All posts by Elizabeth Miller

SPC student receives award at regional conference in Colombia

Two women and a man in the center
Biology, Science

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!

Bryanna Fleshman, left, with faculty advisor Stephanie Palomino.

SPC STEM Center gets new gopher tortoises

gopher tortoise
Environmental Science Technology, Science

St. Petersburg College’s resident gopher tortoise, Titan, recently got some new companions at the STEM Center campus. The 6-year-old tortoise was the STEM Center’s first since becoming a permitted waif recipient site by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in December. Four more tortoises, which were rescued and rehabilitated, were released in the past week into the upland habitat area at the campus.

“The gopher tortoise is known as a keystone species because scientists have identified up to 350 other species that rely on their burrows,” explained Erica Moulton, SPC’s STEM Center Director.

A rescued gopher tortoise checks out his new burrow at SPC’s STEM Center.

In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species, and both the tortoise and its burrow, which can be five to six feet deep and 10 to 15 feet long, are protected under state law. Its introduction to the upland area is an important step in SPC’s overall habitat restoration efforts at the STEM Center.

“Having these tortoises on site will continue to provide an opportunity for transient animals like snakes and marsh rabbits to establish themselves in the area and help revitalize the area to its natural state,” Moulton said.

SPC began its habitat restoration of the area last year through a grant from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. Efforts have included removing invasive plant species and installing native plants, and the purchase of oyster domes to install in the estuary as a living shoreline. Plans are also under way for a boardwalk and dock at the center, but, for now, the area remains closed to the public.

“The STEM Center is home to other significant species, like osprey and a pair of nesting bald eagles. These birds of prey need other small mammals to survive,” Moulton said. “The addition of the tortoises adds to the rich habitat diversity we have here, and the importance of the center as a nature conservation area.”

Moulton says the tortoises are adapting well to their new habitat, and would like to use the new family as a learning opportunity for SPC’s STEM students by developing related educational materials. But, first, three of them still need a name. The public is invited to add their name suggestions on the center’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SPCSTEMCenter/. You can also follow their progress on Instagram @spcstemcenter.