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Welcome New ECOS Director
Steven Vollmer, Ph.D., joined Florida Atlantic University as the new director of the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS). The school, a partnership between the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, is Florida Atlantic’s comprehensive hub for environmental academic programs, research and outreach. Vollmer is a distinguished evolutionary and ecological genomicist who has dedicated his career to researching the threats to tropical coral reefs, often viewed as a global barometer for understanding the far-reaching effects of widespread environmental shifts.
Read more. |
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Medicine in the Deep
FAU Harbor Branch was featured in a recent documentary produced by the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration about promising discoveries from the deep sea that could be used to create medicine for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, dementia and more. |
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Fin of the Month: Shadow (SHDW)
Meet SHDW, also known as Shadow, who was first identified by the FAU Harbor Branch Marine Mammal Stranding and Population Assessment team (MMSPA) in January 2021. |
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The image on the right was submitted by one of our citizen scientists, a registered Dolphin Spotter, and the land-based photo was successfully matched to the MMSPA team's photo-identification catalog (NOAA NMFS LOC No. 23069-01). Shadow has been seen by the team at least 15 times since. Shadow has been spotted between the Sebastian and Ft. Pierce Inlets. Shadow is most often seen with another MMSPA cataloged dolphin named YODA.
Can you spot the similarities in these photos? The team uses the unique markings on their dorsal fins to identify individual dolphins, much like how we use our fingerprints. These sightings help the MMSPA team better understand movement patterns of bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon.
Registered Spotters can view all 547 sightings ranging from New Smyrna to Stuart on the mobile app WatchSpotter. Becoming a citizen scientist is a great way to support our ongoing marine mammal research. Visit our website to get started.
The photo on the left was taken by the FAU HBOI MMSPA program (NOAA NMFS LOC No. 23069-01). All citizen scientist land-based photos have been submitted through the FAU Harbor Branch Dolphin Spotter project in accordance with the program’s guidelines and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
If you see dolphins while out on the water, please remember to stay 50 yards away. If you see a marine mammal in distress, please call the FWC hotline (888) 404-3922. |
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Marine Energy Survey
Did you know the Gulf Stream - one of the world's strongest currents - can flow up to 5.6 miles per hour and move nearly 4 billion cubic feet of water every second from Florida to Europe? At FAU's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, researchers are harnessing this powerful force of nature into energy solutions for Florida's coastal communities.
Help shape the future of marine energy in Florida by taking a quick, 10-question survey. |
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Link Fellowship at the Smithsonian Marine Station
Jada Brown, a Florida Atlantic graduate student, has been awarded a Link Foundation Graduate Fellowship at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce. She will conduct research in the Benthic Ecology Lab under the guidance of Holly Sweat, Ph.D.
Brown will be working with the large collection of preserved benthic bivalves (organisms such as clams and oysters) that the lab has been collecting quarterly since 2005 across the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie Estuary. This long-term monitoring effort of benthic infauna began with funding by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to assess environmental health across the estuarine system. At the Smithsonian Marine Station, Brown will collect morphological metrics of the preserved benthic bivalves to see population responses to environmental disturbances that may not be reflected in the currently available abundance data.
The work is complementary to Brown's master's thesis project on community dynamics, which she has been conducting in the Quantitative Ecology Lab at FAU Harbor Branch under the mentorship of Michael McCoy, Ph.D., professor of quantitative ecology. The research team is applying a novel modeling technique to the long-term time series of benthic bivalve abundances to assess sensitivity rankings among different taxa. The modeling work allowed the team to identify how taxa sensitivity has changed over the years in ways that may otherwise have been overlooked in the abundance trends.
"The morphological metrics from my fellowship at the Smithsonian Marine Station may assist further with identifying time periods that populations experienced sensitivity to environmental disturbances which may have been overlooked from the model efforts that focus only on the abundance records," Brown said. |
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| Summer Internship Symposium Photos Now Available! |
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Explore Blue and Ocean Economy Opportunities at FAU with Marine Research Hub
Tuesday, Sept. 9
3 to 5:30 p.m.
FAU Boca Raton Campus
Phil Smith Hall, BU-101
(Trading Room)
Dive into the innovative resources Florida Atlantic University has to offer for entrepreneurs. Learn about how to team up with other students to develop an idea that could solve an ocean-related problem or how to turn a great idea into a product or company.
Register. |
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Summer Passport 2025
As summer draws to a close, FAU Harbor Branch is pleased to share the success of another year of the St. Lucie County Passport Program. In partnership with the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County and the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce, the FAU Harbor Branch Education and Outreach team welcomed 212 summer campers and chaperones from across the county. Participating organizations included Zoe Live Creative Arts Academy, the Agricultural and Labor Program, the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County, and many others.
Through Indian River Lagoon boat tours, interactive presentations on marine mammals, and hands-on experiences at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center, participants had the opportunity to explore the wonders of our local marine environment while learning about cutting-edge research conducted at FAU Harbor Branch.
We look forward to continuing this collaboration and inspiring future summers filled with discovery, science and connection to the ocean. |
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New High School Curriculum: Investigating Environmental Changes
FAU Harbor Branch has developed a new curriculum to help students across Florida become informed advocates for a healthier environment.
"Investigating Environmental Changes" is a new, Florida Department of Education accredited curriculum that brings real-world science into the classroom through data from the Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors (IRLON).
This five-lesson, standards-aligned unit engages students in exploring coastal ecoystems through real-time water quality data:
· Lesson 1: Exploring an Estuary Dive into Florida’s dynamic estuarine ecosystems.
· Lesson 2: ’Tis the Season Discover how seasonal shifts affect water quality and life.
· Lesson 3: Whirlwind Weather Investigate storm impacts on the lagoon.
· Lesson 4: All About Algae Analyze the causes and effects of algal blooms.
· Lesson 5: Insights into a Changing World Connect local trends to global environmental change.
Accredited by the Florida Department of Education and supported by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, this curriculum aims to inspire Florida’s future scientists, resource managers, and environmental leaders—starting in the classroom.
Learn more and download the curriculum. |
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Explore the Indian River Lagoon on the Discovery pontoon!
VOTED BEST ECO-ADVENTURE
IN INDIAN RIVER MAGAZINE'S BEST OF THE TREASURE COAST 2025 |
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FAU Harbor Branch's outreach team travels to events throughout Florida with hands-on marine science educational exhibits and activities. In addition, FAU Harbor Branch scientists share their expertise through public lectures and workshops.
Indian River Lagoon Science Festival
Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Veteran's Memorial Park, Fort Pierce |
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WLW Environment & Student Success Fund Visit
This month, FAU Harbor Branch hosted Wayne and Lucretia Weiner, supporters of the WLW Environment & Student Success Fund, along with Valery Forbes, Ph.D., dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; Steven Vollmer, Ph.D., director of the School of Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS); Gabriella Rodriguez-Fuentes, Ph.D., inaugural ECOS Professor in Residence; and others for a day of discovery, conversation and collaboration. Guests were given an overview of the institute's research, education and outreach efforts; met with faculty, staff and students; and even toured the Indian River Lagoon aboard the Discovery pontoon.
"We would like to extend our gratitude to Wayne and Lucretia Weiner for their generous support and for making the 2025 year of the Semester by The Sea program possible," said Brandon McHenry, assistant director of development at FAU Harbor Branch. |
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Semester by The Sea
Trains Young Scientists
FAU Harbor Branch trains the next generation of environmental researchers and stewards through its Semester By The Sea program. A generous donation from Wayne and Lucretia Weiner through Florida Atlantic’s School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS), supported the program this year, enabling students to have career-building experiences.
Read more. |
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Subscribe to Ocean Currents
Florida Atlantic Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute | Website |
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