Skip to content – Skip to search

Lab Members

Current Lab Members

Graduate Students

Nikki is a PhD student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program in the College of Environment and Life Sciences at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. She earned her Master's degree in Marine Biology from Unity Environmental University, focusing on marine mammal conservation. For her capstone, she helped Save the Bay improve their seal monitoring program by creating training programs for citizen scientists, expanding their data collection and management capabilities. Her PhD research examines movement patterns of tiger sharks in different locations throughout the world to identify distinct behavioral states associated with variable environmental conditions.

NICOLE LARKIN

Nikki is a PhD student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program in the College of Environment and Life Sciences at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. She earned her Master’s degree in Marine Biology from Unity Environmental University, focusing on marine mammal conservation. For her capstone, she helped Save the Bay improve their seal monitoring program by creating training programs for citizen scientists, expanding their data collection and management capabilities. Her PhD research examines movement patterns of tiger sharks in different locations throughout the world to identify distinct behavioral states associated with variable environmental conditions.
Joe is a Master's student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He graduated from St. Joseph's University-Long Island, New York with a B.S. in biology and a NYS certification of education for grades 7-12 in biology. His undergraduate research focused on looking how the potential synergistic effects of two species of harmful algal blooms and ocean acidification ontogenetically affect the fitness of Brine Shrimp, Artemia spp. Joe is interested in anything related to sharks and helping to better aid their conservation. His M.S. work investigates migratory patterns and behaviors of whale sharks and blue whales, with an emphasis on defining and characterizing "patches" where they forage to compare movements of two of the world's largest charismatic megafauna.

JOSEPH CANDIA

Joe is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He graduated from St. Joseph’s University-Long Island, New York with a B.S. in biology and a NYS certification of education for grades 7-12 in biology. His undergraduate research focused on looking how the potential synergistic effects of two species of harmful algal blooms and ocean acidification ontogenetically affect the fitness of Brine Shrimp, Artemia spp. Joe is interested in anything related to sharks and helping to better aid their conservation. His M.S. work investigates migratory patterns and behaviors of whale sharks and blue whales, with an emphasis on defining and characterizing “patches” where they forage to compare movements of two of the world’s largest charismatic megafauna.

Undergraduate Students

Mary is a BS double major in Marine Biology and Marine Affairs from Charlotte, NC. She conducted a Coastal and Environmental Fellowship with Dr. Wetherbee, analyzing acoustic telemetry data for tiger sharks to investigate their movements at an atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. She received a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and will be completing her internship with NOAA in the summer of 2025. She is also the president of the URI Surfrider Foundation Club and secretary of the sailing club.

MARY BRANTLEY

Mary is a BS double major in Marine Biology and Marine Affairs from Charlotte, NC. She conducted a Coastal and Environmental Fellowship with Dr. Wetherbee, analyzing acoustic telemetry data for tiger sharks to investigate their movements at an atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. She received a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and will be completing her internship with NOAA in the summer of 2025. She is also the president of the URI Surfrider Foundation Club and secretary of the sailing club.
Jordan is a senior Marine Biology major from Providence, RI. He completed a Science

JORDAN TAVARES

Jordan is a senior Marine Biology major from Providence, RI. He completed a Science & Engineering Fellowship with Dr. Wetherbee studying the behavioral states of tiger sharks in different environments around the world using satellite tracking data. He also worked as a counselor for URI’s Shark Camp. Jordan is currently an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for the Sharks and Whales course.
Owen is a B.S. Aquaculture

OWEN FLEISCHER

Owen is a B.S. Aquaculture & Fisheries Science/B.A. Biology major from Durham, NH. He was awarded a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and completed a summer internship with the National Marine Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Panama City, FL, where he worked on the adult lemon shark diet study and participated in GULFSPAN (Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery Survey) and Sawfish Population Assessment Fieldwork. Owen is continuing his lemon shark research at URI with Dr. Wetherbee and Dr. John Carlson from the Panama City NMFS lab. Owen is a UTA the Marine Biology course (BIO 360), mentors high school students engaging in elasmobranch-related research experiences, is an Ambassador for the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, an Orientation Leader during New Student-Athlete Orientation, a member of URI’s Launch Lab and is on the Men’s Track and Field Team. He holds a school record in the 4x800m relay, a URI Top Ten All-Time mark in the 1,000 m race and has been a part of four A10 conference championship teams. Owen was awarded the Alexander D. Daunis Scholarship, the RISAA Continuing Education Scholarship, the Kaila Jean Ricci Memorial Fund Scholarship, the URI Strauss Scholarship, the URI AFS Undergraduate Fund Scholarship, the Alpha Award for Achievements in Undergraduate Research, the Student-Athlete Entrepreneurship Award and the AFS Academic Excellence Award. Owen is also a certified Master Freediver and an avid spearfisherman.

Former Lab Members

PAST GRADUATE STUDENTS

Maria received her Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Oceanography specializing in Biological Oceanography. She conducted her MS research on spatial ecology of shortfin mako sharks in the Western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico using satellite tracking data to investigate movement behavior of mako sharks and to examine their distribution relative to human activities such as jurisdictional waters, offshore wind development, and oil rigs, as well as to assess the effectiveness of current fisheries management policy. She is a PhD student at Stony Brook University.

Maria Manz

Maria received her Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Oceanography specializing in Biological Oceanography. She conducted her MS research on spatial ecology of shortfin mako sharks in the Western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico using satellite tracking data to investigate movement behavior of mako sharks and to examine their distribution relative to human activities such as jurisdictional waters, offshore wind development, and oil rigs, as well as to assess the effectiveness of current fisheries management policy. She is a PhD student at Stony Brook University.
Daniel is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017, earning his BS in Biology. After graduating, he worked as a lab technician for an animal behavior lab, studying visual cognition in the jumping spider genus Phidippus. He is interested in understanding habitat use in a variety of migratory shark species. His research focuses on applying machine learning to develop habitat utilization models and neural networks for predicting habitat use based on satellite telemetry data.

Daniel Daye

Daniel is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017, earning his BS in Biology. After graduating, he worked as a lab technician for an animal behavior lab, studying visual cognition in the jumping spider genus Phidippus. He is interested in understanding habitat use in a variety of migratory shark species. His research focuses on applying machine learning to develop habitat utilization models and neural networks for predicting habitat use based on satellite telemetry data.
Julian is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He earned his BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College, where his research focused on the impacts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen enrichment on leaf surface anatomy and photosynthesis of the common reed, Phragmites australis. Broadly, Julian is interested in how ecological interactions and community patterns are affected by anthropogenic disturbances. His graduate research uses satellite telemetry and machine learning for developing habitat utilization models for shortfin mako sharks and applications towards improved management.

Julian Garrison

Julian is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He earned his BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College, where his research focused on the impacts of carbon dioxide and nitrogen enrichment on leaf surface anatomy and photosynthesis of the common reed, Phragmites australis. Broadly, Julian is interested in how ecological interactions and community patterns are affected by anthropogenic disturbances. His graduate research uses satellite telemetry and machine learning for developing habitat utilization models for shortfin mako sharks and applications towards improved management.
Colby is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He earned a BS in Environmental Science

Colby Kresge

Colby is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program at URI, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. He earned a BS in Environmental Science & Management from URI. As an undergraduate, he helped document movements of mako sharks in the Western North Atlantic and developed a photo identification library for southern stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. He was a recipient of a URI² Undergraduate Research Grant and received an Alpha Research Award from the Department of Biological Sciences. Colby’s MS research focuses on migratory patterns of mako sharks in the Atlantic.
Bethany is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. She earned a BS in Marine Biology and a BA in Writing and Rhetoric from URI. While at URI she worked research projects evaluating tag and recapture data to monitor stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands and characterizing patterns of occurrence of elasmobranchs in Delaware Bay in NMFS surveys. At URI Bethany was captain of the track team, founder and president of Shark Club and a writer for the URI research magazine Momentum. She received a Biological Sciences Alpha Award for her contributions to URI’s research efforts. Bethany’s graduate research examines migratory patterns of sand tiger sharks tracked with acoustic telemetry methods along the US East Coast.

Bethany DeLoof

Bethany is a Master’s student in the Biological and Environmental Sciences graduate program, specializing in Evolution and Marine Biology. She earned a BS in Marine Biology and a BA in Writing and Rhetoric from URI. While at URI she worked research projects evaluating tag and recapture data to monitor stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands and characterizing patterns of occurrence of elasmobranchs in Delaware Bay in NMFS surveys. At URI Bethany was captain of the track team, founder and president of Shark Club and a writer for the URI research magazine Momentum. She received a Biological Sciences Alpha Award for her contributions to URI’s research efforts. Bethany’s graduate research examines migratory patterns of sand tiger sharks tracked with acoustic telemetry methods along the US East Coast.
Helmi is a Master’s student in the Environmental Management and Science graduate program, specializing in Conservation Biology at URI. He earned his BS in marine science from the University of Syiah Kuala in 2017; during his undergraduate study, he was deeply involved in the GIS and tropical marine ecology lab as a teaching assistant. His undergraduate thesis examined the biological aspects of caught sharks in East Java, Indonesia and was funded by the World Wildlife Fund. After graduating, he worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society on a socio-economic research project with Indonesian shark fishermen. He received an Indonesian government scholarship for his graduate studies at URI and is conducting research evaluating the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas as a tool for management of shark populations in Indonesia.

Helmi Caesar

Helmi is a Master’s student in the Environmental Management and Science graduate program, specializing in Conservation Biology at URI. He earned his BS in marine science from the University of Syiah Kuala in 2017; during his undergraduate study, he was deeply involved in the GIS and tropical marine ecology lab as a teaching assistant. His undergraduate thesis examined the biological aspects of caught sharks in East Java, Indonesia and was funded by the World Wildlife Fund. After graduating, he worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society on a socio-economic research project with Indonesian shark fishermen. He received an Indonesian government scholarship for his graduate studies at URI and is conducting research evaluating the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas as a tool for management of shark populations in Indonesia.

PAST UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Elizabeth recently graduated from URI with a BS in Marine Biology. At URI Elizabeth completed a Coastal Fellows internship studying foraging behavior of tiger and shortfin mako sharks with Dr. Wetherbee and served as a mentor for URI Shark Camp. She received a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and worked with NOAA Fisheries Monterey, CA investigating Pelagic Red Crabs. Elizabeth was a TA for the field methods for shark research course, which included a week in Isla Mujeres studying whale sharks. She spent a semester studying abroad in Bermuda investigating impacts of temperature on the respiration of an endemic nudibranch. She also investigated the influence of prey on movement patterns of tiger sharks at French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Elizabeth was the URI Marine Biology student mentor and the editor of the Marine Biology newsletter. She was also an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for the Marine Biology (BIO 360) course. Her research interests include sensory biology and physiology of marine species, particularly anthropogenic impacts on marine populations. Elizabeth will attend Nova Southeastern University for her MS degree studying navigation in sharks.

Elizabeth Saraf

Elizabeth recently graduated from URI with a BS in Marine Biology. At URI Elizabeth completed a Coastal Fellows internship studying foraging behavior of tiger and shortfin mako sharks with Dr. Wetherbee and served as a mentor for URI Shark Camp. She received a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and worked with NOAA Fisheries Monterey, CA investigating Pelagic Red Crabs. Elizabeth was a TA for the field methods for shark research course, which included a week in Isla Mujeres studying whale sharks. She spent a semester studying abroad in Bermuda investigating impacts of temperature on the respiration of an endemic nudibranch. She also investigated the influence of prey on movement patterns of tiger sharks at French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Elizabeth was the URI Marine Biology student mentor and the editor of the Marine Biology newsletter. She was also an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for the Marine Biology (BIO 360) course. Her research interests include sensory biology and physiology of marine species, particularly anthropogenic impacts on marine populations. Elizabeth will attend Nova Southeastern University for her MS degree studying navigation in sharks.
Katie is a BS Marine Biology and Spanish double major from Vernon Hills, IL. She completed a Coastal Fellows internship studying three-dimensional habitat use of shortfin mako sharks with Dr. Wetherbee and is interested in shark behavior and ecology. In the past Katie has worked on projects examining southern stingray exposure to sunscreen and distribution and abundance of sharks and rays in Delaware Bay. She is currently president of the Scuba Club at URI and is an active member of both the URI Quidditch team and URI Concert Band.

Katie Gheysen

Katie is a BS Marine Biology and Spanish double major from Vernon Hills, IL. She completed a Coastal Fellows internship studying three-dimensional habitat use of shortfin mako sharks with Dr. Wetherbee and is interested in shark behavior and ecology. In the past Katie has worked on projects examining southern stingray exposure to sunscreen and distribution and abundance of sharks and rays in Delaware Bay. She is currently president of the Scuba Club at URI and is an active member of both the URI Quidditch team and URI Concert Band.
Maricarmen was a BS Marine Biology and Environmental and Resource Economics double major from San Antonio, TX with a specialization in green markets and sustainability. She was a Science and Engineering Fellow studying social networks in stingrays at Stingray City, Cayman Island with Dr. Wetherbee. She was on the URI Powerlifting Team and competes nationally. She lived part time in Cancun and has had regular interaction with Caribbean marine life while growing up. Maricarmen received a Presidential Scholarship, a URI Endowed Scholarship, a URI B

Maricarmen Serna

Maricarmen was a BS Marine Biology and Environmental and Resource Economics double major from San Antonio, TX with a specialization in green markets and sustainability. She was a Science and Engineering Fellow studying social networks in stingrays at Stingray City, Cayman Island with Dr. Wetherbee. She was on the URI Powerlifting Team and competes nationally. She lived part time in Cancun and has had regular interaction with Caribbean marine life while growing up. Maricarmen received a Presidential Scholarship, a URI Endowed Scholarship, a URI B & T Garrick Scholarship, and received an Early Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Opportunities to conduct research at URI. She received a NOAA Hollings Scholarship and worked with NOAA Fisheries Seattle.
Jahnae is a recently graduated Marine Biology major from Baltimore, MD. She has a keen interest in research with sharks and rays and worked on a photo ID project to identify stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. She also analyzed tag and recapture data for the stingrays and investigated social network patterns among the stingrays. Jahnae received scholarships from The National Aquarium in Baltimore Maryland, StepToSuccess and RhodyNow. She ran the Fishing Club and was a member of the Marine Science Society at URI. Jahnae enjoys snorkeling and hands-on activities with marine organisms. Jahnae is currently working as an intern at the Mystic Aquarium in CT.

Jahnae Drummond

Jahnae is a recently graduated Marine Biology major from Baltimore, MD. She has a keen interest in research with sharks and rays and worked on a photo ID project to identify stingrays at Stingray City in the Cayman Islands. She also analyzed tag and recapture data for the stingrays and investigated social network patterns among the stingrays. Jahnae received scholarships from The National Aquarium in Baltimore Maryland, StepToSuccess and RhodyNow. She ran the Fishing Club and was a member of the Marine Science Society at URI. Jahnae enjoys snorkeling and hands-on activities with marine organisms. Jahnae is currently working as an intern at the Mystic Aquarium in CT.
Dario is from Cranston, RI and graduated with a degree in marine biology. He was a volunteer at Mystic Aquarium as an exhibit educator for the California sea lions, harbor seals, northern fur seals, and spotted seals. He also worked with Rhode Island DEM Marine Fisheries as a field technician. Dario analyzed tag and recapture data for southern stingrays at the world-famous Stingray City in the Cayman Islands to investigate abundance, composition and temporal trends of the stingray aggregation over the past decade. While at URI Dario loved fishing and time on the boat for the mako shark research at URI. In the summer of 2021 Dario was one of four students in the country working as a National Geographic Society STEM Field Assistant.

Dario Castillo

Dario is from Cranston, RI and graduated with a degree in marine biology. He was a volunteer at Mystic Aquarium as an exhibit educator for the California sea lions, harbor seals, northern fur seals, and spotted seals. He also worked with Rhode Island DEM Marine Fisheries as a field technician. Dario analyzed tag and recapture data for southern stingrays at the world-famous Stingray City in the Cayman Islands to investigate abundance, composition and temporal trends of the stingray aggregation over the past decade. While at URI Dario loved fishing and time on the boat for the mako shark research at URI. In the summer of 2021 Dario was one of four students in the country working as a National Geographic Society STEM Field Assistant.
Think Big We Do

Copyright © 2024 University of Rhode Island.