Research focused on aquatic ecosystems
Marine biology researchers at New College study all aspects of the marine environment with a focus on local organisms and ecosystems in Sarasota Bay.
Current Research Projects
- EPA Tidy Island project
- Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery (GULFSPAN) survey
- Sarasota Coast Acoustic Network (SCAN)
- Acoustic ecology of Sarasota Bay
- Crustacean population biology
- Sensory ecology of elasmobranchs and bony fish
- Sirenian (manatee) biology
- Environmental biology of mangroves
- Marine bio-optics
- Neural basis of vocalizations in aquatic frogs
- Ecology and evolution of algae-cnidarian (coral) symbioses
- Temperature tolerance in corals, bleaching, effects of climate change
The Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center
The Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center is located on Sarasota Bay, a 56-mile-long urbanized coastal lagoon system comprised of five embayments, and a US Congress-designated Estuary of National Significance. The research center is equipped with a heater and chilled seawater and aquaria of various sizes, suitable for holding a wide variety of organisms, from marine plants, to delicate invertebrates, to sharks and larger fish. Under a permit FKNMS-2009-073, the lab is also permitted to hold, display, and conduct limited non-destructive research on Caribbean coral obtained from a Florida Keys rescue site. The laboratory spaces are flexible and can be quickly adapted to meet the needs of any marine research project. The facility also includes a 15,000 gallon flow tank and specialized facilities for coral propagation, tissue histology, and microscopy and imaging.
Research Vessels
- R/V Limbatus (26’ Beachcat fiberglass pontoon boat)
- R/V Pagurus (12’ Skeeter aluminum skiff)
- 14’ Rigid inflatable