Lab Members
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Principal Investigator (P.I.), Dr. Kelly Dorgan
Senior Marine Scientist II, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Associate Professor of Marine Science, University of South Alabama PhD 2007 University of Maine (Oceanography) ResearchGate Profile Google Scholar Profile CV |
Current Postdocs
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Dr. Jenna Moore Postdoctoral Researcher, Dauphin Island Sea Lab PhD, University of Florida I am interested in the evolution of form and function in annelids, as well as in resolving their systematics. I use modern phylogenetic methods and morphological study to investigate patterns of morphological evolution. While my doctoral research focused on the family Chaetopteridae, my work in Kelly Dorgan's lab focuses on the evolution of jaw structures in the order Eunicida, which includes the terrifying and YouTube-famous "sand-striker" worm, Eunice aphroditois. Dr. Amberle McKee
Postdoctoral Researcher, Dauphin Island Sea Lab PhD, University of California, Irvine I am interested in how animals, particularly invertebrates, use sensing to inform locomotive behaviors. I use biomechanics techniques and build custom tools to investigate how animals sense and react to their environments. My previous research includes loping in snails, burial in flatfish, and schooling in freshwater fish. My current research focuses on how sensing informs burial in marine worms. Find out more on my professional website. |
Current Graduate Students
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Cy Clemo
PhD Candidate, University of South Alabama BS, Environmental Science, University of Virginia I am broadly interested in benthic ecology and invertebrate biology. I am particularly interested in how burrowing invertebrate (infauna) communities weather physical changes to their sediment habitats due to storms and other physical disturbances. wclemo@disl.org |
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Kara Gadeken
PhD Candidate, University of South Alabama BS, Biology, College of William and Mary I am interested in how sediment ecosystems respond to environmental change, particularly on short timescales. My dissertation work is focused on how sediments and the animals that live in them respond to the diel oxygen cycle. kgadeken@disl.org |
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Will Ballentine
PhD Student, University of South Alabama BS, Biology, Florida State University I am primarily interested in meiofauna, some of the smallest benthic invertebrates. This tiny size class of organisms is made up of many different phyla, and it contains a massive diversity of body shapes and life strategies evolved for living between grains of sand. My goal is to better understand how these small animals behave and move in situ. wballentine @disl.org |
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Steve Dykstra (co-advised by Brian Dzwonkowski) PhD Candidate, University of South Alabama MS, Environmental Science, Taylor University BS, Geology, Calvin College My research is on coastal flooding and the role of freshwater discharge in the transition from rivers to the sea. I use an interdisciplinary approach blending observations and theory from hydrology, physical oceanography, and geomorphology. A practical extension of this work are new methods I’m developing for managers to predict flooding and poor water quality threatening seafood safety. sdykstra@disl.org |
Current Technicians and Interns
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Chesna Cox
Lab Technician BS, Biology, Auburn University I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Marine Biology. Currently, I am studying how geo-technical properties of mud can be altered by the presence or absence of organic material. My other scientific interests include harmful algal blooms and dead zones, specifically the seasonality and possible amelioration of well established dead zones. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, painting and reading. ccox@disl.org |
Former Graduate Students
Ryan Parker M.S., University of South Alabama, B.S., Biology, University of Southern Mississippi
Sublethal effects of the Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) of oil on infaunal bioturbation rates in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Sarah Cole M.S., University of South Alabama, B.S., Biology, Eckerd College
Mudblister worm (Polydora websteri) infestation on farmed oysters along the Alabama coast.
Maite Jacquot M.S., Université de Bretagne Occidentale, B.S. Université de Rennes
Macrobenthic community structure and influence on denitrification in soft sediments (Mobile Bay, Alabama).
Ryan Parker M.S., University of South Alabama, B.S., Biology, University of Southern Mississippi
Sublethal effects of the Water Accommodated Fraction (WAF) of oil on infaunal bioturbation rates in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Sarah Cole M.S., University of South Alabama, B.S., Biology, Eckerd College
Mudblister worm (Polydora websteri) infestation on farmed oysters along the Alabama coast.
Maite Jacquot M.S., Université de Bretagne Occidentale, B.S. Université de Rennes
Macrobenthic community structure and influence on denitrification in soft sediments (Mobile Bay, Alabama).
Former Technicians and Interns
Katelyn Giles (Intern 2019-2020)
Erin Kiskaddon (Lab technician 2017-2019)
Elijah Tripp (REU summer 2019)
Ellen Titus (Intern 2018-2019)
Rachel Pugh (REU summer 2017)
Haley Lescinsky (REU summer 2016)
Alessandra Jimenez-Yap (Intern 2016)
Sarah Frankenberg (Intern 2015-2016)
Susann Grill (Lab technician 2014)
Casper Hui (NOAA-NGI intern 2014)
Katelyn Giles (Intern 2019-2020)
Erin Kiskaddon (Lab technician 2017-2019)
Elijah Tripp (REU summer 2019)
Ellen Titus (Intern 2018-2019)
Rachel Pugh (REU summer 2017)
Haley Lescinsky (REU summer 2016)
Alessandra Jimenez-Yap (Intern 2016)
Sarah Frankenberg (Intern 2015-2016)
Susann Grill (Lab technician 2014)
Casper Hui (NOAA-NGI intern 2014)
