FAU Harbor Branch News

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SEPTEMBER 2022

Leading the Way

Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director, FAU Harbor Branch is taking on an additional role with the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO).

FIO is an Academic Infrastructure Support Organization of the Florida State University System, administered by the Board of Governors, and works collaboratively with 32 universities, institutions, and agencies from across the state to support marine research. Each institution has a sitting FIO council member responsible for attending meetings and voting on FIO operations. Sullivan is now chair of that council.

As a member of the institute, Sullivan said, “it’s a good thing for FAU and Harbor Branch to have a leading role in this group now. I'm really looking forward to trying to guide the mission of FIO. It will be a lot of work, but I’m very excited to do it.” Share News

Commemorating the Atocha Shipwreck

Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., research professor at the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, talked about 40 years of water quality research at the 400th anniversary of the sinking of the1622 Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha.

New ASP President Joins Discussion

Amy Wright, Ph.D., research professor and new president of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP), joins an upcoming panel discussion on how FAU is accelerating the drive against cancer. The free event is 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on FAU's in Boca Raton campus.

So You Want to be a Marine Biologist?

Tune in to the latest podcast episode of "So You Want to be a Marine Biologist," to hear Joshua Voss, Ph.D., talk about coral research and exploration, gardens in the sea, technical ninja diving and protected areas and policy.

Listen here.

Help Researchers Help the World

Researchers from the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and FAU's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing need participants for a study evaluating potential impacts of exposure to harmful algal blooms.

Conservation Through Communication

Clark Morgan, a doctoral student at the FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, was recently awarded $2,500 for the Susan B. Young Memorial Scholarship Award from the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, for his digital posts of his research.

Research Rising

Join the FAU Division of Research for a special town hall event to talk about the future of research across the university. The event is 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the Boca Raton campus, To register, click below.

Learn more.

Benefactors Society

Impactful Partnerships

Meet valuable members of the Benefactors Society of FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, whose contributions support significant and timely research, impacting critical ocean issues.

Who: Herbert and Victoria Mumford

Herbert spent decades as an engineer before retiring, including as the director of engineering for the Idaho National Laboratory. Victoria is an artist and worked in the human resources department for a power company in Washington D.C., helping the company give back to the community.

The couple regularly attends the FAU Harbor Branch Ocean Lecture the Series.

What: Founders Society

Why: “We do need to be concerned about the future of our planet. It’s more painful and obvious that global changes due to greenhouse gasses are a serious threat and are affecting everything. That was one of the big reasons we wanted to get behind what FAU Harbor Branch is doing,” Herbert said. “If you look out the window and see the scale of the ocean, you realize this is the only place you can make a difference in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

Join Us

Community Engagement

Dolphin of the Month: Meet Honey

Honey (HUNY) is the team’s first documented dispersed Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf when she was seen without her mother, Missy (MISY) in October of 2021. Mother-calf bonds are long-lasting and a calf typically stays with its mother for three to six years before they disperse and go off on their own. You can find HUNY and MISY in both the southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River.

The FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Stranding and Population Assessment team conducts monthly photo-identification surveys of cetaceans in the IRL and Atlantic Ocean.

If you see a marine mammal in distress, call 888-404-3922.

Our Photo ID work is permitted under NOAA NMFS LOC #23069 and our stranding response is conducted under a Stranding Agreement with NMFS and FAU Harbor Branch under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Be a Dolphin Spotter

If you see a dolphin from any shore in Florida, you can join the Dolphin-Spotter project and become a certified citizen scientist.

Learn more.

Events

Science Saturdays

Join the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center on the first of every month for a fun-filled, outdoor event. Bring the whole family and learn from experts while participating in a variety of exciting, interactive activities. Learn more.