Florida International University double majoring in Marine Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies, with a minor in Chemistry. I have a desire to jump into all possible opportunities to work in the field of Marine Conservation with others that share my passion. Over the past year I have interned with several laboratories as well as U.S. Fish and Wildlife to experience hands-on research and to expand my skills as a scientist. My main focus is with the Macroalgae lab, studying large Sargassum landings on South Florida beaches. My goal is to identify whether they pose threats to sea turtle nests or hatchlings via excess nutrients or metals.

Hello everyone, my name is Nichole Calle and I am a Junior at FIU studying Biological Sciences. I am part of the macrophyte-invertebrate interactions team here at the MMRL, and my research consists of assessing invertebrate epifaunal assemblages on macroalgae. I hope one day to use my passion for social justice and nature conservation in a career that educates communities on the importance of our environment. 

I am a biology major on the pre-med track and I will be a senior this upcoming year. My interest is on sea wrack that can be found in many bodies of water around the world. My research project is to understand what sea wrack provides to the invertebrates found within it. I am gathering data to understand if it provides shelter or nutrients for invertebrates in areas within and surrounding Miami.

I am currently pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I am a Haitian-American student with a passion to deliver GlobalHealth to countries and communities with health disparities. I plan to attend medical school upon graduation in Fall of 2020. I joined the macroalgae lab in Fall of 2019 and I study species composition and accumulation levels of Sargassum overtime at MJ state park.

Hello everyone, my name is Marydelis Lugo and I just started my senior year of undergrad this Fall 2020. I am majoring in Biological Sciences while on the pre-dental track. I just joined the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab in February. I am working with a group to collect and analyze sea wrack from beaches on the southeast Florida coast, to see how sea wrack affects our sandy beach environments. Also, through our research, we hope to understand whether the invertebrates that inhabit the sea wrack are using it as a source of habitat or nutrients.

I am starting my senior year this fall and I joined the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab in February 2020. I am part of a team that works on collecting and analyzing sea wrack samples from tidal and intertidal environments. With the data, we focus on the community-comparison of detritivores. We hope our research allows us to understand the abiotic and biotic impact of sea wrack in South Florida.

I am an undergraduate senior majoring in biological sciences. I have been with the lab since Fall 2019 and work with Lowell Iporac on his Citizen Science project. I focus on categorizing the accumulation of sargassum blooms and the different species present within them, analyzing how geographical location, time of year, and evidence of recent cleanup affect the blooms.

I am an undergraduate student at Florida International University finishing my senior year with a major in Biological Sciences.

Hello everyone I am currently a senior pursuing a degree in Biology with a certificate in Japanese Studies! During my time at FIU I've had the privilege of participating in different research projects designed by myself and a team of other students. I joined the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab in January 2021 where I help process red macroalgal samples and look forward to expanding my research skills!

I am a junior majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. I joined the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab in January 2021 and I am part of the LTER team.

I am a senior majoring in Environmental Science in the Natural Resources track with a minor in Marine Biology. I am currently working on a project with Dr. Alain Duran where we are looking at biomass data from Cuba. 

I've recently graduated from FIU in Fall 2020 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Anthropological and Sociological Studies. I'm an avid science lover, one of the many reasons why I chose to major in biology when beginning my college career. I joined the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab in January 2021 and I'm part of the LTER team.

My name is Sonia Rodriguez (she/her) and I am a Junior at FIU. I aspire to become a Veterinary surgeon and am very passionate about marine wildlife. I am working with Professor Duran researching "South Florida Marine Macroalgal Inventory."

Florida International University Alumna (2021) B.S. Biological Sciences. I am interested in the study of Crustose Coralline Algae. 

My name is Jose Sanz (he/him) and I am a biochemistry major. I have had a passion for marine life throughout my life and have focused my time and effort on learning about coastal environments. I began caring for and propagating coral at my house shortly after acquiring a dive license and seeing the beauty of a coral reef in person. I intend on studying marine chemistry in graduate school to pursue a career in coral conservation/propagation.

I am currently a junior majoring in Biology, a student tutor at the Student-Athlete Academic Center, and Undergraduate Researcher at the Marine Macroalgae Research Lab at Florida International University. Outside of FIU, I am also an active volunteer at the Miami Cancer Institute. I love medicine and my dream is to become an MD one day but I have also always been fascinated about research as well. Currently I study the effects of macrophyte habitat composition on invertebrate epifaunal composition. 

I am in my first year of undergraduate pursuing a  Behavioral Neuroscience major on a Pre-Med track. I aspire to further my education in Medical School and become a Neurosurgeon. I am very interested in the Marine Science field alongside the medical field. I look forward to furthering my knowledge of macroalgae by being part of the LTER group.