CURRENT MEMBERS
Postdoctoral Researchers
Christopher Long — Chris joined the lab in December 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher working on bycatch estimation methods. Chris brings his expertise in sea turtle biology and ecology to bear on the Siders' lab research program and has joined ongoing collaborations with the Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center as well as with the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. Chris worked previously as a postdoctoral researcher with the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center after graduating with his Ph.D. from University of Central Florida.
- Long C.A., Ahrens R.N.M., Jones T.T. & Siders Z.A. (2024). A machine learning approach for protected species bycatch estimation. Frontiers in Marine Science 11, 1331292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1331292
- Siders Z.A., Murray C., Puloka C., Harley S., Duffy C., Long C.A., et al. (2024). Potential of dynamic ocean management strategies for western Pacific leatherback sea turtle bycatch mitigation in New Zealand. Frontiers in Marine Science11, 1342475. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1342475
Graduate Students
Selia Zimmermann — Selia joined the lab in January 2023 as a Ph.D. student whose thesis is working to quantify linkages between the target species and discard species as well as types of discards in the Gulf of Mexico recreational fishing sector. Selia's work is affiliated with the Return 'Em Right program and is funded by FL SeaGrant. Selia previously completed an undergraduate individual research project in the Siders' lab before graduating from University of Florida with a B.S. in Marine Science in May 2022.
Gabrielle Love — Gabby joined the lab in March 2023 as a research assistant before starting her Ph.D. in August 2023. Gabby's Ph.D. research is on shark community ecology and understanding factors that drive shark bycatch in pelagic tuna and swordfish fisheries. Her previous work as a research assistant focused on population and community ecology of oyster habitat associated fauna. Gabby completed her M.S. at University of Florida in May 2022 under Dr. Ed Camp and collaborated with the Siders' lab while publishing her M.S. research.
- Love G.D., Siders Z.A., Gandy D., Pine W.E., Baker S. & Camp E.V. (2024). Estuarine nekton community shows minimal response following large-scale oyster reef habitat loss in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. Hydrobiologia 851, 3925–3942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-024-05548-9
- Love G.D., Siders Z.A., Gandy D.A., Pine W.E., Baker S. & Camp E.V. (2024). Unexpected stability in faunal population abundances following an estuary‐wide collapse of oysters. Ecosphere 15, e4857. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4857
Lillian Self — Lillian joined the lab in August 2024 as a M.S. student coming from the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Louisiana. Lillian's research is focused on using trait-based approaches to understand freshwater turtle biodiversity.
Jirani Welch — Jirani joined the lab in August 2021 as a M.F.A.S. student whose research project focuses on the guinea chick fishery in Bermuda. Jirani works full-time as a Marine Resource Extension Officer for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Bermuda.
Eric Louwerens - Eric joined the lab in August 2024 as a M.F.A.S. student whose research project focuses on the conservation of the Delta Smelt in California. Eric works full-time as a Biological Scientist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at their Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office.
Undergraduate Researchers
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Eleni Rodriguez — Eleni joined the lab in May 2023 as a Marine Science undergraduate working on her undergraduate thesis on understanding how reef fish functional traits correlated with reproductive mode and mating systems.
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William Edwards — Will joined the lab in May 2024 as a Natural Resource and Conservation undergraduate working on his capstone project on understanding the selection of pelagic fisheries on shark functional traits. Will graduate in August 2024.
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ALUMNI
Undergraduate Researchers
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William Patrone — Will joined the lab in 2022 as an undergraduate volunteer looking to gain additional R coding experience. Will led the collection, collation, and summarization of shark vertical distributions contributing to a 2024 publication before graduating in 2022 from the University of Florida with a B.S. Will has since started his graduate studies at the University of Washington.
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Shelbie Ishimaru — Shelbie joined the lab remotely from University of California Davis in late 2021 as part of completing her undergraduate thesis research with collaborators at the NOAA PIFSC Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program. Shelbie graduated from UC Davis in 2022 and continued on with the lab as a research technician working on data management, integration, and analysis for the Lalo green sea turtle monitoring program in the NW Hawaiian Islands by NOAA PIFSC MTBAP. Shelbie left to join NOAA PIFSC MTBAP as a technician monitoring the Lalo green sea turtle population and then onto her graduate studies at the University of Hawaii.
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Katherine Loesser — Katie joined the lab in 2019 as an undergraduate research technician working on a University of Florida Biodiversity Institute Faculty Seed Grant titled "Integrating biodiversity informatics and dimensions of shark biodiversity in the pelagic realm." Katie was an integral team member in the collation of shark functional traits and led the collection of shark dental photogrammetry. Katie turned her hard work into an undergraduate honor's thesis before graduating. Katie graduated with a B.S. from University of Florida in 2021 before going to Louisiana State University for her M.S. graduate studies in Mike Polito's lab. Katie is now working with the NOAA RESTORE program.
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