David Thistle

Current Graduate Students

Erin Easton  easton@ocean.fsu.edu

Erin graduated from Indiana University. For her master's-degree research, she was interested in learning how to use both morphological and molecular techniques of species discrimination to investigate taxonomic problems. Accordingly, she studied molecular systematics with Dr. Trisha Spears in the Department of Biological Sciences and morphological techniques with me. She chose to investigate a taxonomic complex involving the harpacticoid copepod genus Zausodes. My former student Lori Bouck had discovered that what we had thought to be a single species (Zausodes arenicolus) appeared on the basis of morphology to consist of five species of three genera. Erin tested this taxonomic hypothesis with molecular data and is writing up her results.

Erin has decided to study for the Ph.D. with me. As part of her plan to obtain a wide background in marine ecology and oceanography, she decided to change fields and participate in the research being done at FSU as part of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Institute. One aspect of the research involves gag grouper, a commercially important species that is threatened by over fishing. This species spends ˜6 months in near-shore seagrass beds, which it uses as a nursery habitat. Erin is studying the feeding biology of these young stages and the dependence of their survival on the abundance of their food.

Erin Easton Photo

Stefan Bourgoin  bourgoin@ocean.fsu.edu

Stefan is a first-year student and is occupied primarily with course work. He is helping out with ongoing research as his time permits and thinking about what topic he would like to make his own.

Stefan Bourgoin Photo