Bryanna Fleshman is an undergraduate student who is finishing her Bachelor of Science in Biology at St. Petersburg College (SPC) on the highest wave possible! Fleshman was recently awarded an honorable mention for an outstanding presentation at the the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute’s (GCFI) 78th Annual Regional Conference.
This year’s conference, held in October in Cartagena, Colombia, was themed, Partnering for the Oceans: Merging Ocean, Climate and Biodiversity Efforts Through Regional Marine Data and Innovation. Fleshman attended with her faculty advisor, Dr. Stephanie Palomino, and gave an oral presentation at the Habitat and Coastal Ecosystems session on fisheries research she’s conducting with Palomino.
Their research was accepted for publication in the Proceedings of this year’s conference, and Fleshman will be working diligently with Palomino to submit the manuscript by the end of the semester.
Her work with Dr. Palomino involves assessing fish community structure, habitat utilization and implications of ecosystem health in the Hurricane Hole Lagoon in Boca Ciega Bay, St. Petersburg. She specializes in map-making, while bringing in her experience as a Utilities Operation (GIS) Technician with the Public Works, Environmental Management Department with the City of Oldsmar, FL.
Currently in her last year of the bachelor’s program, she is also a lab assistant at SPC’s Downtown and Midtown Centers. Bryanna’s goal is to pursue a graduate degree in Biological Oceanography to study how environmental stressors impact fish populations and community dynamics in coastal ecosystems.
Fleshman had received a $500 travel award from the GCFI to attend, and received $500 and a Certificate of Achievement for her honorable mention award. As an undergraduate student, she was competing against master’s and doctorate students.
A highlight of Bryanna’s experience was meeting Palomino’s previous Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Richard Appeldoorn, and colleagues from the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico.
Congratulations to Fleshman and Palomino for this achievement!
