Rising Tides Newsletter - Sept. 2023

Deep-diving gliders capture key ocean data for hurricane forecasting

The Center for Ocean Technology receives new funding for its glider program courtesy of NOAA! The funding supports three glider deployments over two years to collect key ocean data such as temperature and salinity, which can help experts predict hurricane intensity.

The Western Flyer has landed

After a 4,000-mile journey, a 117-foot twin-hulled ship granted to the University of South Florida (USF) is docked at its new home port in St. Petersburg, where it will be operated by Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) to offer transformative opportunities for students to explore and advance the field of ocean science. Congrats to grad student Catalina Rubiano, who spoke at a celebratory event held July 12th about the power of at-sea experiences for students.

View the The Western Flyer YouTube Short Below

An Ocean Hero, A Mentor to so Many, A Friend to All

We are sad about the passing of Dr. John Ogden, who died peacefully on Monday, June 25, 2023. Enjoy reading more about his tremendous legacy as described in the obituary shared by his family. We also include comments from three local leaders whose respect for John runs as deep as John’s impact on this planet and its people. Rest in peace, John. We will miss you.

ICYMI: COMIT’s summer blog series

Students and staff on the COMIT team did a great job crafting a series of blog posts that captured their life and work aboard NOAA’s R/V Nancy Foster.

Check out the entries from June 15 to July 21, 2023.

Ocean Optics 101

Chuanmin Hu was invited to write a publication in Physics Today called “Ocean optics illuminates aquatic algae.” Check it out for a great primer.

NEWS FLASH! International Conference Coming Soon to St. Pete! Nov 14-17, 2023 – Chuanmin Hu and team are hosting the International Ocean Color Conference.

Faculty updates

It’s a dynamic time at CMS. We warmly welcome two new biological oceanography faculty members: Margaret “Maggi” Mars Brisbin and Dreux Chappell. In addition we are pleased to welcome Patrick Rafter, one of our new chemical oceanography faculty members. Patrick will officially join us in December. 

The great seaweed invasion

Check it out. Congrats to Chuanmin Hu and Brian Barnes for their participation in this 2-minute docu-style piece about Sargassum.

Fall 2023 CMS Faculty Seminar

At the start of the fall semester, seven distinguished faculty members presented their latest research to the College of Marine Science community. 

This year’s seminar featured presentations that covered a wide range of global research topics and highlighted the commitment of the CMS faculty to advance their understanding of ocean systems through innovative research. 

Tracking CMS successes 

• At the annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society last month, Steve Murawski was recognized with the Award of Excellence, the Society’s highest award for scientific achievement. Congratulations Steve for this prestigious and well-deserved award!
• Congrats to CMS alum David Mearns! He won the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) Certificate of Achievement for his “pioneering data analysis and modeling leading to the successful location of Shackleton’s Endurance wreck. 
• Congrats to Brad Seibel, who contributed a chapter to a book coming out in September called Climate Change and Estuaries, Climate Change and Estuaries - 1st Edition - Michael J. Kennish - Hans (routledge.com). Brad’s chapter is called “Animal Response to Hypoxia in Estuaries and Effects of Climate Change.”
• Three cheers for our summer graduates: Thea Bartlett, MS (Rosenheim); Hannah Schwaiger, MS (Peebles/Judkins); Savannah Hartman, PhD (Muller-Karger); and Nicola Guisewhite, MS (Chambers/Rosenheim).
• Congrats to Natalia, who was included in the Davidson Fellowship Newsletter in July.
• David Naar shares the news that a CMS alum whom he’d advised as a Master’s student, Monica Wolfson-Schwehr, now at contractor for NOAA, is doing incredible work in seafloor mapping, geodesy and related innovative technologies. See, for example:
• JGR Earth Surface publication
• Story by MBAR on her work
• CMS grad student Hallie Repeta was awarded the 2023 Forage Fish Research Program Fellowship, where she will be collaborating with FWRI researchers on Florida forage fish. 

A great loss – and extraordinary legacy

We mentioned in the last issue that the legendary Karen Steidinger passed June 11, 2023 at age 84. The Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, is aptly named after Karen, who dedicated her tireless career to better understanding its life cycle. She was a friend, collaborator and inspiration for so many here in the CMS community. There will be a celebration of life for Karen on September 9 at FWRI.