Functional Anatomy Professor Reynolds and Sentiel Rommel recently completed a paper on manatee gastrointestinal tract anatomy. Rommel's specialties include musculoskeletal and vascular systems, whereas Reynolds focuses more on digestive, reproductive, and excretory systems. Students under Reynolds' guidance have worked on pygmy sperm whale testicular anatomy, pygmy sperm whale pancreatic histology and histochemistry, blood cell formation in manatees, and manatee kidney functional anatomy. The students involved in different aspects of marine mammal research get together to discuss what they do. In addition, there is an annual mock scientific meeting at which students doing research make formal presentations to their peers and the faculty.
Students learn to think critically and to make interdisciplinary connections.
For example, our research will ultimately provide information on dolphin behavior, habitat use, population trends, and immune function, all of which can ultimately reflect environmental quality and stresses to local populations. The types of knowledge we are acquiring may help managers conserve and manage those dolphin populations and the habitat on which they depend. Go forward or go to the beginning or find out more about these pages. Images in these web pages are not to be used without permission.