Florida Keys Coral Reef Monitoring Team
Mark Chiappone
After moving around significantly during my youth, I attended the University of Miami and completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Marine Science. While working on my Master of Science degree, I worked under Dr. Kathleen Sullivan-Sealey at the University of Miami and then The Nature Conservancy’s Florida Keys and Caribbean Programs as a data manager and marine biologist.
I provided technical support, on-the-ground training with partner institutions, and assisted in underwater surveys of marine resources in diverse locales such as the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Nearly a decade later, I joined Dr. Steven Miller’s team at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and then Nova Southeastern University to assess and monitor coral reef benthic organisms and communities in the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, with a particular focus on small no-take marine reserves in the context of the larger coral reef ecosystem.
Changes in funding eventually ended our monitoring work, and I shifted gears to teaching at Miami Dade Community College, where I became an associate professor in biology and math.
Biography coming soon.
Dione Swanson
Biography coming soon.
Leanne Rutten-Miller
Field Techicians
Over many years, we were able to work with excellent scientists who assisted with our sampling, including: Susie Holst (1999), Allison White (1999-2000), Helga Dienes (2001), Mark Vermeij and Dave Eakin (2002), Burton Shank (2005), Rob Waara (2006), Marilyn Brandt (2008), Thor Dunmire and Nancy Sheridan (2009), Sarah Fangman, Hatsue Bailey, Bill Goodwin, and Lonny Miller (2011), and Paola Espitia (2014). Many others are also acknowledged in our Quick Look Reports.
Other Support
Boats and staff at the National Undersea Research Center at UNC-WIlmington assisted over many years, including Dave Ward (R/V Magic), Otto Rutten, and Tim Roberts. For cruises in the Dry Tortugas we used the M/V Spree, run by Frank and Melanie Wasson. Joanne Delaney from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) helped make permitting easy in a difficult permitting environment. Ben Haskell and Brian Keller from the FKNMS assisted with funding and encouragement to help sustain the program. Endless additional assistance is acknowledged in each of the Quick Look Reports