Rising Tides Newsletter - August 2025

USF experts lead on sargassum research, monitoring, and prediction

As the seaweed plagues the Caribbean, researchers at the College of Marine Science publish new findings and refine monitoring efforts.

Undergraduates expand their skills through Making Waves research experience

A talented group of undergraduate students from around the country recently finished the Making Waves Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the College of Marine Science.

Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls celebrates another successful year of hands-on science

Now in its third decade, the Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls continues to inspire the next generation of scientists.

Local boaters help scientists map the seafloor

Led by the Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies, an initiative called Crowd the Bay supports more detailed seafloor maps for Tampa Bay, and serves as a blueprint for augmenting nautical charts across Florida, the nation, and beyond.

Social Media News

🌊Researchers and resource managers from across Florida and the Caribbean came together for a workshop focused on sargassum monitoring and forecasting, in the second meeting of the Management Transition Advisory Group.

Hosted by Brian Barnes and Chuanmin Hu of the University of South Florida College of Marine Science's Optical Oceanography Lab, the two-day event fostered collaboration around the growing challenges posed by sargassum blooms, and the tools and strategies needed to address them.

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🎉 Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Making Waves REU participants on a successful symposium! 🌊

For many, this marked their very first poster presentation—an exciting milestone in their research journeys. We are incredibly proud of everything they’ve accomplished this summer. Their hard work, curiosity, and growth were truly inspiring!

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CMS in the News

The Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls, which recently completed its 35^th summer, was featured in a great video by the Angari Foundation.

Research on hurricane intensification led by Chuanmin Hu and Yonggang Liu was featured in articles by the Miami Herald, USA Today, and others.

The work of Heather O’Leary, an assistant professor of anthropology and co-PI on the Tampa Bay Surveillance project, was featured in a recent article by The Guardian. O’Leary teamed up with student musicians at USF to interpret Florida’s oyster decline through jazz.

Congratulations to Mike Schram for the successful defense of his dissertation.
Congratulations to Hallie Repeta, a 2025 Florida Sea Grant Guy Harvey Fellow
Sending a warm welcome to all our new students and two new faculty members, geological oceanographers Trevor Williams and Dan Lowry!

Does your student, classmate, professor, or colleague deserve a shoutout in the next Rising Tides Newsletter? Contact Dyllan (dfurness@usf.edu) with suggestions.

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