Alexa is a PhD student in Biological Oceanography at Florida State University. Her research uses novel approaches to investigate the foraging ecology and habitat use of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. This data will provide insights on the influence of sea turtles on important marine ecosystems such as seagrass beds. Alexa is committed to engaging diverse audiences in marine conservation and has participated in many outreach and educational programs. In her free time, she is an avid freediver, scuba diver, and is excited to also be joining the spearfishing community. Her career goals are to be an academic professor dedicated to mentorship and advancing the conservation of threatened marine species and habitats.

Jamila Roth grew up in Massachusetts but her passion for marine ecology began with regular family camping trips to Cayo Costa on the gulf coast of Florida and conversations at home living with her Tausug ("people of the current") grandmother. Jamila Roth grew up in Massachusetts, but her passion for marine ecology began with regular family camping trips to Cayo Costa State Park on the gulf coast of Florida and conversations at home living with her Tausug ("people of the sea current") grandmother. As an undergraduate at Skidmore College, she first gained aquatic ecology research experience while spending two consecutive summers studying trapping methods for invasive species in the Finger Lakes. While there, she led activities for elementary students related to aquatic ecology and has worked to continue engaging with youth education projects from then onward. Jamila is now pursuing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida, where she is investigating the impact of environmental change on seagrass resilience and seagrass-herbivore interactions, with the goal of producing results that can be used to develop novel approaches to incorporate resilience into seagrass restoration. She currently volunteers with the Gainesville Cultural Arts Coalition, leading hands-on activities at afterschool science clubs. She developed seagrass- focused curriculum and lesson plans that directly address Florida Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards for grades K-8. In 2019, she gave a survey before and after the activities and found that the students’ understanding of trophic interactions and ecosystem services improved after participating. The findings and activities are available online, and the findings from the study is published in Science Activities Journal. Additionally, she has worked to educate students about the importance of coastal ecosystems by creating a child-friendly interactive exhibit (displayed at the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station) that highlights the importance of seagrass ecosystems and the current threats they face. Throughout her career, she\ plans to continue researching the impact of environmental change on coastal ecosystems and identifying how the findings can aid in the restoration, conservation, and management of these ecosystems.

Elizabeth Duermit-Moreau is originally from Ohio, but developed a passion for marine biology at a young age. She started her path as a marine science instructor at Seacamp in the Florida Keys, where she taught young students about marine life by leading snorkeling trips. She then spent time working as a fisheries observer in the Alaskan groundfish fishery before moving to South Carolina to get her Master’s from the College of Charleston. There, she worked closely with the commercial stone crab industry learning how to catch stone crabs and tagged over 1500 crabs in the field. She then implemented a citizen science tag-reporting program, involving the public in scientific research. Her research helped influence the management decision in SC to only permit one-claw removal.
She then worked as a sea turtle biologist studying Kemp’s Ridley turtle strandings, conducted outreach presentations, and taught volunteers best practices for turtle conservation. Elizabeth is now pursuing her PhD at the University of Florida, studying stone crab disease, and how fishing pressure in Florida Bay affects pathogen transmission and disease susceptibility within the stone crab population. She continues her passion for education currently by mentoring undergraduates pursuing a career in marine biology.