News & Events
Recent Events
The members of the Kiel Reese lab hosted the eDNA Source Tracking Toolkit Workshop at the ÇÑ×ÓÊÓÆµ on April 25, 2025. This workshop guided stakeholders and community partners in implementing the eDNA Source Tracking Toolkit, which is a resource for utilizing eDNA metagenomics as a fecal source tracking tool. This toolkit and workshop are funded by the Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Division grant MX-02D17922. For more information, please visit the Toolkit website https://sites.google.com/view/ednatoolkit/
Student News
Hall, Hansen, Pickett, and Russell Receive Awards
The Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences celebrated outstanding students, donors, and industry partners during the Annual Donor Appreciation Night. The program was held on the first floor of the Education and Outreach Building on the evening of March 26th. Each year, the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences presents the Outstanding Student Award to students demonstrating outstanding performance. There are three categories of awards: undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Olivia Pickett, Marissa Hall, Joe Hansen, and Christa Russell.
Heck Award Winner: Olivia Pickett, Undergraduate
Honorable Mention: Marissa Hall, Undergraduate
Pictured from left: Olivia Pickett, Marissa Hall

Nelson Award Winner: Joe Hansen, Master's Student
Pictured from left: Joe Hansen,Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael

Shipp Award Winner: Christa, Russell, Ph.D. student
Pictured from left: Chista Russell, Dr. Lee Smee
Faculty News
Congratulations to our faculty on their publications from January 2025-Present!
Dr. Mark Albins & Dr. Sean P. Powers.
Cox, T. E., Boyle, K. S., Albins, M. A., Powers, S. P., Cebrian, J. (2025). Carbon production at shallow-water artificial reef ecosystems relies on water column primary productivity. Limnology and Oceanography,
Dias, P. J., Lehman, R., Huerta-Beltrán, B. L., Wheeler, A., Hightower, C. L., Heise, J., Switzer, T., Rhode, C., Drymon, J. M., Stokes, L., Albins, M. A., Powers, S., Phillips, N. (2025). A novel ddPCRTM assay for eDNA detection and quantification of Greater Amberjack Seriola dumerili and three congeners in US waters: challenges and application to fisheries independent surveys. Peer J 13:e18778 .
Dr. Jahson Alemu
Alemu, J.B., 2025. Perceptions and Adaptive Strategies of Artisanal Fishers to a Changing Environment. Regional Studies in Marine Science, p.104045. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352485525000362
Yando, E.S., Alemu, J.B., Lim, K.E., Sloey, T.M., van Breugel, M., Bhatia, N. and Friess, D.A., 2025. Edge effects impact blue carbon dynamics across coastal ecotones in a tropical seascape. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(1), pp.54-67. https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.12734
Dr. Jahson Alemu & Dr. Steven Scyphers
Alemu, J.B., Hughes, A.R., Osland, M.J., Swinea, S.H., Thorne, K.A., Bardou, R., Shepard, C.C. and Scyphers, S.B., 2025. Waterfront property owners' shoreline preferences amid salt marsh to mangrove transitions. People and Nature. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pan3.10794
Swinea, S.H., Hughes, A.R., Osland, M.J., Shepard, C.C., Thorne, K.B., Alemu, J.B., Bardou, R. and Scyphers, S.B., 2025. Marshes to mangroves: Residential surveys reveal perceived wetland trade-offs for ecosystem services. Landscape and Urban Planning, 253, p.105203. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70259406
Dr. Ronald Baker
Baker R, Gittman R (2025) Co-funding robust monitoring with Living Shoreline construction is critical for maximizing beneficial outcomes. Estuaries and Coasts 48:5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-024-01433-9
zu Ermgassen PSE, DeAngelis B, Gair, JR, zu Ermgassen S, Baker R, Daniels A, Lee J, MacDonald TC, Meckley K, Ribera M, Grabowski JH (2025) Estimating fish and invertebrate density and production enhancement from seagrass nursery habitats along the Atlantic coast USA. Estuaries and Coasts 48:26. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70246699
Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael
Bouveroux, T., C. Sinclair, K. Barry, L. Clance, J. Hansen, K. Mullin, P. Rosel, R.H. Carmichael. Abundance and residency patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in freshwater-influenced estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquat Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 35: e70055. doi: 10.1002/aqc.70055 (P)
Dr. Abbey Hotard
Hotard, A. E., Ross, A. D. (2025). Home buyout without relocation: An examination of dissonant hazard mitigation perceptions among Gulf Coast residents. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 16(1).
Dr. Steven Scyphers
Cheng, H., McMahan, M.D., Scyphers, S.B., McClenachan, L. and Grabowski, J.H., 2025. Observations, perceptions and concerns
of the American lobster industry regarding the range-expansion
of Black Sea Bass. Marine Policy, 173, p.106517.
Moorman, T.G., Morris, D., Scyphers, S.B., Williamson, R.D. and Dunning, K.H., 2025. Recreational angler and stakeholder perceptions
of policy changes to recreational fishery management:
the case of red snapper devolution in the Gulf of Mexico. Ecology and Society, 30(1).
https://ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art2/
Dr. Alison Robertson
Turner AD, Maskrey BH, Stone D, Mudge EM, Robertson A. First Confirmed Occurrence of Ciguatera Poisoning in the UK from Imported Pinjalo Snapper (Pinjalo pinjalo). Mar Drugs. 2025 Feb 6;23(2):67. doi: 10.3390/md23020067. PMID: 39997191; PMCID: PMC11857775. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/2/67
Dr. Delbert Lee Smee
Belgrad, B.A., C. Lin*, C. Russell*, R. Cannon*, J. Lunt, D.L. Smee. 2025. Costs of induced defenses dissipate by maturity for diploid and triploid oysters. Aquaculture. 596:1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741796 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848624012584