Rising Tides Newsletter - May 2025

‘The Rising Tides Podcast’ explores cutting-edge ocean technologies in marine science

Designed for ocean experts and general audiences alike, “The Rising Tides Podcast” invites oceanographers to discuss their ground-breaking research through one-on-one conversations.

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Social Media News

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Students get hands on with the Florida High Tech Corridor

The College of Marine Science hosted five undergraduate interns who gained valuable research experience over the course of the semester.

From Tampa Bay to the Massachusetts coast: a CMS alum shares his story

Gregory Berman is a geological oceanographer who graduated from the USF College of Marine Science in 2002. After earning his master's degree, he dedicated himself to protecting natural resources, focusing on coastal resilience and sustainability.

Why do we study the ocean’s circulation? New book offers answers

In a new book, USF Distinguished University Professor Robert Weisberg addresses how to the movement of the ocean’s water impacts just about everything we experience on Earth. Here, Weisberg discusses his new book and why more people will benefit from understanding the physics of the ocean.

Fossil record reveals a bright spot for seagrass ecosystems

In a new study, researchers used fossils of mollusks to determine the long-term health of seagrass ecosystems along Florida’s Nature Coast. The results show these habitats have been relatively healthy for several millenia.

CMS in the News

Reporters from the Tampa Bay Times and Bay News 9 joined fishing trips with the team behind the Tampa Bay Surveillance Project.

A new system for forecasting sargassum, led by Brian Barnes, was featured in the Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, and Fox 13. Brian and Chuanmin Hu were also interviewed about sargassum by Fox Weather, USA Today, and other outlets.

Mark Luther spoke to 10 Tampa Bay about maritime safety since the Skyway Bridge disaster.

A colossal achievement

CMS alum Jyotika Virmani was quoted in an article by the BBC that covered the first-ever footage of a colossal squid.

Chuanmin Hu was recently recognized by USF for outstanding research achievements over the last five years and elected as a USF Distinguished University Professor.

Natalia López Figueroa successfully defended her dissertation. Read more about her accomplishments at USF and path forward.

Three members of the CMS community were celebrated for their long-term service at USF.
Teresa Greely, 30 years
Boris Galperin, 35 years
Joe Donnelly, 40 years

At the 2025 Student Research Awards Luncheon, Sophia Chernoch, Emily Kaiser, and Felipe Stanchak were inducted into Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society. Stanchak also received a student grant from USF’s Sigma Xi chapter. Bradley Nemeth was awarded at the luncheon for his work with the novel LiDAR sensor via funding through Florida High Tech Corridor.

Orion Scharton received the 2025 USF-CMS Vembu Subramanian MSAC Award.

Patrick Rafter was selected as a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Tampa Bay Surveillance Project published a fascinating article called “How do you age a fish?”

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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