Email Dr. Chris Finelli

Julie is finishing her PhD at Lousiana State University, where she is studying the sensory biology of burrowing shrimps along the Lousiana coast. Julie has conducted a series of biological and physical experiments to examine how these shrimps communicate in the confined area of their burrows.

Lou joined the lab in August of 2007. His research interests are centered around the ecological role of ecosystem engineers and how they affect biological processes on different spatial scales. He is currently investigating nutrient fluxes between sediments and the overlying water caused by the burrowing mud shrimp Upogebia affinis. His data will be applied to a quantitative model that explores shrimp feeding and carbon flux for systems of varying flow velocity. The goal for this work is to better understand the ecological role these shrimp play relative to other infauna and commercially harvested suspension feeders.

Tiffany's broad research interests include combining marine ecology with marine conservation. Suring summer 2008 she began studying pumping and filtration rates of the Giant Barrel Sponge, Xestospongia muta in the Bahamas. Ultimately, she will examine the interaction between the zoanthid, Parazonthus parasiticus and X. muta.

Kristin, an undergraduate at UNCW, began working in the lab in June 2008. She will graduate in May 2009 with a B.S. in Marine Biology, a B.S. in Environmental Science, and a minor in Forensic Science. Her research focuses on oyster recruitment rates in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica. She is currently conducting a caging experiment to tease apart the effects of chemical cues and predation on oyster recruitment. Upon graduation, she hopes to go on to an internship at the Living Seas and then continue on to graduate school.

 Email Kristin