Zooplankton Ecology Lab
Students
Shaniqua Gladney
I am Shaniqua Gladney a Master’s student at the College of Marine Science, with a focus in biological oceanography. My research focuses on the abundance and distribution of zooplankton along two cross-gradient transects, one across the middle of the Gulf of Mexico from Tuxpan, Mexico, to St. Petersburg, FL, and one along coastal Cuba. Specifically, I am characterizing each station along these transects to determine if there are any unique patterns in the zooplankton community, using a Zooscan imaging system to analyze Bongo samples. My research will also provide information on the biodiversity in these two regions and information on possible biophysical interactions, by determining if there are any environmental variations impacting the zooplankton in these regions. By comparing and analyzing associated environmental parameters with diversity and common species or taxa between each station we can determine whether the zooplankton community diversity shows any indication of possible influences from environmental factors, such as temperature, salinity, or chlorophyll.
I am a Baltimore native, and I did my undergraduate studies at Morgan State University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Baltimore was where I developed a love for marine science through education and outreach programs that I’ve participated in during my middle and high school years. I look forward to pursuing a career in developing education and outreach programs, that allow students to enjoy hands-on science experiences, while also grasping major concepts to help further their knowledge in pursuing careers in scientific research. Outside of research I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking, rock climbing/working out, and being outdoors.
Kat Neilson
I am a Master’s student in Dr. Kendra Daly’s Zooplankton Ecology Lab. My research interests include zooplankton ecology and food web interactions, as well as the physical and biological factors that affect their populations in our oceans. In the past I have worked restoring oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay, and conducted research on zooplankton dynamics looking at corresponding populations of copepods, ctenophores, and sea nettles. While pursuing my Master’s at the College of Marine Science, I will be developing digital libraries and classification schemes of zooplankton collected at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve using FlowCam images, to assess the variability in seasonal and interannual abundance and distribution of zooplankton.
Carlyn Scott
A native of Virginia, Carlyn relocated to Florida when she attended Eckerd College for undergraduate studies. After she graduated with a B.S. in Marine Science, Carlyn held various positions – from teaching on the shores of Malibu, to assisting in marine snow research at USF - before applying to the CMS. Carlyn is pursuing a Master’s degree in Dr. Daly’s Zooplankton Ecology lab, where she is researching the abundance and distribution of larvaceans (appendicularians) in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, using data collected from a novel camera imaging system (SIPPER). In addition to her research, Carlyn is the Science Communication Assistant at the CMS and contributes to stories and social media for the college.