— Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of FAU Harbor Branch Oceanogrpahic Institute.

FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is hosting a series of special events to celebrate its 50th anniversary with “Ocean Science for a Better World^®.

‘Deep Sea Discoveries and Adventures - Highlights of Dives with the Johnson-Sea-Link Submersibles’ Lecture with John Reed, M.S., research professor, FAU Harbor Branch

Energy’ with William Baxley, M.A., professional engineer, chief engineer, Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC), FAU Harbor Branch

For a full list of events and event details, visit us here.

Sponsors updated as of 11/19/2021. For more information on sponsorship opportunities click here. 

Local Counties Recognize 50 Years of Ocean Science for a Better World^®

Martin County Board of County Commissioners and St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners graciously congratulated FAU Harbor Branch on 50 years of world-class research fueled by the spirit of ocean exploration with a proclamation presentation during recent county meetings. 

If you missed it, be sure to tune into the proclamation presentations at Martin (at 21:55) and St. Lucie County (at 39:39)! 

Martin County Council of Chambers hosted a Business After Hours event at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, launching the celebration of FAU Harbor Branch: Ocean Science for a Better World^®! During the event, nearly 200 guests joined the celebration, enjoying special remarks, networking, delicious food and beverages, and an exclusive look at the new exhibit featuring the famed Johnson-Sea-Link II submersible. 

Special lectures and activities will be held at the museum during the exhibition. For more information on upcoming lectures, visit ...

Research conducted by FAU Harbor Branch clinical veterinarian and assistant research professor, Annie Page-Karjian, Ph.D., was recently featured a in science publisher, Research Features, Research Features Magazine, issue 138. The featured research highlighted Page-Karjian's extensive analysis that revealed bioaccumulation of heavy metals and toxic compounds in dolphins and whales.

“Documenting toxicants in cetaceans is a critical step in tracing chemical contaminants within the marine food web and understanding their effects on biological systems,” said Page-Karjian... Read more

 Researchers from FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute are currently seeking participants for a study evaluating potential impacts of exposure to harmful algal blooms. They have received a grant from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), to continue a first-of-its-kind evaluation of both the short-term and potential long-term health effects among Florida residents. Researchers will also explore if there is a relationship between a history of COVID-19 infection and susceptibility to the effects of HABs exposure.

The “Long-term Effects of Exposure to Harmful Algal Blooms” (LEE-HABs) study uses a collaborative, multisite approach, which includes researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University… Learn more

Researchers from FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and College of Engineering and Computer Science are the first to reveal detailed behavior of this grouper species, which can reach lengths of 8 feet and weigh more than 800 pounds. 

“We developed a novel multi-sensor tag and a reliable attachment method, which can be applied to similar species around the world,” said Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., senior author, assistant research professor and director of The Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU Harbor Branch... Read more

FAU Harbor Branch Microbiology team member, Hunter Hines, Ph.D., was featured in a recent episode of Wired, an American-published magazine that features emerging technology advances. In the episode, Hines explains research conducted with Thomas Boothby, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming. The scientists participated in two experiments – an "aquanaut" mission and a "space flight" mission testing how Tardigrades cope with varying environmental extremes. For Hines’ portion of the research, he worked to capture a freeze-frame image of specific DNA that is active during the underwater, high pressure scenario... Learn more

“As scientists, we have a natural lab like few other known places on the planet to study what our future oceans might look like due to changing environmental conditions," said Jordon Beckler, Ph.D., assistant research professor and a fellow at FAU’s Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering... Read more

Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., a research professor with FAU’s Harbor Branch Ecology and Water Quality team, has studied Sargassum seaweed since the 1980s. He’s long suspected that water quality issues, due to runoff and sewage, are the cause for the increasing Sargassum blooms. Now, in a recently published study, he’s confirmed that theory.

"“It’s causing catastrophic problems in the Caribbean, because the massive amounts cause dead zones,” Lapointe said. “When it comes ashore, it’s just so much it strips the oxygen out of the water.”... Read more

FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science associate research professor, Bing Ouyand, Ph.D., and FAU Harbor Branch associate director for research, Paul Wills, Ph.D., have developed a novel artificial intelligence-driven water-quality monitoring framework. The researchers recently had the opportunity to visit at their collaborator farm, Flower Fish Farm in Dexter, Missouri, to use the drone technology. 

"Compared with the traditional practice, this prototype provides much better measurement of the spatial variation of the dissolved oxygen in the pond. Furthermore, the data will be automatically uploaded into a machine learning based prediction model," said Ouyang. Learn more ... 

For more than 40 years, FAU Harbor Branch research professor, Megan Davis, Ph.D., has dedicated her life to conserve and restore the Queen Conch — a large, edible pink snail that lives in the Caribbean Sea and surrounding waters. Recently, Davis co-patented a method for producing cultured pearls in a conch. ⁠

“This is truly an environmentally-friendly method because the conch does not need to be sacrificed in order to extract the pearls and multiple pearls can be generated from each conch, thus increasing the total number that can be harvested overtime,” Davis said… Learn more 

FAU Harbor Branch Biologist Co-Hosts ROV Dives from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

FAU Harbor Branch Coral Reef Discovery and Conservation biologist, Stephanie Farrington, recently hosted remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives along the Blake Plateau with NOAA Ocean Exploration aboard NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, the 224-foot vessel that is used solely for exploring our oceans. Aboard the ship, two ROVs, ROV Deep Discover (D2) and ROV Seirios were used for benthic and midwater exploration. Tune into the recent dives ... 

Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D., research professor and director of education at FAU Harbor Branch joined other marine experts in discussing concerns related to manatee population decrease across Florida. Hanisak offered insight into the need for immediate and continued restoration efforts and programs. Learn more ... 

Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., principal investigator, assistant research professor, and director of The Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU Harbor Branch discusses study assessing shark interactions with fishing. 

"A lot of shark populations are showing some signs of recovery, which they have come back from being decimated decades ago thanks to great management and things like that," Ajemian said. Learn more ... 

FAU Harbor Branch's Ocean Discovery Visitors Center is now open! Experience updated exhibits showcasing the research conducted at FAU Harbor Branch and over 1,000 gallons of aquaria highlighting fascinating marine environments. ⁠

Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note, the Visitors Center is closed on university holidays. For more information, or to reserve a spot on one of our daily Campus Immersion Tours, please call us at 772-242-2293 or visit.

Through FAU Harbor Branch Speakers Bureau, community organizations may request a virtual presentation on a specific research topic or a general overview of FAU Harbor Branch. This program provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the institute’s most recent discoveries and connect with marine science experts. There is no charge for scheduling a speaker, however an honorarium or donation is encouraged.

If you would like to request a virtual speaker for your group/event, please fill out FAU Harbor Branch Speakers Bureau request form.

IRLON Outreach

The Indian River Lagoon Observatory Network of Environmental Sensors (IRLON) is a system of water quality and weather monitoring stations that were strategically placed throughout the lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary. Each site has sensors that can measure different parameters such as temperature, salinity, turbidity, and chlorophyll. You can access this data by visiting irlon.org. Stay tuned over the coming weeks to learn more about the project and data being recorded.

Bring Ocean Science for A Better World^® right into your home with virtual resources from FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute! Online offerings include lectures, interviews with marine scientists, activities for children and much more! Visit our virtual resources page to learn about these great opportunities for teachers, students and ocean lovers of all ages!... Learn more

Check out our online gift shop!

On Nov. 3, staff from FAU Harbor Branch Stranding and Population Assessment team assisted Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) researchers and Miami Seaquarium in a manatee release at Shepard Park in Stuart. Members from the team assisted FWC in the rescue of this manatee in the Spring of this year and we are excited to participate in the release back into the wild.

Benefactors Society members enable FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to continue expanding our core initiatives to make a significant and timely impact on critical ocean issues. Our work depends on strong partnerships with our supporters. We can only make a difference together.

FAU Funder, FAU’s crowdfunding platform, features several of FAU Harbor Branch’s research projects. You can help save the queen conch, support plastic pollution studies in local waters, fund beluga whale research in the Arctic or help researchers as they use deep sea molecules for potential life-saving medicines. Please visit FAU Funder for detailed information on each project. Your contributions can make a difference!