Consortium Welcomes Pestorius as Education Graduate Assistant

Elle Pestorius joined the Consortium’s Education Program and provides support for marine science and STEM education efforts, including the From Seeds to Shoreline® program, marine debris outreach, and educator professional development.

Pestorius is currently earning a M.S. in marine biology from the College of Charleston (CofC). Her thesis research focuses on a longitudinal comparison study of the biomass and diversity of a macroalgal community in Waikīkī, Hawai‘i. Pestorius has also served as a teaching assistant for introductory biology, fish biology, and oceanography courses for undergraduates at CofC. While working on a B.S. in marine biology with a minor in environmental and sustainability studies from CofC, she completed a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, studying the ecophysiology of native- and invasive-macroalgal species within Charleston, S.C.

Water-Level Monitoring Helps Prepare Communities for Future Flooding

The Consortium has joined the Southeast Water Level Network by partnering with the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) to develop the South Carolina Water Level Monitoring Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to deploy ultrasonic sensors across the state, focused on observational gaps where flood risk is high, and to assist communities in better understanding local water levels and flooding hazards.

In the first five years of the project (2020-2024), expanding water-level observation in the Pee Dee River watershed was a priority, resulting in the deployment of four new water-level sensors in this region. During 2025-2029, the Consortium is focused on expanding the deployment of water-level sensors in counties that contain at least part of a coastal watershed, and is coordinating a regional team of Southeast Sea Grant programs that are also expanding water-level sensor networks in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina with funding from SECOORA.

As of March 2025, four water-level sensor locations have been identified by the Consortium as a part of this initiative. Sensors have been installed by SECOORA partners in the following locations in S.C.: Crooked Creek in Bennettsville; Jeremy Creek in McClellanville; Little Pee Dee River in Marion; and the Black River in Kingstree.

Contact Ke’Ziyah Williamson, Water Level Monitoring specialist, at (843) 953-2078 or Landon Knapp, Coastal Resilience Program manager, at (843) 953-2091 for information on how to have a water-level sensor installed in your coastal community.

A water-level sensor installed in an estuary near Myrtle Beach, S.C. Photo: Burroughs and Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University.

Special thanks to Hailey Murphy, Coastal Public Information coordinator, for providing this research and outreach update.

Eleven Selected for Commercial Seafood Apprenticeship Program

The Consortium’s Commercial Seafood Apprenticeship Program (CSAP) recently selected 11 individuals to participate in the immersive program: Conner Bostwick, Emily Dunn, Colby Gavigan, Emily Hansen, Khalil Johnson, Abigail Krug, Carter Murray, Seth Reynolds, Quintin Smalls, Carson Sparks, and Emily Watts. By the end of May 2025, the apprentices will be AMSEA Safety Drill Conductor certified, CPR/First Aid certified, and will have completed over 120 hours of classroom and on-the-job training in safety, seamanship, and navigation; boat and gear operation and maintenance; fisheries science, management, and engagement; and seafood business operations.

CSAP, funded by the NOAA National Sea Grant Office and the USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program, is the first such apprenticeship program in the Southeast, and this is the second year the program has been presented. CSAP offers one month of paid job training that provides the knowledge and skills needed to start a career in commercial fishing or mariculture. The program is designed in partnership with Clemson University and offered by the Consortium in collaboration with commercial fishing operations and mariculture growers in McClellanville, S.C.

Visit the CSAP website or contact Jocelyn Juliano, Living Marine Resource specialist, at (843) 953-2098 for more information.

In 2024, Captain Jeff Spahr and his deck hand teach the apprentices how to identify and prepare oyster “singles” for seafood restaurants and markets. Photo: Hailey Murphy, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

Educators Examine Light Microscopy During Workshop

Fourteen formal and nonformal educators from around the state recently participated in a “Learn to Use Microscopes Teacher Workshop” at Hollings Marine Laboratory, where they gained knowledge about the history of microscopy, concepts such as resolution vs. magnification, and specialized techniques of light microscopy. Fundamentals of microscope use, photography, and how to clean and repair microscopes also were covered. Consortium educators partnered with researchers at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science to deliver the workshop, which featured presenters Steve Morton, research oceanographer, Jennifer Maucher Fuquay, environmental scientist, and Andrew Shuler, environmental specialist.

Participants also learned about a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), which is shared by NOAA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, S.C. Department of Natural Resources, Medical University of South Carolina, and College of Charleston. The SEM is used for many purposes, including identifying phytoplankton samples from around the world and analyzing the amount of nickel and other metals in dolphin teeth, an indicator of dolphin exposure to oil spills. Each educator then prepared a slide and practiced what they were taught on a light microscope; a Q&A session wrapped up the day. Microscope cleaning kits were provided, as well as information on how they can implement microscope use in their classrooms, with suggested alignment to 2021 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards.

For more information about this workshop and upcoming educator professional development opportunities, contact Morgan Treon, Marine Education specialist, at (843) 953-2086 or E.V. Bell, Education and Outreach manager, at (843) 953-2085.

An educator observes the content of a slide on a light microscope. Photo: Susan Ferris Hill, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.