SERL Personnel



Jim Fourqurean - Principle Investigator

Dr. Fourqurean is a marine and estuarine ecologist with a special interest in benthic plant communities, food webs, and nutrient biogeochemistry. He developed a love of seagrass ecosystems while doing his dissertation research in Florida Bay. He has specialized in the application of elemental and stable isotopic composition of organisms as indicators of ecosystem processes. He is an expert in carbon storage and fluxes in coastal ecosystems, and the importance of these ecosystems to climate regulation and mitigation. He has current research interests the Florida Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, in Mexico, Panama and Bermuda, the western Mediterranean and Australia.

E-mail: fourqure@fiu.edu | CV

Tom Frankovich - Faculty

Dr. Frankovich is an expert on water quality and algal communities where freshwater is discharged into Florida’s coastal estuaries. A marine ecologist and diatom taxonomist, Dr. Frankovich works in coastal marine communities relating water quality to seagrass, macroalgal, and diatom communities. His interests include investigations of seagrass die-off, underwater light availability and diatom taxonomy. He is currently monitoring water quality and algal communities where freshwater is discharged into Florida’s coastal estuaries.

E-mail: tfrankov@fiu.edu

Johannes Krause - Postdoctoral Associate

Hometown: Hamberg, Germany

Dr. Krause studies coastal vegetated ecosystems using techniques of remote sensing, environmental chemistry, and microbial ecology. He utilizes environmental data, geospatial analysis, modeling, and bioinformatic tools to understand how anthropogenic impacts and natural variability affect coastal processes and biogeochemical cycles.

E-mail: jkrause@fiu.edu | CV

Ana Roden - Lab Manager

Hometown: Madison, WI

Ana utilizes analytical chemistry techniques and scientific SCUBA diving to support programs investigating South Florida seagrass ecology, nutrient dynamics, and biogeochemical cycling. Since graduating with her Master’s degree from the University of Miami in 2022, Ana is interested in modeling environmental data to better decipher trends relating to seagrass ecology and environmental chemistry.

E-mail: aroden@fiu.edu

Juan González Corredor - Field Manager

Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia



E-mail: jgonzlez@fiu.edu

Benjamin Binder - Senior Engineering Technician



E-mail: bbinder@fiu.edu

Savanna Zeiger - Research Assistant

Hometown: Lansdale, PA

Hi, I’m Savanna! I grew up swimming, dancing, and playing piano, but my favorite activity has always been snorkeling. I came to FIU in 2017 and graduated in 2021 with a BA in Sustainability and the Environment, minor in Marine Biology, and a certificate in Coastal and Marine Affairs. After graduating, I studied rare orchids and epiphytes in the Everglades and Big Cypress and monitored sea turtle nests for the Miami-Dade Sea Turtle Conservation Program. Most recently, I worked with Vesta Project and FIU to research the impacts of olivine on seagrasses. Currently, I am a part- time naturalist at the Biscayne Nature Center and a full-time technician for SERL.

E-mail:szeiger@fiu.edu szeiger@fiu.edu

Treiana Zuill - Doctoral Candidate

Hometown: St. Georges, Bermuda



E-mail: tzuill@fiu.edu

Laura Reynolds - MS Candidate

Masters student.

E-mail: clope130@fiu.edu

Ethan Castillo - Undergrad Research Assistant

Hometown: Lawrence, MA

Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Student

E-mail: etcastil@fiu.edu

Amanda Pubillones Gonzalez - Undergrad Research Assistant

Hometown: Havana, Cuba

Undergraduate Biological Sciences Student

E-mail: apubillo@fiu.edu

Virgil Trujillo - Undergrad Research Assistant

Hometown: New York, NY

Undergraduate Marine Biology Student

E-mail: vtrujill@fiu.edu


The Seagrass Ecosystems Research Lab is currently looking for ecology-focused individuals interested in research and learning lab techniques.
Contact Jim Fourqurean or Ana Roden for details.



SERL Alumni


Sara Wilson, Lab Manager, 2014-2022
Chris Lopes, Lab Technician, 2012-2022
Meghan Sarsich, Lab Technician, 2019-2021
Natalia Padillo-Anthemides, Lab Technician, 2020
Riki Bonnema, MS Student, 2018-2019
Angie Munoz, Lab Technician, 2019
Sonja Smith, MS Student, 2012-2019
Bryce Van Dam, Post-Doctoral Researcher, 2018-2019
Kai Lopez, Lab Technician, 2016-2019
Kaya Carrion Banuchi, CREST CAChE REU 2017, Lab Technician, 2017-2018
Mia Lamirand, CREST CAChE REU, 2018
David Barahona, Lab Technician, 2016-2018
Jason Howard, PhD Student, 2012-2018
Claire Burgett MS Student, 2012-2017
Jennifer Sweatman Ph.D. Student, 2010-2016
Alex Perez Lab Technician 2010-2014, Lab Manager, 2014-2015
Philip Matich Lab Technician, 2014-2015
Bryan Dewsbury Ph.D Student, 2004-2014
Darrell Herbert Post-Doc, 2008-2013
Capt. Dave Ward Field Support, 2008-2013
Rachel Decker Lab Manager, 2011-2013
Amanda Bourque Ph.D Student, 2005-2012
Justin CampbellPh.D. Student 2006-2012
Elizabeth Lacey Ph.D Student, 2007-2012
Glauco Puig-Santana Lab Technician/male model, 2005-2012
Pamela Parker Lab Mangager, 2007-2012
Jeana Drake Lab Technician 2009-2010
Rebecca Bernard MS Student 2007-2010
Zayda Halun Ph.D Student 2003-2011
Anna Armitage Post-Doc 2003-2006
Bryan Dewsbury MS Student 2003-2006
Sergio Ruiz MS Student 2003-2006
Dorothy "Dottie" Byron MS Student 2000-2006
Virginia "Ginny" Cornett MS Student 2000-2006
Kevin M. Cunniff MS Student 1999-2006, 2013, 2017
Meredith Ferdie MS Student 1999-2002
Leanne Rutten MS Student 1999-2002
Craig D. Rose Ph.D. 1996-2002
Bradley Peterson Post-doc 1998-2002
Patricia Mumford MS Student 1996-1999
Luz Romero MS Student 1996-1999
Maureen Water MS Student 1996-1998
Braxton Davis MS Student 1995-1998




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