About Me
Bio
I am a biologist and editorial photographer, based in Florida. Most of my research has centered around fish and avian biology, genomics, and ecology. I use photography to communicate science to both general & professional audiences.
Work with Me
Doing some interesting scientific research? I'd love to discuss how photography can communicate your research more effectively.
Get in touch with me through my contact form or Instagram.
Current Projects
Morphology
Morphology is the first project I have created specifically for a gallery setting. It explores concepts of biodiversity, form & function. I hope to get viewers to consider the incredible diversity of structure found in fishes, and foster an appreciation for the complexity of the natural world.
All of the species featured are found in the coastal waters of Florida. Each specimen goes through a chemical process that stains bone: red, cartilage: blue, and renders other flesh transparent. Depending on the specimen, it takes about 3 weeks to complete the process.
In October of 2016, the first phase of the project opened at the DNA by the Hand of Man Gallery in Gainesville, FL. Currently in its second phase, I am working to expand the number of species included. My eventual goal is to photograph one species from every fish Family found in Florida. Limited edition C-type or aluminum prints are available for purchase.
Characterization ofBacterial Communities in Biscayne Bay Through Genomic Analysis
I earned my Masters in Biology in the Lopez Lab at Nova Southeastern University. For my thesis work, I used genomic techniques to study bacterial ecology in Biscayne Bay.
Abstract
Biscayne Bay is a shallow oligotrophic estuary in Southeast Florida. Channelization of rivers, and dredging of canals has greatly altered thehistorical flow of fresh water into the bay. This, coupled with the rise of a sprawling urban & suburban development, has greatly increased the nutrient load inthe bay. This study examined the bacterial community at 14 stations throughoutBiscayne Bay —6 stations were located at the mouths of canals; 1 upstream-canal station; 6 stations in the center of the bay; and one ocean influenced station,located near the entrance to the bay. One liter, surface water samples were takenmonthly for one year. The 16S rRNA gene was used to identify bacterial community composition. There were 19,680 Amplicon Sequence Variants(ASVs) identified across all 146 samples. Salinity and total phosphorous were the primary factors explaining bacterial biodiversity.Biodiversity in microbial communities in the Miami River and the oceaninfluenced site, were unique compared to other sites in the study. Alpha and β-diversitywere generally homogeneous over most of the study area. Looking at α-diversity,the two stations on the Miami River were statistically identical and had higherdiversity. The ocean influenced station, located near the Safety Valve, was statistically unique, and had lower α-diversity. The remaining 11 stations hadmoderate diversity and were statistically identical, appearing to be acombination of the previously mentioned Miami River sites and the ocean influenced site. Beta diversity showed a similar pattern; with the exceptionthat the site located at the mouth of Black Creek could now be grouped with theMiami River sites.