The USF Center for Maritime and Port Studies

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Personnel

Mark E. Luther, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director, Center for Maritime and Port Studies, USF College of Marine Science
Office phone: (727) 553-1528
Fax: (727) 553-1189
Cell: (727) 410-2838
Email: mluther@usf.edu
CV: View PDF

Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Mathematics and Physics A.B. 1976
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physical Oceanograpy M.S. 1980
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physical Oceanograpy M.S. 1982

Bio: Dr. Luther received his doctoral degree in Physical Oceanography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1982. Dr. Luther is an Associate Professor and director of the Ocean Monitoring and Prediction Lab and director of the Center for Maritime and Port Studies in the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. Dr. Luther co-directs the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System for West Florida (http://comps.marine.usf.edu/) with Dr. Robert Weisberg. Dr. Luther’s research involves the combination of real-time ocean observations with numerical models of ocean currents and processes and their application to various problems ranging from maritime safety and security to water quality in estuaries and effects of climate change. He has provided operation and maintenance support for the NOAA/NOS Tampa Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (TB-PORTS) since 1995. He was a member of the committee that selected and oversaw implementation of the first Automated Identification System (AIS) for Tampa Bay vessel traffic in 1998. He presently serves on the Tampa Bay Harbor Safety and Security Committee Vessel Movement Committee, the DHS Area Maritime Security Committee, and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Agency on Bay Management.

Steven Meyers, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Center for Maritime and Port Studies, USF College of Marine Science
Office phone: (727) 553-1188
Fax: (727) 553-1189
Cell: (941) 720-4204
Email: smeyers@usf.edu
CV: View PDF

Education: ONR Educator Postdoctoral Fellow, 1991-1993. Florida State University.
Faculty Advisor: James J. O’Brien
Ph.D. Physics, 1990. University of Texas at Austin.
Faculty Advisor: Harry L. Swinney
B.S. Physics and B.A. Mathematics, 1984. University of Rochester.

Bio: Dr. Meyers is the Chief Scientist at the Ocean Center for Maritime and Port Studies at the University of South Florida, College of Marine Science. He has over two decades of experience working with estuarine circulation models and observational data. His work includes studies of ocean wind, waves, tides, currents, fresh water influences, natural and anthropogenic climate variability, and large-scale human construction. His current work includes big data problems to enhance maritime domain awareness through the use of operational oceanographic data, and the interaction between maritime operations and the environment.

Laura Azevedo
Ph.D. student
Cell (727) 631-9579
Email: laurac8@usf.edu

Bio: My research is focused on the integration of AIS maritime data with meteorological and oceanographic / weather data. I work with Dr. Mark Luther and Dr. Steven Myers trying to improve maritime transportation, make it more efficient, safer and more profitable with the right monitoring and forecasting information. Our studies include analysis of vessels behaviors in relation to specific weather occurrences; how ship wake and overall disturbance affects the local metocean data and forecast. We are responsible for maintaining most of Tampa Bay ports metocean monitoring stations and we work closely with NOAA and the Ports Authority to make sure that the metocean information received is accurate and the equipment is working well. Our goal is to improve maritime routing, maneuvering and berthing, to make maritime voyages safer and more efficient. At the same time, we help ports by providing the latest technology on weather and ocean monitoring and forecast.

Sean Beckwith
Ph.D. student
Cell (727) 744-2176
Email: stbeckwith@usf.edu
CV: View CV

Bio: After focusing on ocean chemistry during my Master’s degree at the USF College of Marine Science, I have shifted interests to the technology behind the measurements, such as sensors that capture the temperature, salinity, oxygen content, light availability and nutrient levels in the coastal waters around Florida. Working closely with the CMS Ocean Technology Group, I analyze the data from sensors carried aboard our fleet of semi-autonomous underwater gliders. I am looking for ways to utilize machine learning practices to elucidate trends in the large amount of data collected by the gliders. Part of my dissertation will explore the use of glider flight data to derive course bathymetric maps. I intend to use machine learning algorithms and other statistical methods to improve those maps, which can inform high-resolution bathymetric mapping efforts.

Rebecca Riccardi
Master's student
Cell (845) 608-9774
Email: Rebecca Riccardi
CV: View CV

Bio: My research is focused on deep-sea circulation dynamics in relation to deep-sea mineral extraction. With the current global transition to sustainable energy and technology, there is increased demand for rare earth minerals and increased pressure on mining operations. Current terrestrial mining methods are both unsafe and unreliable because of dangerous working conditions, habitat destruction, health hazards, and rising political tension. My research seeks to support an alternative to the many negative effects of terrestrial extraction, by ensuring safe deep-sea extraction operations that will be conducted to prevent significant ecological disruption in the benthic environment. The goal of my project is to determine the velocity profile and turbulence characteristics in the benthic boundary layer. These results will be used to more accurately model sediment transport from extraction operations and predict the impact of these plumes on the benthic environment.

Alumni

Thomas Wahl, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scientist
Currently Professor at the University of Central Florida

Education: 03/2008 – 06/2012 PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Siegen, Germany

Monica Wilson, Ph.D.

Gulf Oil Spill Research Extension Specialist
Florida Sea Grant College Program UF/IFAS Extension

USF College of Marine Science – KRC 3115
Office Phone: (727) 553-3516
Email: MonicaWilson447@ufl.edu
140 Seventh Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Education: Ph.D., Marine Science, University of South Florida
M.S., Marine Science, University of South Florida
B.S., Marine Science and Computer Science, Eckerd College