Rising Tides Newsletter - December 2021
Chemical oceanographer Kristen Buck led five major research cruises aboard the R/V Weatherbird II between May and June 2021 in response to the spill at Piney Point. Shown here are two members of the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) crew prepping a CTD for deployment on the initial cruise. (Left: Andrew Kingsley, Assistant Engineer. Right: Grady Smith, Cook, & Deckhand) Thank you all for a tremendous effort, and for allowing us to add some holiday cheer to the image. Credit for original image: Cliff McBride, USF St. Petersburg campus.
First mission to map coastal areas in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico using an ‘uncrewed’ vessel
“We’re excited to figure out the best mix of agile technologies for surveying complex, shallow areas — a top priority for Florida, the nation and the globe,” Steve Murawski said. 


We held a press conference on December 9th tied to the mapping mission. Be sure to check out the awesome multimedia and the media coverage.
MBON the focus of Oceanography special issue
Congrats to the contributors, including Frank Muller-Karger, Chris Stallings, Cara Estes, Enrique Montes, Dan Otis, and Megan Hepner-Medina.
CMS faculty highly ranked nationally
“This is a remarkable achievement, and I’m pleased that our faculty and their teams are getting the attention they deserve,” said dean Tom Frazer. “The innovative work being done by all of our faculty is the reason we are on such a strong growth trajectory here at the College of Marine Science.”
The CMS is the centerpiece of a new Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence in Environmental & Oceanographic Sciences here on the USF St. Petersburg campus. Work toward the center is underway. A new building that will serve as a hub for the center is the top legislative request for USF this year. In addition, the Flood Hub for Applied Research & Innovation – based at the CMS – will start hiring in early 2022. Go, CMS!
Gokushoviruses – ever heard of them? (We hadn’t either. Read on.)
CMS PhD student Natalie Sawaya authors a paper that sheds light on this elusive – yet ubiquitous – virus. 
Life through the eyes of a hogfish
Unlike other reef fish species, hogfish catches have been historically dominated by spearfishing gears rather than hook-and-line, writes CMS alum Meghan Emory (Faletti). FYI: this photo was also our Photo of the Month in November!
Wish you were in Antarctica?

Maybe, maybe not -- but it’s pretty cool to give it a test drive from the comfort of your couch. Brad Rosenheim and his team were part of a groundbreaking expedition to Antarctica a few years back. A slice of their expedition was recently converted into a virtual tour – so have a look!
What happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica
“If this part of Antarctica were to melt completely, global sea levels would rise about 15 feet, which would displace millions of people worldwide, including most people in the state of Florida,” said Amelia Shevenell.

  • Congrats to Steve Murawski, a featured speaker in the November “State of Science” event held by the St. Petersburg Innovation District. Steve shared highlights from the coastal mapping mission featured in our lead newsletter story.
  • Pam Muller is featured on the “Daring to Dig – Women in American Paleontology” showcased by The Museum of the Earth. Go, Pam!
  • Congrats, Gary Mitchum, who is named as one of the people Mayor Rick Kriseman is thankful for in this article. “His work on climate change and sea level rise, right here in our backyard, is invaluable. I am hopeful that Mayor-elect Welch will continue to lean on Gary,” said Kriseman.  
  • Congrats, CMS alum Melanie McField. Excellent feature story on her pioneering work on coral reef health and the reason she was awarded the 2021 Coral Reef Conservation Award.
Mark R. Hafen MURP Diversity Scholarship

CMS alum Mark Hafen just retired after more than 20 years at USF. He taught urban environmental policy, coastal management and planning, and climate change policy, and served as Program Director for the USF Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP). He recently established the Mark R. Hafen Diversity scholarship to support MURP students with preference given to diverse students from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups. The goal of raising $15,000 will permanently endow this fund—ensuring that a scholarship can be awarded into perpetuity to MURP students that can help grow the diversity of the program. Wow, Mark, what a legacy. CMS is proud and we wish you the BEST!
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