People - Past and Present

Postdoctoral Associate

Lauren Stefaniak was an integral member of the lab from 2014 to 2016.

She earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut in 2012 and is now an Assistant Professor at Coastal Carolina University .

Graduate Students

Stephanie Schopmeyer conducts field experiments at Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

Sarah Tso contemplates life after a dive at Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

Anne V. Holte (1998) Salinity-induced behavior and morphological responses in the larvae of three species of intertidal echinoderms. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 59 pp. (Anne is a free-lance writer in St. Petersburg, FL)
Kenyon B. Mobley (2001) Ultraviolet radiation and carotenoid pigmentation in symbiotic anthozoans. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 112 pp. (Kenyon received a PhD in the Department of Biology at Texas A&M University and is currently a Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Ecology in Plön, Germany)
Stephanie A. Schopmeyer (2002) The role of mucus in the ultraviolet radiation protection of Porites astreoides. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 72 pp. (Stephanie is an Associate Research Scientist at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in St. Petersburg, FL)
Sarah Tso (2003) Sex allocation in the Caribbean coral Porites astreoides. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 30 pp. (Sarah completed the masters program in the College of Social Work at Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL)

Rob Ruzicka inspects sponge samples collected off Georgia.

Lauren Wagner prepares to epoxy Oculina to the reef.

Carrie MacKichan counts coral recruits while working in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Chris Freeman prepares to dive at Gray's Reef

Leslie Sarmiento relaxes on the R/V Sam Gray after a dive.

Carrie A. Simmons (MacKichan) (2003) Effects of ultraviolet radiation on newly settled recruits of the reef-building coral Porites astreoides. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 58 pp. (Carrie completed a PhD in the Department of Fisheries at Auburn University, Auburn, AL and is now the Executive Director of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in Tampa, FL)
R. Robert Ruzicka (2005) Sponge community structure and anti-predator defenses on temperate reefs of the South Atlantic Bight. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 84 pp. (Rob is currently directing the coral reef monitoring program at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, FL).
Lauren M. Wagner (2006) Population genetic structure of the temperate scleractinian coral, Oculina arbuscula, in coastal Georgia. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 59 pp. (Lauren went on to complete a degree in veterinary medicine at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH).
Christopher J. Freeman (2007) Are chemical defenses allocated within sponges to defend regions most at risk to predator attack? M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 93 pp. (Chris earned a PhD in the Department of Biology at University of Alabama at Birmingham and is currently on the faculty in the Department of Biology at the College of Charleston).
Leslie V. Sarmiento (2008) Inducible chemical defenses in temperate reef sponges of the South Atlantic Bight, U.S.A. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 68 pp. (Leslie is Founder and Director of Huicundo Biological Research Station in Ecuador).

Lauren Divine switches out tanks in preparation for the next dive at J-Y Reef, Georgia

Kenan Matterson is geared up and ready to dive at J-Y Reef, Georgia

Brittany Poirson loads gear on a dive boat while on board the NOAA ship Nancy Foster

Alicia Reigel is ready to collect Megabalanus barnacles at one of the Navy towers off Georgia

Eli O'Cain preparing to conduct juvenile coral surveys in the Florida Keys

Lauren M. Divine (2011) Effects of sediment on growth and survival of various juvenile morphologies of the scleractinian coral, Oculina arbuscula (Verrill), M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 79 pp. (Lauren earned a PhD at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and is currently the Director of the Ecosystem Conservation Office for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, AK).
Kenan O. Matterson (2012) Microscale variation in light intensity and its effects on the growth of juveniles of the temperate coral, Oculina arbuscula, M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 71 pp. ( Kenan earned a PhD in the Department of Biology at University of Alabama - Birmingham and is now a Research Fellow in the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Science at the University of Bologna, Italy).
Brittany N. Poirson (2014) Sessile invertebrate colonization on rocky outcrops at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 71 pp. (Brittany is a Senior Faculty Research Assistant in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University).
Alicia M. Reigel (2015) The role of artificial structures in facilitating range expansion of the invasive barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma, in the southeastern U.S. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 88 pp. (Alicia earned a PhD at Louisiana State University and is now a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University).
Elijah D. O'Cain (2017) Development of a molecular assay for Caribbean coral identification. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 122 pp. (Eli is a Marine Technician with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division in Brunswick, GA).

Brianne Varnerin working with coral recruits in the ocean acidification lab

Erin Arneson preparing to collect Oculina samples at Gray's Reef

Alex Daniel with hatchling sea turtles in Florida

Brianne Varnerin (2018) An investigation into the physiological impacts of ocean acidification on recruits of the temperate coral, Oculina arbuscula. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 62 pp. (Brianne is now the Research Collection Manager at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Ft. Pierce, FL).
Erin Arneson (2021) The role of symbiotic algae in the acclimitization of Oculina arbuscula to ocean acidification. M.S. Thesis, Georgia Southern Univ., 71 pp.
Alex Daniel (In Progress, entered MS program in Fall 2022)

Alicia Reigel was featured in this Georgia Southern promotional video!

And check out this video featuring Alex Daniel and Erin Arneson working in our Ocean Acidification lab.

Undergraduate Research Students

Fiona Aitken (1997) MAAs and variability in coral bleaching.
Elizabeth Foster (1998) The relationship between the concentration of coral algal groups and the concentration of UV absorbing compounds along a depth gradient.
Stephanie Schopmeyer (1998-99) UV absorbing compounds in the larvae and adults of the coral Favia fragum.
Paul Barger (1999) Skeletal density and bioerosion rates in Caribbean corals.
Tonya Pickelsimer (1999) UV absorbing compounds in the Caribbean coral Montastrea faveolata.
Michael Hodges (2000) Plasticity in skeletal density in the Caribbean coral Porites astreoides.
Jessica Jones (2000-01) Seasonal variation in mycosporine-like amino acids in three species of Caribbean corals.
Brendon Harvey (2002-03) Ecology of the Asiatic clam in southeast Georgia.
Ross Bridges (2005) Variation in chemical defenses in the temperate sponge Axinyssa ambrosia.
Jade Nelson (2006) Differences in anti-predator defenses in above and below substrate portions of the temperate sponge Raspailia sp. (Note: Research Experience for Undergraduates student from South Carolina State University.
Leslie Sutton (2007) Spatial variation in sedimentation rates on temperate reefs of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
Kevin Macaulay (2009) A comparison of the efficiency of two extraction methods for removing anti-predator compounds from sponges.
Lacey Haley (2010) Population structure of the invasive barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma, in coastal Georgia.
Eli O'Cain (2011-13) The effect of private boat docks on benthic infauna of Georgia salt marshes.
Jamie Price (2012-13) Bioaccumulation and retention of Rhodamine WT dye in filter-feeding benthic invertebrates.
Hannah Sciarappa (2013-14) UV absorbing compounds in life stages of the upside-down jellyfish, Cassiopea xamachana
Brianne Varnerin (2014) The impact of low pH on sessile marine invertebrates residing on temperate offshore reefs of Georgia. (Note: Brianne was a visiting summer research student enrolled at Virginia Tech University).
Jennifer Tyson (2015) Relative abundances of the recently introduced barnacles, Megabalanus coccopoma and an unidentified species of Megabalanus, in the southeastern U.S.
Alexis Bivens (2017-18) Recovery of benthic invertebrate communities in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
Sarah Rogers (2018) Effects of high pCO₂ and temperature on the temperate coral Oculina arbuscula.
Alex Daniel (2020-21) Temporal variation in benthic community structure on temperate hard bottom reefs of Georgia.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Leslie Sutton (2005-2006)
Hampton Harbin (2005-2006)
Kevin Macaulay (2009)
Jessica Cain (2010)
Brandi Womack (2010)
Hannah Sciarappa (2011-2013)
Jamie Price (2011-2014)
John Atnip (2018)
Bailey Yarbrough (2019-2020)
Alex Daniel (2020-21)

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