UCF student wins best undergraduate poster presentation

Joshua Soloman, UCF senior double majoring in biology and environmental sciences, won the best undergraduate poster presentation at the Fall 2010 Southeastern Estuaries Research Conference (SEERS).

The SEERS conference was earlier this month in St. Augustine, Florida. Soloman’s poster was titled “Microwaves, Freezing, Boiling and Dessication: Developing Techniques for Safe Disposal of Chaetomorpha.”

“The poster explains how to prevent aquarium dumping,” Soloman said. “Since they pose a serious threat to estuaries.”

Solomon tested potential techniques for safe disposal of excess of unwanted caulerpa, which is a fast growing attractive algae that is found in many aquariums. He used his own research in addition to experiments conducted by other UCF biology students.

Solomon was able to do the research because of the funding secured for the project by Dr. Linda Walters, UCF biology professor. Biology graduate student Rachel Odom also assisted Solomon in his research as the supervising author.

Solomon will likely continue the research he did for this poster when he attends graduate school.

As the undergraduate poster presentation winner Solomon received a membership to the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, which is the parent organization for SEERS.

SEERS is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the exchange of interdisciplinary information related to estuaries of the southeastern United States.