People

Aurora Gaona-Hernández - Hi there! I am a postdoctoral research associate working under the advisement of Dr. John Carroll. I completed my academic training at top institutions, including UNAM (B.S. in Biology), CICESE (M.S. in Marine Ecology), and Texas A&M University at Galveston (Ph.D. in Marine Biology). Throughout my career, I have worked as a laboratory technician for the Gulf of Mexico Research Consortium and as a teaching assistant at Texas A&M. My research experience includes coastal ecosystem monitoring, oyster disease ecology, quantitative ecological analysis, and marine zooplankton. I joined Georgia Southern University in Fall 2025 as a postdoc, where I study salt marsh communities, disease ecology, and perform statistical modeling. I am also gaining experience in grant writing and mentoring. In the coming years, I aim to become a full-time researcher focused on “Climate and Health,” with the goal of understanding the past, present, and future of marine health and its connections to climate variability. 

Zach Czoer - I am a PhD student pursuing a degree in Environmental Science. My research interests include coastal sedimentary systems, blue carbon capture, and salt marsh ecosystem restoration. Before joining the CRABEY Lab, I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science at The Ohio State University (2020), specializing in Ecosystem Restoration; as well as, a Master of Science degree in Coastal, Marine, and Wetland Studies from Coastal Carolina University (2023), where I conducted thesis research focused on the creation of a proxy reconstruction of late Holocene relative sea-level changes in the northern Gulf of Mexico through collection and analysis of salt marsh peat. My current research focuses on monitoring changes in shoreline morphology and blue carbon stocks in Georgia salt marshes following shell-bag oyster reef restoration through analysis of sediment characteristics, geospatial data, and gaseous fluxes within these systems. 

Brianna Nicholson - Hey! I am an Environmental Science PhD student in the CRABEy lab. I received my B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of West Florida, where I spent two years studying microplastics in Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata) populations along the Florida Gulf Coast. I've also worked as an intern coordinator, where I oversaw coastal monitoring projects including coastal erosion, HAB monitoring, and sea turtle nesting. I started at Georgia Southern in Fall 2025, and I study Ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissa) populations in Georgia salt marshes! Specifically, I work with GCE LTER long-term data to understand how changing climate conditions may impact Ribbed mussel morphometric patterns, metabolic activity, and contributions to marsh functionality on Sapelo Island, Georgia.  

Autumn Sellars - I am a graduate student under Dr. John Carroll at Georgia Southern University and the newest victim of the Crabey Lab. I got into Marine Biology by not going to the beach but watching too many nature channels (especially by Sir David Attenborough). I spent my undergrad at the University of West Georgia asking questions and grabbing turtles. I am currently at Georgia Southern University to obtain my Masters Degree and am studying the buffering effects of growing Ulva (an Algae) and oysters together under high CO2 conditions. Even though organism culturing is calling my name at the moment, I also enjoy looking at invasive species and habitat restoration.  

Piper Davis - I am a current Master's student in Biology at Georgia Southern University. Before joining the Crabey Lab, I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of South Carolina Beaufort. My research experience includes sea turtle monitoring, marine invertebrate DNA extraction, and working with eDNA across saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, including a specific focus on oyster reefs, which sparked my deep interest in shellfish. My thesis work examines the predator-prey relationship between Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and one of their top predators, blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), specifically looking at how boring sponge infestation (Cliona spp.) influences these prey dynamics. In the future, I hope to apply my research and field experience to shellfish protection, monitoring, and restoration. I am also passionate about contributing to environmental restoration and monitoring efforts that promote resilient, functioning ecosystems.