{"id":15280,"date":"2016-02-25T10:39:43","date_gmt":"2016-02-25T15:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cos.ucf.edu\/?p=15280"},"modified":"2016-02-25T10:39:43","modified_gmt":"2016-02-25T15:39:43","slug":"ucf-at-river-lagoon-symposium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-at-river-lagoon-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Research Steals the Show"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IndianThe spotlight was on UCF at the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium<\/a> (IRLS). On Feb. 11-12, the Indian River Lagoon and their sponsors held\u00a0the Indian River Lagoon Symposium at the Johnson Education Center, FAU Harbor Branch, in Fort Pierce, Florida. This year’s theme was Indian River Lagoon: Linking Research with Management.<\/p>\n

The goals of this symposium\u00a0was to foster collaborations and discussions, promote participation of university students and new scientists, and increase public awareness of the Indian River Lagoon, its ecological and economic importance.<\/p>\n

The College of Sciences, with collaborations from students and faculty\u00a0in Interdisciplinary Studies and\u00a0the\u00a0College of Engineering, was well represented\u00a0at the symposium with\u00a0oral presentations from 2 undergraduate students\u00a0and 2 faculty members and poster presentations from 8 undergraduate students and one graduate student. All students were mentored by Pegasus Professor Linda Walters, Ph.D., <\/a>and Melinda Donnelly, Ph.D., as part of UCF Biology Coastal and Estuarine Ecology (CEE) Lab.<\/p>\n

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Dr. Donnelly, gave an oral presentation on\u00a0her research about “Comparison of Abiotic and Biotic Factors between Restored, Natural, and Altered Shorelines in Mosquito Lagoon.” Dr. Walters presentation\u00a0was an\u00a0“Update on Oyster Research in Mosquito Lagoon”. Dr. Walters was also the session chair for the fourth oral session and is also\u00a0part of the IRLS steering committee.<\/p>\n

Lacie Anderson, is one of the two undergraduate students who gave an oral presentation. In collaboration with Brevard Zoo and Brevard County Natural Resources, her presentation\u00a0focused on\u00a0the success of the Brevard Zoo oyster gardening program<\/a>, “From Gardens to Reefs: Methods for Reintroducing Eastern Oysters to Brevard County.”<\/p>\n

Michelle Shaffer, the second undergraduate presenter, discussed “A Shell Midden\u2019s Story: Investigating How Multiple Factors Affect the Lack of Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove)\u00a0Propagule Recruitment at Stabilized Shorelines along Turtle Mound”.<\/p>\n

Graduate student, Phyllis Klarman, also presented at the symposium. Her presentation, with sociology\u00a0professor\u00a0Sam Park, Ph.D.,<\/a> focused on a\u00a0“Social Science Survey of Oyster Gardening Program Participants in Brevard County, Florida.”<\/p>\n

Below are the 9 students who had poster presentations.<\/p>\n