Rising Tides Newsletter - June 2021
USF announces initial findings from Piney Point research

Many questions remain. “The area in the immediate vicinity of Port Manatee was subject to a spike in nutrient concentrations and a corresponding increase in phytoplankton abundance,” said CMS Dean Tom Frazer.
The CMS: a centerpiece of exciting changes at USF

USF, fastest-rising university in America, unveils a 10-year strategic plan. The College of Marine Science is well positioned to play a key role in the signature initiative focused on Sustainability, Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences.  The College will also be home to a new Flood Hub for Applied Research & Innovation. Also underway is a new Center of Excellence on Oceanographic and Environmental Sciences on the USF St. Petersburg’s campus. Stay tuned for the scoop on each of these exciting developments!
USF team joins new NSF diversity program
A cross-departmental team from USF is one of four groups chosen nationwide to participate in All-ABOARD, a two-year program to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives in STEM.
Marine Life 2030 endorsed as part of UN Decade of Ocean Science
Marine Life 2030, a program spearheaded by Frank Muller-Karger and other scientists around the globe, was endorsed as part of UN Decade of Ocean Science! “Societies everywhere need exactly this kind of sustained, all-hands-on-deck effort,” said CMS Professor Muller-Karger.
Modeling was key in Deepwater Horizon oil spill research. (So was consistent funding.)
“We are now in a much better position to forecast and assess damage and to support mitigation and recovery planning in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Associate Professor Cam Ainsworth. 
CMS scientists on the bottom (and top) of the world!
Melting polar ice sheets play a pivotal role in changing global sea levels, and are expected to contribute to a six-inch rise in Florida sea level by 2030. Get up to speed on just some of the recent research by the Southern Ocean Science team.
Concern for Antarctic krill
CMS Professor Brad Seibel and Researcher Tracy Shaw were part of a team that tracked the effects of a climate change double whammy on adult krill: warming temperature and ocean acidification. 
The Oceanography Camp for Girls celebrates its 30th birthday this year! Stay tuned for stories featuring Camp alum, and more! 
Congratulations & Awards

  • Congrats to Tim Conway who has officially been granted tenure in the College of Marine Science and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.

  • Congrats to Kristen Buck’s lab group. Delfina Navarro-Estrada and Salvatore Caprara sailed on the RSS Discovery as part of the NASA-led EXPORTS expedition. It was a rockin’ n’ rollin’ cruise that was not for weak stomachs! The goal of the cruise was to investigate how carbon makes it to the twilight zone and deep ocean interior and how long it stays there -- vital to understanding present and future ocean ecosystems and global climate.


Copyright 2021 University of South Florida. All rights reserved.
140 7th Avenue South St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
Contact Us or Call 727.553.1634