CECILIA COSTA

Assist on research projects perfomed at the laboratory ran by Professor Spencer Fire on the Florida Institute of Technology, under the mentoring of PHD student Ami Krasner. Research consists of biotoxin analysis on bottlenose dolphin and sea otter samples, especially focusing on Microcystin. Extraction of the biotoxing and testing is done using the ELISA method.

Assisted on the longest-running study of a wild dolphins population. The position included performing in lab tasks such as data entry, photo identification using FinFindR, as well as performing it manually, equipment maintenance and organization, and field research preparation. I assisted on fishing research, population monitoring, and shark-dolphin interaction.

Field work consisted of dolphin population monitoring surveys. I developed photo ID skills, as well as water quality data collection using YSI.

• Responsible for 3 ongoing aquariums, responsibilities included daily filter cleaning, protein skimmer regulation and maintenance, perform weekly water quality checks, animal feeding and care (species included small fish, crustaceans, corals, stingray, sea cucumber and sea urchins)
• Assisted in ongoing research projects, including a Ecologically Engineered Marine RAS, using biological systems.

• Assisted on site visits to oyster gardening, oyster reef building, clam restoration and monitoring locations. Responsibilities included collecting samples, recording data, organizing, and prepping required material.
• Often assisted in volunteer events with people from the community, on activities such as gabion building, and oyster bag fillings.
• Performed a presentation regarding my intern research titled “Association of Biodiversity and Potential Impacts on Hard Clam Restoration Projects in the Indian River Lagoon.”