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April Cook (M.S., 2012)
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Position:
Project Manager for DEEPEND
Research Scientist
Education:
2012 M.S. Marine Science, College of William & Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
2000 B.S. Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University
Research Interests:
I am currently the Project Manager for the DEEPEND Consortium (www.deependconsortium.org), which is a five year project funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. As Project Manager, I organize field sampling activities, administrate program subawards, and organize consortium meetings and reporting activities. I also serve as a Research Scientist, assisting with deep-sea fish identification and distributional analyses. My main area of interest focuses on a group of deep-sea fishes called the swallowerfishes (Family: Chiasmodontidae). Their common name reflects their ability to swallow prey larger than themselves as shown in this image. My current work on this family focuses on the taxonomy, distribution, diet, and reproduction of the species collected from the Gulf of Mexico.
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Publications:
Cook, A.B., Bernhard, A.M., Boswell, K.M., Bracken-Grissom, H., D'Elia, M., deRada, S. et al. (2020). A multidisciplinary approach to investigate deep-pelagic ecosystem dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon. Front. Mar. Sci. 7:548880. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.548880
Frank, T.M., Fine, C.D., Burdett, E.A., Cook, A.B., & Sutton, T.T. (2020). The vertical and horizontal distribution of deep-sea crustaceans in the Order Euphausiacea in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Front. Mar. Sci. 7:99. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00099
Moore, J.A., Fenolio, D.B., Cook, A.B., & Sutton, T.T. (2020). Hiding in plain sight: Elopomorph larvae are important contributors to fish biodiversity in a low-latitude oceanic ecosystem. Front. Mar. Sci. 7:169. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00169
Richards, T.M., Gipson, E.E., Cook, A., Sutton, T.T., & Wells, R.J.D. (2018). Trophic ecology of meso- and bathypelagic predatory fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 76(3):662-672. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy074
Burdett, E.A., Fine, C.D., Sutton, T.T., Cook, A.B., & Frank, T.M. (2017). Geographic and depth distributions, ontogeny, and reproductive seasonality of decapod shrimps (Caridea: Oplophoridae) from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Bull. Mar. Sci. 93(3):743–767. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2016.1083
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Diversity of midwater cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico: comparison of two collecting methods. Mar. Biodiv. 47(3):647-657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-016-0597-8
Mohan, J.A., Sutton, T.T., Cook, A.B., Boswell, K.M., & David Wells, R.J. (2017). Influence of oceanographic conditions on abundance and distribution of post-larval and juvenile carangid fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fish. Oceanogr. 26(5):526-541. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12214
D'Elia, M., Warren, J.D., Rodriguez-Pinto, I., Sutton, T.T., Cook, A.B., & Boswell, K.M. (2016). Diel variation in the vertical distribution of deep-water scattering layers in the Gulf of Mexico. Deep-Sea Res. PT I. 115, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2016.05.014
Judkins, H., Cook, A.B., Sutton, T.T., & Vecchione, M. (2016). Diversity of midwater cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico: comparison of two collecting methods. Mar. Biodiv. https://doi.org/10-1007/s12526-016-0597-8
Vecchione, M., Falkenhaug, T., Sutton, T.T., Cook, A.B., Gislason, A., Hansen, H.Ø. et al. (2015). The effect of the North Atlantic Subpolar Front as a boundary in pelagic biogeography decreases with increasing depth and organism size. Prog. Oceanogr. 138(A):105-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2015.08.006
Cook, A.B., Sutton, T.T., Galbraith, J.K., & Vecchione, M. (2013). Deep-pelagic (0–3000 m) fish assemblage structure over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the area of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone. Deep-Sea Res. Pt. II 98:279–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2012.09.003
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Research Assistants and Graduate Students
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (M.S., 2014)
Position/Major:
Ph.D. candidate at Nova Southeastern University
Senior Research Associate at the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami
Education:
2014 M.S. Marine Science, University of Miami, RSMAS
2004 B.S. Biology, University of Miami, CAS
Research Interests:
My recent research encompasses the dynamics of the distribution, abundance, and larval growth of pelagic species, such as tunas and billfishes, in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent ecosystems within the Atlantic Ocean.
Recent Publications:
Suca, J.J., L.K. Rasmuson, E. Malca, T. Gerard, and J.T. Lamkin (2018) Characterizing larval swordfish habitat in the western tropical Atlantic. Fisheries Oceanography, 1-13.
Malca, E., B.A. Muhling, J. Franks, A. García, J. Tilley, T. Gerard, W. Ingram Jr, and J.T. Lamkin (2017) The first larval age and growth curve for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the Gulf of Mexico: comparisons to the Straits of Florida, and the Balearic Sea (Mediterranean). Fisheries Research 190: 24-33.
Carrillo, L., J.T. Lamkin, E.M. Johns, L. Vásquez-Yeomans, F. Sosa-Cordero, E. Malca, R.H. Smith, and T. Gerald (2017) Linking oceanographic processes and marine resources in the western Caribbean Sea large marine ecosystem subarea. Environmental Development 22: 84-96.
Malca, E., L. Vásquez-Yeomans, C. Gonzalez, V. Gudiel-Corona, F.E. Sosa-Cordero, L. Carrillo, and M.J. González (2015) Capacity building in Marine Protected Areas and Connectivity in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System: larval fish recruitment. Proc. 67 Annual GCFI, 277-283.
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Major:
M.S Marine Science
Education:
2019 B.S. Biology and Neuroscience, Providence College
Research Interests:
I am interested in the reproductive ecology amongst deep-sea fishes. For my Master’s thesis, I will be focusing on reproduction of a deep-sea genus fish known as Chiasmodon (Scombriformes; Chiasmodontidae). I will be researching aspects of reproduction including separation of sexes (i.e. potential hermaphroditism), size at maturity, spawning frequency/timing, and gonad development. . Throughout the duration of my Master’s, I will be working as the Laboratory Manager and Research Associate under Dr. Tracey Sutton. I attended Providence College where I received my undergraduate degree and studied under Dr. John H. Costello focusing on the biomechanics of various animals. I was able to speak at a conference during my time at Providence in which I presented my research on the bio-fluid interactions of animal propulsors.
Abstract:
Lederer E., Johnson H., & Costello, J.H. (2017). Bio-Fluid Interactions of Flexible Animal Propulsors. 10th Annual Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Conference, RI SURF, Conference conducted in Rhode Island, July 2017, MES-4 (A), pp. 57.
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Devynne Brown
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Major:
M.S Marine Biology
Education:
2020 B.S. Double Major: Marine Biology and Environmental Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Research Interests:
I am interested in the processes of bioluminescence and the luminescent capabilities of various deep-sea organisms including fishes, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. I will be studying light output of luminescent fishes and other deep-water fauna, the distribution of these light sources throughout the water column, and exactly what organs or adaptations these marine organisms utilize to glow! My other interests (and experiences) revolve around sea turtle conservation and the anthropogenic stress inflicted on seagrasses using stable isotope analysis. I received my undergraduate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where I also was a member of the cheerleading squad all four years.
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Major:
M.S. Marine Science
Education:
2020 B.S. Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy, Monmouth University
Research Interests:
I am interested in the trophic ecology amongst deep-sea fishes. My Master's thesis project will be looking at the diet of a deep-sea genus fish known as, Chiasmodon (Scombriformes; Chiasmodontidae). I will be conducting a trophic study using stomach content analysis aiming to answer the questions of what, when/where, and how often these fish feed in the Gulf of Mexico. During my undergraduate studies, I was involved in herpetology research under Dr. Sean Sterrett, involving diet studies and population surveys of local freshwater turtles, along with the habitat distributions of various salamander species. I am also a co-author on a published paper, describing a shift in the diet of the Barbour's Map turtle after the introduction of an invasive bivalve.
Publications:
Sterrett, S.C., Kirk, T.J., and L.L. Smith. 2020. Evidence of a dietary shift in female Barbour's Map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) to exploit and exotic mollusk. Chelonian Conservation and Biology. Special Issue on Graptemys Biology. doi: 10.2744/CCB-1431.1.
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Major:
M.S. Marine Science
Education:
2018 B.S. Biology, Indiana University Southeast
2017: B.A. Chemistry, Indiana University Southeast
2010: Bachelor of General Studies, Indiana University
Research Interests:
My research interests revolve around the conservation of species and ecosystems. By building upon our knowledge and understanding of the deep sea, we are better preparing ourselves to preserve the ecosystem and the creatures that call it home.
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Major:
M.S. Marine Science
Education:
2020 B.S. Biology, Wheaton College
Research Interests:
I am interested in the types of gear and tools used to study the ocean. Specifically, different style and sizes of nets used for trawling. My thesis project is on the trophic ecology of Scombrolabrax heterolepis, an intermediate predator that is caught primarily by large midwater trawls.
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