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News & Events

  • Three marine science students standing on boat over the water.
  • A group of marine science students on a boat with fishing rods.
  • Marine science student fishing with fishing rod bent into the water.

Upcoming Events

EARTH DAY 2025

EVENTS

April 21-27
BioBlitz

Help document biodiversity across South’s 1200 acre campus. Faculty, staff, students will use the app iNaturalist to document plants and wildlife across campus. The most observations will receive a certificate and small prize. 
Contact: Grace Chouinard - gmc2321@jagmail.southalabama.edu

April 21-27
PASSAGE USA Earth Week Bingo

This activity is specifically open for PASSAGE USA students. Students will have the opportunity to participate in Earth Week activities and complete a bingo sheet. Upon completion of the Bingo sheet, students will win a Sustainability @ South reusable water bottle. 
Contact: Grace Stringer - gas2421@jagmail.southalabama.edu

Campus Recycling

Plastic bottles and aluminum cans: Look for the blue recycle bins when disposing of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. If there is food waste in your recyclable trash, it will be rejected, so be sure to “chug it before you chunk it!”

Mobile County's Earth Day Celebration

April 26
Love Your Community Earth Day Celebration
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Chickasabogue Park, 760 Aldock Rd. Eight Mile, AL

 Mobile County's Earth Day Celebration 

This will be a fun-filled day featuring:

music by Ryan Balthrop and The New Cahoots
a native plant giveaway
vendors
lawn games
rock climbing wall
nature walks 
children's activities and storytime 
caricature drawings
food trucks and so much more.
This event is sponsored by the Mobile County Commission, Keep Mobile Beautiful, Earth Day Mobile Bay, and the Sierra Club.


 

Student News

Hall, Hansen, Pickett, and Russell Receive Awards

The Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences celebrated outstanding students, donors, and industry partners during the Annual Donor Appreciation Night. The program was held on the first floor of the Education and Outreach Building on the evening of March 26th. Each year, the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences presents the Outstanding Student Award to students demonstrating outstanding performance. There are three categories of awards: undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Olivia Pickett, Marissa Hall, Joe Hansen, and Christa Russell.



Olivia Pickett and Marissa Hall

Heck Award Winner: Olivia Pickett, Undergraduate

Honorable Mention: Marissa Hall, Undergraduate

Pictured from left: Olivia Pickett, Marissa Hall

 


Joe Hansen hold Nelson Award while standing next to mentor Dr. Ruth Carmichael

Nelson Award Winner: Joe Hansen, Master's Student

Pictured from left: Joe Hansen,Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael


Shipp Award Winner: Christa Russell

Shipp Award Winner: Christa, Russell, Ph.D. student

Pictured from left: Chista Russell, Dr. Lee Smee

 

Faculty News

Congratulations to our faculty on their publications from January 2025-Present!

Dr. Mark Albins & Dr. Sean P. Powers.

     Cox, T. E., Boyle, K. S., Albins, M. A., Powers, S. P., Cebrian, J. (2025). Carbon production at shallow-water artificial reef ecosystems relies on water column primary                           productivity. Limnology and Oceanography, 

      Dias, P. J., Lehman, R., Huerta-Beltrán, B. L., Wheeler, A., Hightower, C. L., Heise, J., Switzer, T., Rhode, C., Drymon, J. M., Stokes, L., Albins, M. A., Powers, S., Phillips, N.                       (2025). A novel ddPCRTM assay for eDNA detection and quantification of Greater Amberjack Seriola dumerili and three congeners in US waters:                                      challenges and application to fisheries independent surveys. Peer J 13:e18778 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18778.

Dr.  Jahson Alemu

     Alemu, J.B., 2025. Perceptions and Adaptive Strategies of Artisanal Fishers to a Changing Environment. Regional Studies in Marine Science, p.104045.                                            https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352485525000362

     Yando, E.S., Alemu, J.B., Lim, K.E., Sloey, T.M., van Breugel, M., Bhatia, N. and Friess, D.A., 2025. Edge effects impact blue carbon dynamics across coastal                                     ecotones in a tropical seascape. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(1), pp.54-67. https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.12734

Dr. Jahson Alemu & Dr. Steven Scyphers

     Alemu, J.B., Hughes, A.R., Osland, M.J., Swinea, S.H., Thorne, K.A., Bardou, R., Shepard, C.C. and Scyphers, S.B., 2025. Waterfront property owners' shoreline                                     preferences amid salt marsh to mangrove transitions. People and Nature. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pan3.10794

     Swinea, S.H., Hughes, A.R., Osland, M.J., Shepard, C.C., Thorne, K.B., Alemu, J.B., Bardou, R. and Scyphers, S.B., 2025. Marshes to mangroves: Residential surveys                            reveal perceived wetland trade-offs for ecosystem services. Landscape and Urban Planning, 253, p.105203. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70259406

Dr. Ronald Baker

     Baker R, Gittman R (2025) Co-funding robust monitoring with Living Shoreline construction is critical for maximizing beneficial outcomes. Estuaries and Coasts                          48:5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-024-01433-9

     zu Ermgassen PSE, DeAngelis B, Gair, JR, zu Ermgassen S, Baker R, Daniels A, Lee J, MacDonald TC, Meckley K, Ribera M, Grabowski JH (2025) Estimating fish and                          invertebrate density and production enhancement from seagrass nursery habitats along the Atlantic coast USA. Estuaries and Coasts 48:26.                                            https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70246699

Dr. Ruth H. Carmichael

     Bouveroux, T., C. Sinclair, K. Barry, L. Clance, J. Hansen, K. Mullin, P. Rosel, R.H. Carmichael. Abundance and residency patterns of common bottlenose dolphins                                (Tursiops truncatus) in freshwater-influenced estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquat Conserv: Mar Freshw Ecosyst. 35: e70055. doi:                                            10.1002/aqc.70055 (P)

Dr. Abbey Hotard

     Hotard, A. E., Ross, A. D. (2025). Home buyout without relocation: An examination of dissonant hazard mitigation perceptions among Gulf Coast residents. Risk,                            Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 16(1). 

Dr. Steven Scyphers

     Cheng, H., McMahan, M.D., Scyphers, S.B., McClenachan, L. and Grabowski, J.H., 2025. Observations, perceptions and concerns of the American lobster industry                                regarding the range-expansion of Black Sea Bass. Marine Policy, 173, p.106517.
 
     Moorman, T.G., Morris, D., Scyphers, S.B., Williamson, R.D. and Dunning, K.H., 2025. Recreational angler and stakeholder perceptions of policy changes to                                        recreational fishery management: the case of red snapper devolution in the Gulf of Mexico. Ecology and Society, 30(1).                                                                             https://ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art2/
 
Dr. Alison Robertson

     Turner AD, Maskrey BH, Stone D, Mudge EM, Robertson A. First Confirmed Occurrence of Ciguatera Poisoning in the UK from Imported Pinjalo Snapper (Pinjalo                               pinjalo). Mar Drugs. 2025 Feb 6;23(2):67. doi: 10.3390/md23020067. PMID: 39997191; PMCID: PMC11857775.    https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/2/67 

Dr. Delbert Lee Smee

     Belgrad, B.A., C. Lin*, C. Russell*, R. Cannon*, J. Lunt, D.L. Smee. 2025. Costs of induced defenses dissipate by maturity for diploid and triploid oysters. Aquaculture.                            596:1  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741796 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848624012584