Smithsonian Marine Station • National Museum of Natural History

2015 Annual Report

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce

The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce (SMSFP) is 

a center for research and education in the marine sciences, 

specializing in studies of biodiversity and ecology of the 

marine and estuarine ecosystems of central and south 

Florida. The facility is a field station of the Smithsonian 

Institution, administered by the National Museum of 

Natural History (NMNH). The Station provides unique 

opportunities to conduct marine field research, with the 

availability of excellent laboratory facilities, in a region of 

the continental United States with high marine biodiversity. 

The Smithsonian Marine Station hosts Smithsonian 

scientists and their colleagues from around the world, with 

over 100 scientific visitors annually.

Table of Contents

 2 Smithsonian Marine Station

 5 Research Highlights and Briefs

33 Education and Outreach

44 Staff and Administration

45 Fellows and Interns

46 Scientific Publications

50 Station Visitors

51 Friends of SMS

Photo credit:Tom Smoyer52 Volunteers

On the Cover

Invertebrates collected from the 

Indian River Lagoon. Photos by 

Katrina Bayliss, SMS Research 

Technician. 
The Smithsonian Marine Station is located 

on the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), an estuary 

extending along more than one third the length 

of the east coast of Florida. The IRL is widely 

recognized as one of the most diverse estuaries 

in North America and has been designated by 

the Environmental Protection Agency as an 

Estuary of National Significance. This region of 

Florida’s coast, characterized as a transitional 

zone where temperate and tropical waters overlap, 

offers access to a great variety of habitats and an 

extraordinary diversity of both temperate and 

tropical species. In the Indian River Lagoon the 

variety of habitats ranges from mangroves, salt 

marshes, and seagrass beds to sand and mud 

flats, and intertidal oyster beds. Along the coastal 

shores of the barrier islands, which separate the 

lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean, are long stretches 

of sandy beaches, and in the nearshore waters, 

paralleling the shoreline, are a series of ridges 

formed by coquina outcrops, which in shallow 

waters provide a substratum for sabellariid worm 

reefs. The broad continental shelf with its sandy 

plains and shoals extends offshore to the Florida 

Current, a component of the Gulf Stream System. 

Along the edge of the continental shelf just to the 

north of Fort Pierce and continuing northward for 

167 km is a unique Oculina coral reef formation. 

Located at depths from 70-100 m and consisting 

of pinnacles 3-35 m in height, this unusual 

deep water ahermatypic (lacking zooxanthellae) 

Oculina reef formation has been recognized 

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce
by the National Oceanographic Atmospheric 

Administration as a Habitat Area of Particular 

Concern. To the south of Fort Pierce, within a few 

hours of travel, are Florida Bay and the Florida 

Keys, the only living tropical coral reefs in the 

continental United States. 

While 2015 marked the 45th year of the 

Smithsonian’s research program in Fort Pierce, 

it was the 16th year of operation at its location 

on Causeway Island along the Fort Pierce Inlet. 

The campus on Causeway Island has allowed 

the Smithsonian Marine Station to increase 

and strengthen the breadth and diversity of 

its research and to attract new collaborative 

interactions. It provides offices and individual 

laboratories for visiting scientists, resident 

staff, and postdoctoral fellows, a conference 

room and computer room, and general use 

laboratories for chemistry, histology, molecular 

work, confocal microscopy, preparations for 

electron microscopy, and two wet labs. Programs 

currently housed at and/or administered by 

SMS include the Chemical Ecology Program, 

the Life Histories Program, the Benthic Ecology 

Program, the Marine Conservation Program, 

the Mangrove Ecology Program (administered 

by the Smithsonian Environmental Research 

Center), and the Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems 

Program. SMS is also one of four sites within the 

Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, 

part of the Smithsonian’s Marine Global Earth 

Observatory (MarineGEO) initiative.

Research

The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce is a central 

participant in marine research at the National Museum of 

Natural History. It provides a vital link between tropical 

and temperate ecosystems in the Smithsonian’s coastal 

network of marine research stations, which includes an 

array of laboratories and research vessels spanning the 

western Atlantic coastal zone and across the Isthmus 

of Panama. The Smithsonian facilitates long-term, 

interdisciplinary comparative research among these sites, 

including the Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian 

Environmental Research Center in Maryland, Carrie Bow 

Cay Field Station in Belize, and the Smithsonian Tropical 

Research Institute in Panama, which are all part of the 

Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network.

Photo credit: Zach Foltz
Epifaunal Project

In 2011, the Indian River Lagoon experienced two large phytoplankton blooms that lasted much of the 

year and resulted in the loss of many species, including large amounts of seagrasses. Since that devastating event, St. Johns River Water Management District has set up an interdisciplinary Harmful Algal 

Bloom Investigation Team to monitor the health of the lagoon. Several researchers from SMS are part 

of the group and are focused on studying the abundance, distribution, and function of small invertebrates that make up the majority of the diversity in the lagoon. A core group of animals that make up 

this majority are called epifauna. Epifauna are animals that are either attached to or living on the surface of a particular substrate in the marine environment, like a barnacle or a crab. These animals make 

a living in a variety of ways, yet they are all affected, directly or indirectly, when a harmful algal bloom 

occurs. Dean Janiak from SMS and Dr. Richard Osman from the Smithsonian Environmental Research 

Center (SERC) head up the research on this group at 30 sites within the northern portion of the Indian 

River Lagoon, including the Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon. The sites are made up of two different 

habitat types that are home to the majority of epifaunal species in the lagoon: mangrove roots and artificial habitat. Below the water surface, an entangled mass of roots from mangroves provide vital habitat 

and refuge for a variety of invertebrates. Similarly, artificial habitat, including pilings and seawalls, are 

becoming increasingly abundant around the world and also supply important habitat for a number of 

invertebrate species. The team samples the sites quarterly to examine seasonal changes that occur in 

abundances of the dominant species. They also compare differences between mangrove roots (natural 

surface) to artificial habitat (manmade surface) and examine how this affects the distribution of species 

in the lagoon. The overall goals are to develop a baseline database of the invertebrates present throughout the lagoon and to monitor these communities for changes that occur from algal blooms and other 

potentially harmful effects.

Filter-feeding Invertebrates and the IRL

Organisms that filter water for food, such as oysters, clams, mussels, barnacles, and tunicates, are 

dominant members of the ecosystems within the Indian River Lagoon. By removing and consuming 

particles from the water column, these organisms not only keep the water clean, they may also help to 

prevent algal blooms that can kill seagrass and other organisms. SMS Postdoctoral Fellows Eve Galimany and Chris Freeman are investigating the feeding habits and diets of filter-feeding animals to better understand their roles in the IRL.

6 |SMS Annual Report 2015

Indian River Lagoon Research at SMS: Piecing Together 

a Biodiversity Puzzle

Photo credit: Michelle Stephens

Dr. Galimany’s research focuses on bivalves, including oyster, clams, and mussels. Her studies have 

shown that oysters (Crassostrea virginica) filter more water and are more efficient feeders than clams (Mercenaria mercenaria). In collaboration with the University of Central Florida, Dr. Galimany found that in the 

Northern IRL, the invasive mussel, Mytella charruana, not only feeds on the same resources as oysters, but 

also filters more water. As a result, the mussels may out-compete oysters and other filter-feeding invertebrates native to the area. The local abundance of the mussels is not currently known.

Dr. Chris Freeman is investigating the elemental composition of filter feeders in the IRL. He has 

found that different species have different diets and that some of these organisms may be more likely to 

consume algal bloom cells than others. The elemental signatures of these organisms also vary across sites. 

Because these filter feeders are sessile, or unable to move, their daily feeding on local sources of nutrients allows them to act as natural monitors of environmental conditions. By collecting these organisms throughout 

the IRL and over time, Dr. Freeman is able to predict sites that may be more susceptible to bloom formation. 

To determine whether filter feeders are capable of consuming algal bloom cells, Dr. Freeman chemically “labels” algal cells and feeds them to different species of filter feeders in the lab. The presence of the label in filter feeder tissue after these experiments is direct evidence for the consumption of algal bloom cells. 

These experiments have shown that clams, oysters, and other bivalves in the IRL are capable of consuming 

algal bloom cells. Additional experiments with other common organisms are underway. This research suggests that dominant filter-feeding organisms within the IRL have diverse diets and supports the idea that 

these organisms may play a role in bloom mitigation.

Monitoring IRL Health with Tiny Animals

In the southern IRL, Smithsonian researchers have been involved in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), collecting, identifying, counting, and recording the infauna of the St. Lucie Estuary and 

Indian River Lagoon between Fort Pierce and Stuart, Florida for the past 10 years. The program samples quarterly at 15 fixed sites over a wide range of salinities, using a Ponar grab that removes about two handfuls worth 

of sediment. This sample is sieved to remove the fine grain sediments and keep the animals. These animals 

are then preserved and transported back to the lab for identification. By monitoring these infaunal communi-Jessica Lunt Michelle Stephens
ties, researchers can determine the effects of freshwater releases from Lake Okeechobee on the estuary and 

lagoon. This project is funded by the Army Corps of Engineers and is projected to continue as freshwater is 

redirected through the Everglades to restore historic flow patterns. 

Oyster Reef Biodiversity in the IRL 

The first field season in a new location is always the hardest: finding good sites, determining what the tides 

are like, and learning how new animals behave. Despite the challenges a new system brings, Postdoctoral 

Fellow Jessica Lunt did learn some valuable things in her first year at SMS. The oyster reefs on the Treasure 

Coast are similar to other healthy reefs in the southeastern United States. They have fairly low densities of 

living oysters and are low profile with occasional clumps of oysters. But the overall abundance of associated species is lower than expected. Species richness is similar to other sites Lunt has previously sampled: 

lots of small crabs, shrimp, and cryptic fish. At the end of 2015, Dr. Lunt partnered with Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart, Florida. She will be helping researchers there monitor their restored reefs, as well 

as expanding her own sampling efforts. She’s also been part of the oyster restoration working group to help 

identify knowledge gaps and collaborate on unified monitoring protocols. This research was a featured story 

in COSEE Florida’s “Water as Habitat” series. The video highlighted the importance of knowing what lives in 

local environments to better protect them and support the communities that surround them.

In addition to her work on oyster reefs, Dr. Lunt has been studying porcelain crabs, an invasive filterfeeding crab. The crabs are not especially abundant in the Indian River Lagoon - approximately 30 crabs per 

square meter compared to about 1000 per square meter reported on Georgia’s oyster reefs. They also do not 

seem to eat very small phytoplankton, preferring instead larger plant species or zooplankton. While porcelain crabs are not a likely candidate for combatting harmful algal blooms in the IRL, Dr. Lunt is hoping to 

learn more about what they do eat, and how they might affect other local filter feeders. Dean Janiak

Michelle Stephens
Calcified macroalgae represent an important component of many marine environments. Thriving 

within reef and seagrass habitats, this group provides numerous ecological benefits, such as habitat provisioning and sediment production. Similar to corals, these algae produce a mineral, known 

as calcium carbonate, that aids in both structural integrity and herbivore defense. The production 

of calcium carbonate is known as calcification, and broadly speaking, this process is responsible 

for the reefs and sediments that serve as the foundation for many coastal environments. 

Unfortunately, climate change threatens to halt this important biological process. Due to 

the combustion of fossil fuels, oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2) is on the rise, and as a byproduct 

of CO2 addition, seawater acidity is increasing. This process, known as ocean acidification (OA), 

poses a threat to calcification. Scientists at the Smithsonian are interested in understanding how 

OA alters the ecological role of macroalgae.

In conjunction with other scientists from the University of Miami, Drs. Justin Campbell 

and Valerie Paul have been studying how OA influences calcified algae within the genus Halimeda. Experiments have transplanted several species into aquaria, in which CO2

 concentrations are 

carefully controlled. After several weeks, indicators of algal health (growth rates and calcification) 

can be compared between specimens placed in either high-CO2 or low-CO2 aquaria. Furthermore, 

these experiments have also examined how temperature serves to modulate algal responses to 

CO2. As climate change encompasses a suite of environmental perturbations, it is important to 

understand how organisms potentially integrate multiple stressors.

The results indicate that algal responses are complex, and depend upon the species under 

consideration. While some species are sensitive to OA (displaying declines in growth and calcification), others are tolerant, and can withstand prolonged exposure to increased acidity. This work 

also demonstrates that environmental factors, like temperature, ultimately control how algae respond to CO2

. For instance, while CO2 by itself can be harmful, increases in temperature can be 

surprisingly beneficial, and actually serve to ‘offset’ the negative effects of acidification. Thus, this 

work demonstrates that the varying forces of climate change can have opposing, and complicated, 

effects on the health of marine organisms.

10 |SMS Annual Report 2015

Warmer Waters and Acidicifying Seas: The complicated 

effects of climate change on marine macroalgae 

Photo credit: Jennifer Sneed


Algae and Ocean Acidification: Can corals survive a 

one-two punch?

Ocean acidification and algal overgrowth are two of the most prominent threats to coral health. 

Some algae produce compounds that are harmful to adult corals and inhibit the settlement of coral larvae. Ocean acidification (OA), a reduction in the pH of seawater caused by increased carbon 

dioxide from the atmosphere, also reduces coral settlement and negatively impacts adult corals. 

While the responses of corals to these threats independently have been studied, corals are likely to 

experience these threats in combination in the near future. A team of researchers from the Smithsonian Marine Station’s Chemical Ecology Lab tested the combined effects of OA and algal exposure on the health of adult corals and the settlement and survival of juvenile corals. Drs. Justin 

Campbell, Jennifer Sneed, and Valerie Paul, along with intern Lane Johnston, performed a series 

of experiments examining the impacts of OA and different macroalgae on the health and recruitment processes of multiple coral species. They found that short term exposure to OA alone had 

little effect on the health of adult corals, but that exposure to certain species of macroalgae caused 

bleaching and reduced the ability of some corals to photosynthesize. OA by itself also had little effect on the settlement and survival of juvenile corals, but the combination of OA and macroalgae 

had variable effects, depending on the species of macroalgae studied. Exposure to OA conditions 

reduced the growth of juvenile mustard-hill corals (Porites astreoides) that were in contact with 

the green alga Halimeda opuntia, but showed no negative impacts on the settlement process. The 

brown alga Stypopodium zonale had negative effects on settlement of P. astreoides larvae that 

increased when corals were also exposed to OA conditions, but had no effect on settlement of 

elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata. In the natural environment corals are being exposed to many 

stressors, including overgrowth by many types of algae. These studies demonstrate the complexity 

of coral responses to different stressors and highlight the importance of evaluating environmental 

stressors in combination. Corals are undergoing drastic declines worldwide and understanding 

how multiple stressors will impact these important animals is critical to their survival.

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 13

Photo credit: Jennifer Sneed
Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are red algae that grow as a thin crust on hard surfaces in many 

marine environments. They aid in reef accretion and stabilization, create habitat for other organisms, contribute to carbon sequestration and are important settlement surfaces for a number of marine invertebrates. Despite their ecological importance, little is known about the bacterial communities associated with CCA or whether differences in bacterial assemblages may 

have ecological implications. Dr. Jennifer Sneed and Dr. Valerie Paul from the Smithsonian 

Marine Station’s Chemical Ecology Lab, in collaboration with Raphael Ritson-Williams (former Smithsonian researcher), compared the bacterial diversity on four species of CCA found 

in Belize. They investigated two species that are known to induce coral larval settlement and 

two species that coral larvae prefer not to settle on to see if there are differences in the bacterial communities associated with these algal species that might contribute to the differences in 

their ecological roles. They discovered that each CCA species hosted a unique bacterial community. The two CCA species that are known settlement inducers tended to have more bacterial strains on their surfaces that were related to bacteria that inhibit the growth and/or biofilm 

formation of coral pathogens. The other two CCA species had higher abundances of bacteria 

related to known coral pathogens and cyanobacteria, both of which could be detrimental to 

the health of new coral recruits. It may be that coral larvae settle preferentially on CCA species 

that have beneficial bacteria on their surfaces and avoid CCA species that harbor coral pathogens in order to increase their chances of survival. CCA are important components of marine 

environments, and CCA species are often grouped together in terms of their functioning in 

ecosystems. This work demonstrates that, despite looking very similar and growing in similar 

environments, not all CCA species are created equal and it is important to distinguish between 

species when evaluating the ecological roles of CCA.

Crustose Coralline Algae Have Unique Microbial Signatures

14 |SMS Annual Report 2015

Photo credit: Lane Johnston


A widespread decrease in herbivory caused by overexploitation of parrotfishes across Caribbean coral reefs has substantially contributed to coral reef decline characterized by phase shifts 

in reef communities from coral to algal dominance. Management strategies that lead to the 

restoration of parrotfish populations are critical to Caribbean coral reef recovery and countries in the region are moving to explicitly protect parrotfish from fishing. The efficacy of these 

management strategies not only depends on reduced fishing pressure, but also on the connectivity of these fish populations across the seascape. Ocean surface currents have the potential 

to transport pelagic larvae long distances from their source populations. If larval dispersal of 

parrotfishes effectively links populations across large areas then management efforts focused 

on reducing fishing pressure may have modest or no effect on local population recovery if fishing continues at the larval source population. Researchers at the Smithsonian Marine Station 

(SMS) are working to better understand parrotfish population connectivity and incorporate 

larval dispersal into targeted and effective parrotfish protection. 

SMS researcher, Dr. Courtney Cox, is using molecular markers to investigate population connectivity of stoplight parrotfish populations across the Caribbean and make inferences 

about larval dispersal. Dr. Cox’s doctoral research identified a high level of genetic connectivity 

between stoplight parrotfish populations in Belize and Honduras, indicating that these populations are connected through pelagic larval dispersal. Dr. Cox is now expanding the study into 

other regions of the Caribbean to gain a broader picture of parrotfish population connectivity 

with the goal of improving management strategies to protect these species. Over the past year, 

she and her colleagues have collected fin tissue from adult stoplight parrotfish at reefs in Mexico, Honduras, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica for molecular analysis. Dr. Cox is using restricted 

site associated DNA (RAD) genotyping to assess genetic population structure and make inferences about larval dispersal. SMS researchers will use results from this study to establish 

appropriate spatial scales for management that reflect larval dispersal and identify countries 

that would benefit from coordinated management efforts that cross international boundaries. 

Ultimately, this study can substantially improve our ability to restore parrotfish populations.

Genetic Connectivity of Keystone Grazers Across the 

Caribbean

Photo credit: George Stoyle

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 17
In late 2014 the Smithsonian Center for Marine Conservation (SCMC) at SMS was asked to 

provide technical assistance to the Government of Myanmar, Southeast Asia to advise on 

fisheries management and marine spatial planning. Formerly known as Burma, this nation is 

emerging into democracy after a 60 year isolation from the rest of the world. There is a sense 

of a new beginning, and with it comes an urgency to protect natural resources with improved 

governance and management – especially of their rich and valuable marine fisheries. 

In this first year of the project, SCMC used novel technologies to gather fisheries production data with which to characterize the currently exploited fisheries in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi region. Working with Myanmar Department of Fisheries, Drs. Steve Box and Alex Tilley 

retrieved and analyzed data from 14 tracking units deployed on boats in May 2015 to identify 

key nearshore fishing grounds. They have registered 350 fishers in different fisheries between 

Myeik and Dawei districts, and using a custom developed smartphone app to collect fish landings data, they have initial species composition and production information for the pilot community of Thabauseik. Initial data from private sector partners in the mud spiny lobster and 

mud crab fisheries have been analyzed to provide initial recommendations to enhance sustainability and economic returns. Using analysis of nighttime satellite imagery, they have an initial 

evaluation of the scale and extent of the light boat fisheries in Tanintharyi, and as a resource 

for local partners, they have established an online fish species database of photos, names and 

links to detailed ecological information.

Characterizing who is fishing where and how much they are catching allows Dr. Box and 

his team to identify opportunities and prioritize threats, in the development of recommendations for a marine management strategy for Tanintharyi. The Department of Fisheries is very 

excited about initial results and are already scaling up the project to other fisheries and geographical areas in 2016.

Conservation Technology Supports Marine Resource

Management in Myanmar, Southeast Asia

18 |SMS Annual Report 2015

Photo credit: Stephen Box


Seagrasses are marine plants that form underwater meadows along many coasts around the 

globe. These submerged ecosystems provide many environmental goods and services, ranging 

from fisheries support to nutrient recycling. In addition to providing structure to an otherwise featureless benthos, seagrasses contribute to coastal biodiversity by harboring a varied 

assemblage of marine life. Despite the value that these systems contain, many meadows are in 

decline, with global losses of nearly 30% since the 19th century. These losses can be attributed 

to multiple factors, ranging from excessive nutrient loading (which initiates algal blooms) to 

overfishing (which alters food web structure). Scientists at the Smithsonian are engaged in 

research that identifies some of the primary causes behind seagrass degradation, particularly 

within the Caribbean region.

As part of a new network, Smithsonian scientists Drs. Justin Campbell, Andrew Altieri, 

Valerie Paul, and Emmett Duffy have implemented experiments that examine the solitary and 

combined effects of several common stressors (nutrient enrichment and overfishing) on seagrass health across a variety of locations. Individual meadows in Florida, Belize, and Panama 

were subjected to experimental manipulations of nutrient loading (added fertilizer) and food 

web structure (using cages and deterrents to alter densities of fish and invertebrates). Experiments were conducted during the summer of 2014 with help from Smithsonian intern, Lane 

Johnston, and sample processing and data analysis continued into 2015. Building upon these 

initial experiments, Smithsonian scientists launched a new monitoring network in 2015 that 

aims to document long-term changes in seagrass health across the Caribbean. 

The results indicate that not all seagrass beds similarly respond to potential threats, 

with some meadows displaying resilience in the face of excessive nutrient loading. This work 

has further shown that tropical seagrass health may surprisingly benefit from the presence of 

marine herbivores (primarily fish and invertebrates). While many of these organisms consume 

seagrass itself, their grazing activities can serve to reduce algal shading, and promote overall 

rates of plant growth. These findings will contribute to a broader understanding of the ecology 

of these systems, and highlight some of the key attributes that may confer ecosystem resilience 

in the face of anthropogenic stressors. 

Experimental Network to Understand Seagrass Ecology

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 21

Photo credit: Valerie Paul
The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative (HRI) is a collaborative international initiative 

that brings together almost 65 conservation organizations, research institutions, government 

agencies, and donors in an effort to improve the health and management of the Mesoamerican 

Reef. It is led by founder and director, Dr. Melanie McField, a researcher at SMS for the last ten 

years. The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) harbors vast natural wealth and biodiversity that is currently under threat from local, regional and global stressors. However, unlike most other places 

in the world, the MAR benefits from the adaptive management collaboration of HRI. 

HRI is the first effort globally to gain international agreement and standardization of 

methodology to assess indicators of coral reef health and produce a succinct, collaborative 

Report Card of the findings and management recommendations.

The HRI team includes regional, on-the-ground efforts coordinated by four country 

coordinators based in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. HRI annually convenes a regional meeting of conservation managers in the MAR in order to improve their understanding 

of current reef health and gain consensus on concise management recommendations for ways 

to improve it. The 2015 Regional Partners meeting was held in Peten, Guatemala in October, 

with over 40 regional conservation leaders and marine scientists participating. 

HRI is now overseeing an emergency response MAR-wide survey of the 2015 global 

coral bleaching event. HRI is supporting and helping organize survey teams to determine the 

extent and degree of bleaching throughout the region. This information will provide feedback 

to worldwide databases, such as NOAA’s “BleachWatch”, and can be used to verify models that 

predict which reefs are likely to be resilient to bleaching.

Smithsonian Leads Collaborative Marine Conservation 

Initiative, Health Reefs for Healthy People

Photo credit: George Stoyle

22 |SMS Annual Report 2015


Smithsonian Makes Headway on Global Marine Initiative

The Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO), directed by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum 

Marine Observatories Network (TMON), is the first long-term, worldwide research program to focus on understanding coastal marine life and its role in maintaining resilient ecosystems around the 

world. In March 2015, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Bocas del Toro, Panama hosted the MarineGEO/TMON team for the first time under the program banner. The team, 

made up of researchers from SMS, STRI, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 

collected data from a variety of habitats, including seagrasses, mangroves, soft sediment, artificial 

habitat, and coral reefs. Different techniques of data collection were tested with the goal of determining the best methods to use at all MarineGEO sites around the world. 

While at STRI, the team was trained in the Reef Life Survey (RLS) protocol, which is used 

to monitor the abundance and biodiversity of fish and invertebrates in different habitats. The RLS 

is a standardized, well-tested method used at over 2,500 sites worldwide and consists of counting 

all fish present along a 50-meter line. Along the same line, photos are taken of the bottom and later 

analyzed to estimate algae and invertebrate cover. 

In September, the team traveled to the Smithsonian’s Carrie Bow Cay research station in 

Belize to initiate the first full suite of sampling protocols the program has outlined to monitor the 

health of the oceans. The team employed the RLS protocol in seagrass beds, mangrove shorelines, 

coral reefs, and areas dominated by sand. A set of experiments was deployed to examine two important processes that in many ways shape the way marine communities look: herbivory and predation. 

The methods for measuring both processes are similar in that they test the “rate” of consumption. 

In both experiments, either algae or squid were deployed in a variety of habitats and checked after 

1 hour and 24 hours to see if they had been consumed and at what rate. Simple, repeatable experiments like this can be done anywhere in the world and are an essential tool for MarineGEO/TMON 

to monitor biological processes on a global scale. 

In both Panama and Belize, the team hosted a public outreach event and each member gave a 

presentation to the local community on several different aspects of the program. These events were 

well-received and in some ways the highlight of the trip.

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 25

Photo credit: Sean Mattson
Revealing the Origin of Spiny Lobsters in 

the Florida Keys

In Florida, the spiny lobster represents one of 

the most valuable resources for both the commercial and the recreational fisheries. The high 

demand and shortage of this resource has caused 

some concern about its availability in the future. 

Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Iris Segura is working to 

identify the key sources of larvae that replenish 

the lobster population in the Florida Keys by using 

genetic tools to reveal their population of origin. 

This information will help researchers understand how the Florida lobster population is connected with geographically separated populations 

throughout the Caribbean. 

Spiny lobsters have a complex life cycle. 

Adult lobsters inhabit reefs, where females spawn 

thousands of larvae into the water column. The 

larvae are transported on ocean currents, sometimes many kilometers away from the place they 

were born. The larvae move up and down in the 

water column, which has an important effect on 

how much and where they are transported. Dr. 

Segura’s genetic analyses suggest that the lobster 

population in Florida has a higher proportion of 

postlarvae recruits from Florida than it imports 

from other distant populations. This suggests that 

the lobsters in Florida strongly depend on their 

own management actions to secure their local 

population. 

Science on Open Ocean Supports Caribbean Fisheries

Dr. Nathan Truelove’s research is part of a Smithsonian Institute for Biodiversity Genomics and 

Global Genome Initiative sponsored project that 

aims to understand how spiny lobster and queen 

conch respond to fishing pressure and environmental change. While many people think of these 

species as tasty delicacies, both of these marine 

species play an important role in maintaining 

the health of their ecosystem. Yet, they both face 

extreme threats from overfishing. 

Dr. Truelove’s research aims to help improve the sustainable management of Caribbean 

fisheries by generating DNA databases for spiny 

lobsters and queen conch, which can potentially 

provide valuable tools for combating illegal and 

unreported fishing throughout the region. The 

DNA databases can ultimately be used to trace 

a catch back to where it was originally caught, 

similar to the way the police might use a forensic 

database. This research will help pave the way for 

long-term collaborations between the Smithsonian Marine Station and fisheries management 

agencies throughout the Caribbean to apply mo26 |SMS Annual Report 2015 Zach Foltz
lecular DNA tools to real world management and 

conservation priorities.

Mangroves Key to Fisheries Productivity

The Pacific coast of Colombia boasts one of the 

most pristine tropical forests on the American 

continent. This is also one of the poorest and most 

isolated regions of the country, where high levels 

of dependence on natural resources stress the 

long-term health of ecosystems. Communities rely 

on fishing as a main source of protein and income, 

and much of this resource use takes place in and 

around the mangrove forest pockets dotted along 

the coast, with many communities purposefully 

settling close to them. 

Graduate fellow Juliana Lopez has been 

working to better understand the role of mangroves in near shore, small-scale fisheries. She is 

interested in exploring the response of fished populations and catch sizes to the degree and type of 

human impacts on these mangroves. Her results 

thus far suggest that mangroves on the Pacific 

coast of Colombia are not significantly affected 

by human activities, with traditional communitybased management providing a framework of 

sustainability. Fisheries landings data compared 

alongside these impacts suggest that mangroves 

play an important role in fisheries. Most communities located in mangrove areas relied heavily 

on mangrove dependent species, whereas communities without mangroves nearby focused their 

fishing activity on oceanic species. 

These findings highlight that mangroves 

provide low-entry-cost fisheries accessible to the 

rural poor, as the near shore resources are obtainable with relatively little investment in gear and 

equipment. These locally, and often informally, 

managed fisheries provide valuable case studies 

of best practices as part of the need for greater 

incorporation of human rights and food security 

in small-scale fisheries management.

Marine Reserves and Fisheries

Implementing marine reserves by closing areas to 

fishing commonly produces antagonism between 

conservationists and the users of the resource, and 

ultimately hinders conservation efforts. A method 

to quantify the impact of the placement of a reserve on fishers that use the area was developed 

and tested in Honduras, where the largest protected area in Central America is being implemented. 

Using a technology called Vessel Monitoring System, which tracks fishing boats wherever they go, 

all industrial fishing boats in Honduras were followed for three years. Movement information for 

five fisheries, 238 boats, and more than 5 million 

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 27

Juliana LopezGeorge Stoyle
hourly records was used to quantify how problematic the establishment of the reserve would be. 

Data showed that the reserve impacted only three 

of the five fisheries, and suggested ways in which 

fishers can be helped to adapt to the changes. 

The information was used as a vehicle 

for dialogue among the stakeholders during the 

design of the actual reserve in Honduras. More 

recently, this work with Vessel Monitoring System 

data in Honduras contributed to the creation of an 

inter-institutional cooperation agreement among 

the fisheries department, the navy, and the merchant navy to carry out cohesive enforcement of 

fishing activity in the country.

Marine Protection in Honduras

To move forward in marine conservation it is necessary to have a full and accurate understanding of 

the size and location of the area under protection. 

In reviewing the geographic data of Honduras’ 

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Dr. Illiana Chollett discovered that the areas being protected did 

not correspond with the boundaries the country 

intended to protect. Using the publicly available 

coordinates, Dr. Chollett accurately defined the 

MPA borders and created updated maps. These 

updates were provided to the Conservation Department in Honduras, along with recommendations on how to avoid similar problems in the 

future. The information is now freely available to 

any user (www.sms.si.edu/SMS-ARC), and has 

been supplied to regional databases of protected 

areas, such as the Caribbean Marine Protected 

Areas Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM). Prior to these revisions, CaMPAM had 

only two Honduran MPAs in its database, when 

there are actually 11 in the country. Honduras 

looks much better now in the marine conservation world!

Mapping Uncharted Habitats in Honduras

Honduras is well known for its western reefs along 

the renowned Bay Islands. Despite being home to 

most of Honduran reefs, supporting the industrial 

fishing industry in the country, and acting as the 

gateway to the Mesoamerican reef system, the 

eastern portion of the country is a large, uncharted region. In collaboration with Lotte Purkis (Sea 

from Space Inc.), this remote area was recently 

mapped for the first time. It was found that the 

Bay Islands only encompass 1% of the shallow 

marine habitats in the Caribbean side of the country (where seagrass beds and reefs can be found), 

and eastern Honduras accounts for 99% of these 

important ecosystems. 

Concerns over dangerous and unsustainGeorge Stoyle

Iliana Chollett
able fishing practices and the livelihoods of the local indigenous communities have turned attention 

towards the region, which is now being managed 

to better protect the marine resources. A large 

MPA where industrial fishing will be banned has 

been established, and a network of no-take zones 

that will allow for the recovery and replenishment 

of the resources is currently being planned.

Genetically Identifying Fish Species Sold 

in Local Markets Across the Caribbean

With the decline in fish populations across the 

wider Caribbean, the protection and management of ecologically and commercially valuable 

species is a central focus of local governments 

and conservation managers. Parrotfishes and 

sharks are of particular concern because of their 

critical ecological roles as key herbivores and top 

predators, respectively. Quantifying the fish that 

are being harvested is crucial for understanding 

which species are threatened by overfishing and 

developing effective fisheries management strategies. Fisheries data is most often collected by visually inspecting fishers’ catch at landing sites and 

cooperatives. However, if fish are processed into 

steaks, fillets, or other products, such as oil, as is 

commonly the case in small-scale fisheries supplying local markets, visual identification to species 

is impossible. Many shark products form the basis 

for culturally important dishes in the Caribbean as 

well as being used in local medicine. Parrotfish are 

a preferred fish species in some countries (mostly 

eastern Caribbean) and are used as a substitute for 

more desirable fish species, such as snapper and 

grouper, in regions that do not have a market for 

them. Dr. Courtney Cox is using DNA barcoding 

techniques to characterize the species of fish that 

have entered the market chain as processed products by genetically identifying raw and cooked fish 

products, dried fish, and shark oil. DNA barcoding is a technique that genetically characterizes 

species using the mitochondrial cytochrome 

oxidase I (COI) gene and has been used to successfully identify fish species from seafood products. To date, Dr. Cox has collected fish products 

from Belize, Mexico, Honduras, and the Cayman 

Islands. This project will provide resource managers with the proportion and identity of fish species 

being sold in markets and inform officials of any 

shark and/or parrotfish that are being substituted 

for other species and entering into the market. 

Characterizing harvested species in restaurants 

and markets without the need for visual identification can improve fisheries data and lead to a better understanding of which species need further 

management attention.

Courtney CoxCourtney Cox
2015 Mesoamerican Reef Report Card: 

Bigger Fish, Better Reefs

The 2015 Report Card for the Mesoamerican Reef 

(MAR) was launched in May in simultaneous 

events held in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and 

Mexico. It evaluates 248 coral reefs sites within 

this diverse reef system stretching more than 620 

miles (1000 kilometers) along the Central American Caribbean coast, which includes a variety 

of reefs types and associated habitats, including 

seagrass beds, mangroves, and estuaries.

While many coral reefs are in decline, the 

good news in the MAR is that the “Reef Health 

Index” has increased over the last eight years, 

translating four key indicator values roughly into 

a grade of C+ (fair), an improvement since 2006’s 

grade of D (poor). Three of the four indicators 

have improved from “poor” to “fair”: coral cover, 

herbivorous fish (such as parrotfish), and commercial fish (snappers and groupers). The regional 

grade for fleshy macroalgae, which can smother 

corals, remains poor. 

Another major finding is that marine life 

flourishes in ‘no-take’ zones, of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in comparison to the areas 

inside or outside the parks that allow fishing. 

While the region’s four countries offer partial protection (within MPAs) in 35% of their territorial 

seas, only 3% exclude fishing and other extraction 

completely. Since 2006, researchers have found 

ten times more snappers and groupers inside 

these fully protected zones compared to the fished 

parts of the parks or reefs outside the parks. These 

refuges now protect large fecund females, which 

can help repopulate areas outside the parks.

Microbial Symbionts Shape Sponge Distribution in Moorea, French Polynesia

The survival of many organisms living on coral 

reefs is dependent on their continued association with internal microbial symbionts. These 

interactions are mutually beneficial, with the host 

receiving nutrients from the symbionts and the 

symbionts receiving a protected habitat to live 

and grow. Although many species of sponges 

in the Caribbean are hosts to these symbionts, 

our understanding of these interactions in other 

areas of the world is limited. To investigate these 

symbioses in sponges from the South Pacific, Dr. 

Chris Freeman traveled to Moorea, French Polynesia with his colleague Dr. Cole Easson from 

Nova Southeastern University. Sponges were quite 

rare on the reefs and lagoons of Moorea, with only 

eight species of sponge found after 10 days of diving. However, Dr. Freeman found that, of the eight 

species of sponges they identified, only one hosted 

30 |SMS Annual Report 2015

George StoyleGeorge Stoyle
abundant symbiont communities and this was the 

only species that was found growing in exposed, 

well-illuminated habitats. The other seven species 

were found in dimly lit crevices or underneath 

overhangs within caverns. This research provides 

initial evidence that some sponges in the South 

Pacific host abundant symbiont communities and 

that nutrition supplied to these sponges from 

their symbiont communities may allow them to 

survive and compete for space in reef environments alongside corals.

Climate Change Opening Arctic Passages to Marine Life

Accelerated loss of sea ice in the Arctic is opening 

routes connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans 

for longer periods each year. These changes may 

increase the ease and frequency with which 

marine birds and mammals move between the 

Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. Indeed, recent 

observations of birds and mammals suggest these 

movements have intensified in recent decades. 

In a paper in Global Change Biology, Dr. C. Seabird McKeon and his collaborators made the first 

examination of these emerging patterns in the 

context of biogeography, ecology, epidemiology, 

and economics.

Role of Salinity in Bivalve Distribution in 

the IRL

Community composition of the infaunal bivalve 

fauna of the St. Lucie Estuary and southern Indian River Lagoon has been under study as a part 

of the long-term benthic monitoring program at 

SMS. A total of 38,514 bivalves of 137 taxa have 

been collected and identified so far. Using this 

data, along with sediment samples and environmental measurements gathered concurrently, Dr. 

Seabird McKeon and his colleagues examined 

the community composition, distribution, and 

ecological drivers of the infaunal bivalves of the 

estuary system. Salinity had the strongest influence on bivalve assemblage across the 15 sites, superseding the influences of sediment type, water 

turbidity, temperature, and other environmental 

parameters. The greatest diversity was found in 

higher salinity euhaline sites, while the greatest 

abundance of individual bivalves was found in medium salinity mixohaline sites, the lowest diversity 

and abundances were found in the low salinity 

oligohaline sites, demonstrating a strong positive 

association between salinity and diversity/abundance. 

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 31

Chris FreemanJessica Lunt

In the service of the Smithsonian’s ongoing mission for both 

the increase and diffusion of knowledge, the Smithsonian 

Marine Station at Fort Pierce supports a robust education 

and outreach program. Central among these efforts is the 

Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, housed at the St. 

Lucie County Aquarium. In 2015 the Exhibit saw its highest 

attendance since opening, welcoming more than 36,000 

visitors to peruse its live ecosystem displays and interpretive 

exhibitry. Smithsonian staff and researchers were also actively 

engaged in community outreach, offering monthly tours 

of SMS, hosting several large-scale events, and attending 

numerous community festivals.

Photo credit: Zach Foltz

Education
The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit 

(SMEE) is a different kind of aquarium. The live 

displays are more than just fish tanks, they are 

functioning model ecosystems. Located in the 

St. Lucie County Aquarium, the Exhibit is a joint 

venture of the Smithsonian and St. Lucie County. 

The centerpiece is the 3,300-gallon Coral Reef 

Ecosystem. Initially on display at the Smithsonian’s 

National Museum of Natural History, the reef was 

moved to Fort Pierce in 2001 to become the focal 

point of a new outreach facility. Visitors to SMEE 

can also explore five other local habitats of the 

Indian River Lagoon and the Florida coast, interact 

with horseshoe crabs and other invertebrates in 

a touch tank, and investigate preserved marine 

specimens or play hands-on activities in the 

Aquarium’s Discovery Room.

The dynamic quality of natural ecosystems 

is captured not only in the model ecosystem 

displays, it is also reflected in the constant 

modification and improvement of the Exhibit’s 

interpretive elements. Permanent and temporary 

signage is an important component in providing 

a high quality visitor experience. Education 

staff developed several graphic and interpretive 

elements for the Aquarium galleries to complement 

living displays, highlight important ecological 

concepts, and showcase Smithsonian research. A 

permanent graphic element was installed on the 

windows at the entrance to the Exhibit’s lab area, 

which provides information about the ecosystem 

modelling philosophy, as well as what goes on 

Smithsonian at St. Lucie County Aquarium
behind the scenes to care for the ecosystems. 

Information highlighted in this permanent signage 

includes animal feeding, specimen collection, 

filtration systems, and water chemistry. Education 

staff also update and maintain brochures that were 

developed in-house to accompany each Model 

Ecosystem aquarium. 

In an effort to disseminate SMS research 

to the public, education staff continued the series 

of “Meet the Smithsonian Scientist” posters 

in the Exhibit’s Discovery Room, highlighting 

both research and scientific support staff at the 

Marine Station. Educators also collaborated with 

researchers to further tell their story through a 

new display entitled “Spotlight on Science”. This 

rotating display has featured Dr. Mary Rice as well 

as the Smithsonian’s Carrie Bow Cay field station 

in Belize, with both exhibits featuring live animal 

components. Interactive elements produced by staff 

and interns included content on sea turtles, unique 

Indo-Pacific animals, corals, and jellies. A display 

called “Fort Pierce Beaches” was also developed to 

help visitors identify shells and other items that can 

be found on local beaches. In an effort to shed light 

on the tiny inhabitants of marine environments, 

educators collaborated with animal husbandry staff 

to collect and display various live organisms under 

magnification in the Discovery Room. Displays 

included brine shrimp hatched at the exhibit, 

plankton collected from the Indian River Lagoon, 

and various larval organisms collected directly 

from the Model Ecosystems at SMEE.
Public programs offer an opportunity for guests to have a more indepth and unique experience as compared to a typical Aquarium 

visit. Several programs and events are offered annually at the St. 

Lucie County Aquarium, including evening programs, morning 

marine science lectures, and large-scale events. In 2015, Smithsonian educators added several new opportunities for the public. 

“Saturday Seining in the Seagrasses” is a program created 

for adults and families to learn about seagrass beds in the Indian 

River Lagoon and allow participants to collect animals in the 

same way as Smithsonian scientists and aquarists. The program 

was offered twice on Saturday mornings in September and November, with attendance at capacity for each program. Attendees 

learned about the Indian River Lagoon and its major ecosystems, 

particularly seagrass beds, as well as threats to the seagrasses and 

how they can help. Next, attendees entered the water of the Indian River Lagoon and worked together to pull seine nets, as well 

as sort and identify organisms, thus learning about the biodiversity of this amazing ecosystem directly. Adults and children were 

fascinated by the assortment of life discovered, including a variety 

of juvenile fishes, jellies, sea slugs, crabs, and even seahorses.

An evening Halloween event was also offered for the very 

first time in 2015, entitled “Haunted History and Freaky Fishes.” 

Smithsonian educators partnered with volunteers at the St. Lucie 

County Historical Society to offer this unique event for families, 

in which both the Aquarium and St. Lucie County Regional History Center had a special after-hours celebration of Halloween. 

The event offered the opportunity for attendees to search for 

nocturnal animals at the Aquarium with special flashlights, trickor-treat through a “haunted” forest, and then hunt for treasure at 

the History Museum. The two hour event was attended by over 

one hundred guests and was a successful partnership between the 

Aquarium and Historical Society. 

New Public Programs Offer Diverse 

Experiences at the Aquarium

36 |SMS Annual Report 2015

Photo credit: Mitch Kloorfain


The Smithsonian offers week-long camp sessions each summer based at the St. Lucie Aquarium, which give 

participants an opportunity for hands-on learning and exploring local ecosystems. For the first time in 2015, 

a summer program, the Marine Science Field Experience program, was offered especially for teens ages 14-

15. This brought the total number of summer camp sessions to an unprecedented eight weeks and marked 

the first time a summer program was offered for teens only. 

The Marine Science Field Experience Program, created and implemented by educators Cristin 

Krasco and Jasmine Fox, had a special focus on exposure to marine science careers, conservation, and field 

research. Participants took part in Biocube, a project used by Smithsonian scientists to study biodiversity, in 

which they contributed data for use by the scientific community. They also were able to visit with biologists 

from Inwater Research Group, a conservation nonprofit that monitors sea turtle nesting in the area, providing exposure to a career in conservation biology. Teens even got a taste of aquaculture with a visit to Florida 

Institute of Technology’s Vero Beach Marine Lab and ProAquatix. There, they were able to get dirty and 

help clean large tanks, as well as learn about the aquaculture of seahorses and clownfish firsthand. 

Smithsonian educators also partnered with St. Lucie County’s Coastal Resource Supervisor, Jim Oppenborn, to conduct studies at a nearby spoil island, on which they assisted Oppenborn in collecting data 

for several projects. Teens conducted a study comparing seagrass density and species diversity by using 

quadrats and seining to compare several areas as part of a seagrass restoration project. They also helped 

conduct cross sectional depth surveys of a separate area adjacent to the island where Oppenborn hopes to 

create a test oyster reef.

This inaugural session was offered to seven teens, and each expressed an interest in returning the following year, indicating a positive experience. Smithsonian educators plan to offer the Marine Science Field 

Experience again in 2016 to include teens up to age sixteen. 

New Summer Program Gives Teens Hands-On Field 

Experience in Marine Science

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 39

Photo credit: Jasmine Fox
Aquarium Expands Internship 

Opportunities

College students and recent graduates had 

new opportunities to get hands-on, feet-wet 

experience in animal husbandry and marine 

science education thanks to expanded internship 

opportunities with the Smithsonian at the St. 

Lucie County Aquarium. For those seeking 

experience in the care of fishes, plants, and 

invertebrates in the Exhibit’s unique model 

ecosystem aquaria, the Aquarium offered 

Animal Husbandry Internships in the fall, spring, 

and summer in 2015. Interns Angela Trenkle, 

Lindsey Gravette, and Marcus Pallos traveled 

from Maryland, Miami, and Massachusetts, 

respectively, to join the animal husbandry team at 

the Exhibit, where they assisted with daily upkeep 

of the tanks, specimen collection, and special 

projects in the lab.

The Exhibit also welcomed two education 

interns for the first time in summer 2015. As 

both on-site education programs for community 

groups and in-house Smithsonian summer camp 

programs have expanded significantly over the 

past few years, education staff created a new 

opportunity for a Marine Science Camp Intern 

along with the Summer Marine Education Intern 

opportunity that has been offered for several 

Education

Numbers by the

Mitch Kloorfain
years. Camp Intern Elizabeth Trenckmann 

traveled from Maine to assist with summer camp 

programs, and Education Intern Alexandra 

Wray came from Virginia to help lead on-site 

educational programs and tours. In addition to 

their busy daily schedules assisting with programs, 

Elizabeth compiled an activity guide filled with 

age-appropriate indoor and outdoor activities and 

games to be used as a resource for future years of 

camp, and Alexandra researched and developed 

an interpretive display on jellies to accompany the 

jelly aquarium at the Exhibit. 

Record Number of Volunteers Receive 

Awards for Service

SMS and the Exhibit host nearly 100 volunteers 

annually in areas including research, animal 

husbandry, public interaction, and special events. 

A record-setting number of volunteers received 

the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) 

in 2015 for hours contributed to the Smithsonian 

Marine Station and Exhibit. SMS joined the PVSA 

program as a certifying organization in 2011 in 

order to give special acknowledgement to longstanding volunteers. Those who have donated at 

least 250 hours of their time receive the silver level 

award, and volunteers with more than 500 hours of 

service are recognized with the gold level award. 

In 2015, a record ten volunteers were 

acknowledged with the PVSA at the annual 

volunteer appreciation event. Four volunteers 

received the silver level PVSA, including Animal 

Husbandry volunteers Richard “Trip” Weidner 

and Tom Tasker, and Aquarium Handyman 

volunteers Pete Worch and Randy Migliano. Six 

volunteers received the gold award, which is the 

highest number of volunteers to be acknowledged 

at this level in a single year. Gold recipients 

included Touch Tank Interpreters John Hallam 

and Patricia Neal, Aquarium Guide Ellen Butler, 

and Animal Husbandry volunteers Amy Rubio, 

Erika Steele, and Jessica Espinosa. 

Atlantic Coral Reef Exhibit Experienced a 

Real World Disease Outbreak 

The Aquarium’s Atlantic coral reef display experienced an unprecedented white plague epidemic in 

early 2015, which resulted in the loss of all of the Exhibit’s brain and star corals. Many of the corals lost 

were collected in 1990 and were among the oldest 

Atlantic corals maintained in captivity. The cause of 

this disease is unknown and none of the treatments 

were successful. Fortunately, the Exhibit’s collection 

of threatened Staghorn and Elkhorn corals were 

completely unaffected by the disease outbreak.

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 41

Jasmine FoxLaura Diederick
The Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory Website Has a New Face! 

On October 8, 2015, after surmounting many logistical and technical issues, the newly designed IRL Species 

Inventory website was successfully launched. Informational content for all introductory and navigational pages 

was transferred into templates designed to coordinate with NMNH protocol. The website has and continues to 

contain authoritative information on all aspects of IRL biodiversity including species taxonomy and narratives, 

habitat descriptions, practical information for IRL citizenry, and IRL photo galleries. The website is utilized by a 

diverse audience. User groups include research scientists, resource managers, educators, and the general public. 

The IRL Species Inventory also contributes species data to the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). Ease of navigation in 

obtaining desired information on the IRL and its inhabitants has been improved substantially with the newly designed format. Other recent additions to the website include a downloadable, searchable database and bibliography, as well as an article on climate change relative to the IRL. Taxonomic updates have also been accomplished. 

Plans are now underway to complete the website transformation by incorporating species narrative content into 

the new template format. Future directions for inventory expansion include increasing the number of listed species by collaborating with IRL researchers and to update selected species narratives. The IRL Species Inventory 

project is supervised by Joseph Dineen and coordinated by L. Holly Sweat with advisement from Valerie Paul and 

technical assistance from Julie Piraino. Helping with technical issues associated with information migration is 

SMS intern Sunkanmi Akintoye, a graduate student in computer information systems at FIT.
Indian River Lagoon Science Festival Continues to Grow

On Saturday, September 26, the second annual Indian River Lagoon Science Festival brought over 75 

exhibitors and an estimated 7,500 participants to Museum Pointe Park, located directly behind the 

Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit. The IRL Science Festival serves as a central, collaborative activity 

around which the extensive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) community in the 

region can rally. Pre- and post-Festival events, or satellite events, were held directly in the community, with 

the intention of maximizing the reach of the Festival efforts. Additionally, the events targeted community 

members of all ages, and interest-levels in science. 

COSEE Florida Brings Scientists and Public Together

The Ocean Science Learning Network is COSEE Florida’s informal education initiative led by SMS and 

tasked with fostering meaningful collaborations between ocean scientists and science centers, aquariums, 

museums, university outreach programs and other informal entities looking to increase and/or enhance 

their marine science-based activities for the public. These collaborations are developed through the mutual 

coordination and implementation of a variety of activities under the umbrella theme, Water as Habitat 

(WaH). Last year, COSEE Florida supported more than 30 public science events, bringing together more 

than 80 scientists with a reach of over 2000 event participants.

Laura Diederick
Staff and Administration

David J. Skorton - Secretary, Smithsonian 

Institution

Richard Kurin - Acting Provost/Under Secretary 

for Museums and Research, Smithsonian 

Institution

Kirk Johnson - Sant Director, National Museum 

of Natural History

Maureen Kearney - Associate Director for 

Science, National Museum of Natural History

Valerie J. Paul – Head Scientist, Smithsonian 

Marine Station at Fort Pierce

Mary Rice - Emeritus Senior Research Scientist

Neal Asthana - Marine Technician

Katrina Bayliss, Research Assistant

Stephen Box - Coordinator and Supervisor, 

Marine Conservation Program

Justin Campbell - Biologist

Steven Canty - Latin America and Caribbean 

Coordinator, Marine Conservation Program

Laura Diederick - Public Programs Specialist

Joseph Dineen - Research Associate

Zachary Foltz - Station Manager, Carrie Bow Cay 

Field Station and Dive Safety Officer

Erin Fryauff - Research Assistant

Jasmine Fox - Marine Biology Educator

Sarath Gunasekara - Research Chemist

William Hoffman - Ecosystems Exhibit Manager

L.J. Houk - Research Technician

Dean Janiak - Biologist, Tennenbaum Marine 

Observatories Network

M. Scott Jones - Program Coordinator, Caribbean 

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Joan L. Kaminski - Administrative Officer

John Paul Kennedy - Biological Science Technician

Cristin Krasco - Education Specialist & Volunteer 

Coordinator 

William D. Lee - Research Technician

C. Seabird McKeon - Biologist

Julianne Piraino - Laboratory Manager

Sherry A. Reed - Station Manager

Hugh F. Reichardt - Station Manager

Lorae Simpson - Biological Science Technician

Katherine Skura - Research Assistant

Jennifer Sneed - Biologist

Michelle Stephens - Research Assistant

Judith Winston - Research Associate

44 |SMS Annual Report 2015
Post-doctoral Fellows

Iliana Chollett

Courtney E. Cox

Christopher Freeman

Eva Galimany

Jessica Lunt

Shay O’Farrell

Iris Segura-Garcia

Alexander Tilley

Nathan Truelove

Michele Weber

Pre-doctoral Fellows

Juliana Lopez Angarita

Jason Spadaro

Link Fellows

Holly Brown

Chelsea Metzger

Rachel Smith

Kimani Kitson-Walters

Interns

Sunkanmi Akintoye

Daniel Armellino

Fabio Filla

Christiana Garst

Lindsey Gravette

Samantha Iliff

Lane Johnston

Maria Kolmakova

Jillian Lunt

Malcolm Mossop

Markus Pallos

Tanya Ramseyer

Sara Rosewall

Arthur Simas Domingos

Katherine Skura

Janis Spanier

Elizabeth Trenckmann

Angela Trenkle

Alexandra Wray

TJ Yockachonis

Fellows and Interns

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 45
Agarwal, V., J. Li, I. Rahman, M. Borgen, L. Aluwihare, J.S. Biggs, V.J. Paul, and B.S. Moore. 2015. 

Complexity of naturally produced polybrominated diphenyl ethers revealed via mass spectrometry. Environmental Science & Technology, 49(3): 1339–1346. 

Baeza, J.A. 2015. Crustaceans as symbionts: an overview of their diversity, host use, and lifestyles. Chapter 

7. In M. Thiel and L. Watling (eds) 26pp. The Biology of Crustaceans. The Oxford University Press.

Baeza, J.A. and P. Hernáez. 2015. Population distribution, sexual dimorphism, and reproductive parameters 

in the crab Pinnixa valdiviensis Rathbun, 1907 (Decapoda: Pinnotheridae), a symbiont of the ghost shrimp 

Callichirus garthi (Retamal, 1975) in the Southeastern Pacific. J. of Crustacean Biology, 35(1): 68-75. 

Baeza, J.A., C. Hemphilli, and R. Ritson-Williams. 2015. The sexual and mating system of the shrimp 

Odontonia katoi (Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae), a symbiotic guest of the ascidian Polycarpa aurata in the 

Coral Triangle. PloS ONE, 10(3): e0121120. 

Balk, M., A.M. Laverman, J.A. Keuskamp, and H.J. Laanbroek. 2015. Nitrate ammonification in mangrove soils: A hidden source of nitrite? Frontiers in Microbiology, 6(166).

Buzas, M., L.C. Hayek, J.A. Jett, and S.A. Reed. 2015. Pulsating patches: History and analysis of spatial, 

seasonal, and yearly distribution of living benthic foraminifera. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, 97: 1-91.

Dangremond, E.M., I.C. Feller, and W.P. Sousa. 2015. Environmental tolerances of rare and common 

mangroves along light and salinity gradients. Oecologia, 179: 1187-1198.

DeBose, J.L., R.P. Kiene, and V.J. Paul. 2015. Eggs and larvae of Acropora palmata and larvae of Porites 

astreoides contain high amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology 

and Ecology, 473: 146-151.

Engene, N., A. Tronholm, L.A. Salvador-Reyes, H. Luesch, and V.J. Paul. 2015. Caldora penicillata gen. 

nov., comb. nov. (Cyanobacteria), a pantropical marine species with biomedical relevance. Journal of 

Phycology, 51(4):670-681.

Scientific Publications

46 |SMS Annual Report 2015
Fehlauer-Ale, K.H., J.E. Winston, K.J. Tilbrook, K.B. Nascimento, and L.M. Vieira. 2015. Identifying 

monophyletic groups within Bugula sensu lato (bryozoan, Buguloidea). Zoologica Scripta, 44(3): 334-347.

Feller, I., E. Dangremond, D. Devlin, C. Lovelock, C.E. Profitt, and W. Rodriguez. 2015. Nutrient enrichment intensifies hurricane impact in scrub mangrove ecosystems in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. Ecology, 96(11): 2960-2972.

Gómez, C.E., V.J Paul, R. Ritson-Williams, N. Muehllehner, C. Langdon, and J.A. Sánchez. 2015. Responses of the tropical gorgonian coral Eunicea fusca to ocean acidification conditions. Coral Reefs, 

34(2): 451-460. 

Hagedorn, M., A. Farrell, V. Carter, N. Zuchowicz, E. Johnston, J. Padilla-Gamiño, S. Gunasekera, and 

V. Paul. 2015. Effects of toxic compounds in Montipora capitata on exogenous and endogenous zooxanthellae performance and fertilization success. PloS ONE, 10(2):e0118364. 

Meyer, J.L., B.A. Dillard, J.M. Rodgers, K.B. Ritchie, V.J. Paul, and M. Teplitski. 2015. Draft genome 

sequence of Halomonas meridiana R1t3 isolated from the surface microbiota of the Caribbean Elkhorn 

coral Acropora palmata. Standards in Genomic Sciences 10(1): 75. 

McKeon, C.S., B.G. Tunberg, C.A. Johnston, and D.J. Barshis. 2015. Ecological drivers and habitat associations of estuarine bivalves. PeerJ. 3:e1348; DOI 10.7717/peerj.1348.

O’Farrell, S., A.R. Harborne, Y. Bozec, B.E. Luckhurst, and P.J. Mumby. 2015. Protection of functionally 

important parrotfishes increases their biomass but fails to deliver enhanced recruitment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 522: 245-254. 

Olsen, K., V.J. Paul, and C. Ross. 2015. Direct effects of elevated temperature, reduced pH, and the presence of macroalgae (Dictyota spp.) on larvae of the Caribbean coral Porites astreoides. Bulletin of Marine 

Science, 91(2):255-270.

Robles, R. and D.L. Felder. 2015. Molecular phylogeny of the genus Lepidophthalmus (Decapoda, Callianassidae), with re-examination of its species composition. Zootaxa, 4020(3): 453-472.

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 47
Ross, C., K. Olsen, M. Henry, and R. Pierce. 2015. Mosquito control pesticides and sea surface temperatures have differential effects on the survival and oxidative stress response of coral larvae. Ecotoxicology, 

24(3): 540-552.

Salvador-Reyes, L.A., N. Engene, V. Paul, and H. Luesch. 2015. Targeted natural products discovery from 

marine cyanobacteria using combined phylogenetic and mass spectrometric evaluation. Journal of Natural Products, 78(3): 486-492. 

Salvador-Reyes, L.A., J. Sneed, V. Paul, and H. Luesch. 2015. Amantelides A and B, polyhydroxylated 

macrolides with differential broad-spectrum cytotoxicity from a Guamanian Marine Cyanobacterium. 

Journal of Natural Products, 78(8): 1957-1962.

Santagata, S. 2015. Phoronida, Chapter 10 in: A. Wanninger (ed.) Evolutionary Developmental Biology of 

Invertebrates 2: Lophotrochozoa (Spiralia). Springer-Verlag Wien. Pp 231-245. 

Santagata, S. 2015. Ectoprocta, Chapter 11 in: A. Wanninger (ed.) Evolutionary Developmental Biology of 

Invertebrates 2: Lophotrochozoa (Spiralia). Springer-Verlag Wien. Pp. 247-262.

Santagata, S. 2015. Brachiopoda, Chapter 12 in: A. Wanninger (ed.) Evolutionary Developmental Biology of 

Invertebrates 2: Lophotrochozoa (Spiralia). Springer-Verlag Wien. Pp 263-277.

Sharp, K.H., J.M. Sneed, K.B. Ritchie, L. McDaniel, and V.J. Paul. 2015. Induction of larval settlement in 

the reef coral Porites astreoides by a cultivated marine Roseobacter strain. Biological Bulletin, 228: 98-107.

Shrestha, Y., H.H. Wirshing, and M.G. Harasewych. 2015. The Genus Cerion (Gastropoda: Cerionidae) in 

the Florida Keys. PLoS ONE, 10(9): e0137325. 

Smythe, A. 2015. Evolution of feeding structures in the marine Nematode Order Enoplida. Integrative and 

Comparative Biology, 55(2): 228-240. 

Sneed, J., R. Ritson-Williams, and V.J. Paul. 2015. Crustose coralline algal species host distinct bacterial 

assemblages on their surfaces. The ISME Journal, 9: 2527-2536. 

Scientific Publications

48 |SMS Annual Report 2015
SMS Annual Report 2015 | 49

Soares, A.R., N. Engene, S.P. Gunasekera, J.M. Sneed and V.J. Paul. 2015. Carriebowlinol, an antimicrobial tetrahydroquinolinol from an assemblage of marine Cyanobacteria containing a novel taxon. Journal 

of Natural Products, 78(3): 534-538.

Sterrenburg, F.A.S, M.A. Tiffany, F. Hinz, W. Herwig, and P.E. Hargraves. 2015. Seven new species 

expand the morphological spectrum of Haslea. A comparison with Gyrosigma, and Pleurosigma (Bacillariophyta). Phytotaxa, 207(2): 143-162.

Truelove, N., S. Griffiths, K. Ley-Cooper, J. Azueta, I. Majil, S.J. Box, D. Behringer, M. Butler, and 

R. Preziosi. 2015. Genetic evidence from the spiny lobster fishery supports international cooperation 

among Central American marine protected areas. Conservation Genetics, 16(2): 347-358. 

Truelove, N. K., K. Ley-Cooper, I. Segura-García, P. Briones-Fourzán, E. Lozano-Álvarez, B.F. Phillips, 

S.J. Box, and R.F. Preziosi. 2015. Genetic analysis reveals temporal population structure in Caribbean 

spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) within marine protected areas in Mexico. Fisheries Research, 172: 44-49. 

Vaslet, A., D.L. Phillips, C.A.M. France, I.C. Feller, and C.C. Baldwin. 2015. Trophic behaviour of juvenile reef fishes inhabiting interlinked mangrove-seagrass habitats in offshore mangrove islets. Journal of 

Fish Biology, 87: 256-273.
Station Visitors

The Smithsonian Marine Station serves as a field station of the National Museum of Natural History, 

drawing scientists and students from within the Smithsonian, as well as collaborating institutions 

around the world. The charts below reflect the make-up of visitors to SMS during 2015.

Total number of Visitor Days: 1881

Total number of individual visitors: 148

Number of represented institutions outside the Smithsonian: 52

50 |SMS Annual Report 2015

NMNH - National Museum of Natural 

History (Washington, D.C.)

MSC - Museum Support Center 

(Maryland)

SI Admin - Smithsonian Institution 

Administrators (Washington, D.C.)

STRI - Smithsonian Tropical Research 

Institute (Panama)

SERC - Smithsonian Environmental 

Research Center (Maryland)
Charles & Janet Alford 

Robert & Frances Bangert 

Thomas Beddow 

Hugh & Carolyn Benninger

David & Ursula Blackburn 

William & Clare Bohnett 

Robert & Kathleen Braun

Jack & Sally Chapman 

Judith Collins 

Anne Covert 

Ashton & Margo DePeyster 

Eugene Detmer, Jr. 

Norman Fashek & Tara MacTaggart 

Thomas Fritz 

Paul Hargraves 

William Jaeckle 

Richard G. Jennings

Mark & Linda Kaiser 

Robert & Susan Komarinetz 

Kenny & Debbie Langley 

Marilyn Link

Alma Lee Loy 

Whitney & Elizabeth MacMillan

John & Marilyn McConnell 

Eleanor Sexton 

Sumner Gerard Foundation 

Randy & Mimi Swaringen 

Renke & Pamela Thye 

Peter & Jeanne Tyson

Lace Vitunac 

Margaret Wisniewski 

Camille Yates 

Joel & Amy Zwemer

Friends of the Smithsonian Marine Station

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 51

The Friends of the Smithsonian Marine 

Station is the sponsor organization devoted 

to promoting and supporting the research 

and education efforts of SMS. Annual 

membership provides financial support 

for student and postdoctoral researchers, 

large-scale outreach events like the Annual 

Open House and National Estuaries Day, 

programs and displays at the Smithsonian 

Marine Ecosystems Exhibit, and a number 

of other mission-driven initiatives. Special 

events provide participants opportunities to 

interact with scientific and education staff 

while learning about current research. All 

donations to the Friends of the Smithsonian 

Marine Station are tax-deductible. For more 

information about becoming a Friend, visit 

www.sms.si.edu/GetInvolved.
Volunteers

Daniel Armellino

Elisa Alley

Diane Barbret

Sue Bennett

Gary Brennan

David Butcher

Ellen Butler

Gloria Clifford

Pat Zangrillo

Alonnah Creswell

Bryan Danson

Jorie Demkovich

Deanna Derosia

Pat DeWitt

Aneesa Dial

Arthur Domingos

Jessica Espinosa

Nicole Gaza

Alfonso Gonzalez

James Grecco

Kelly Grogan

John Hallam

Luke Hamel

Khalila Haque

Kim Honig

Art Jeffries

Judy Keicher

Charlie Kennedy

Maria Kolmakova

Debbie Langley

Maureen Lare

Paul Laura

Marvin Lesman

Chloe Lloyd

Madisyn Main

Jodie McClure

Chad McDonie

Diane McKee

Randy Migliano

Dottie Miller

Malcolm Mossop

Jamiylah Muqtadir

Pat Neal

Holly O'Brien

Victoria Phen

Kaitlynn Pike

Michael Pipes

Hannah Power

Nicholas Reid

Jose Reyes

Bill Robertson

Amy Rubio

Kayla Sampson

Rachel Scott

Jeff Shipley

Barry Smith

Jacob Smith

Erika Steele

Tom Tasker

Marjorie Taylor

David Todd

Angela Trenkle

Gary Vandenbos

Angelo Ventrilla

Valerie Vericella

Cameryn Weaver

Trip Weidner

Ellyn Willse

Pete Worch

Beverly Yoshioka

Paul Yoshioka

52 |SMS Annual Report 2015
In Memoriam

SMS Annual Report 2015 | 53

Rose Marie “Ronnie” DeGarmo, 

82, died January 11, 2015 in Fort 

Pierce, Florida. Ronnie moved to 

the Treasure Coast in 1994 and 

began volunteering at the Smithsonian Marine Station less than four 

years later, just months before the 

research program moved to its current location on South Hutchinson Island. Ronnie provided invaluable assistance to a number of research, education, and administration 

initiatives at SMS. She was especially gifted at unsurfacing information about little-known species 

for the IRL Species Inventory, and played a key role in staffing the Ecosystems Exhibit on weekends 

the first few years after it opened. In 2011, Ronnie received the President’s Volunteer Service Award 

in recognition for over 2,859 hours of service to the Smithsonian. Remarkably, SMS was not the 

only organization fortunate enough to count her among its supporters. Ronnie was also a longtime 

volunteer at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Manatee Observation and Education Center, and the St. Lucie County Public Library’s Main Library in downtown Fort Pierce. The staff and 

volunteers of the Smithsonian Marine Station and the Ecosystems Exhibit will be forever grateful for 

her hard work, dedication, and friendship.

SMS Administrative Officer, Joan Kaminski, and Ronnie DeGarmo (right).
A Facility of the National Museum of Natural History

701 Seaway Drive | Fort Pierce, Florida 34949 USA

772.462.6220 | 772.461.8154 (fax)

www.sms.si.edu

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce