TRACEY T. SUTTON, PH.D.
ADDRESS: GUY HARVEY OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
HALMOS COLLEGE OF ARTS and SCIENCES, NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
8000 NORTH OCEAN DRIVE, DANIA BEACH, FL 33004; (954) 262-3692; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

EDUCATION
2001-03     Postdoc - Ocean Life Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
2001     Ph.D. - Biological Oceanography, Univ. of South Florida Coll. of Mar. Science
1994     M.S. - Biological Oceanography, Univ. of South Florida Coll. of Mar. Science
1988     B.S. - Zoology, University of South Florida, Tampa

 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2019-pres Professor, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University
2013-2019  Associate Professor, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University
2008-2013 Assistant Professor, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
2008-pres Affiliate Scientist, Montery Bay Aquarium Research Institute
2006-pres Adjunct Faculty, Ocean Research and Conservation Association
2003-2008 Principal Investigator, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
2001-2003 Postdoctoral Scholar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

88 research cruises, 39 as Chief Scientist, in the Gulf of Mexico, Sargasso Sea, NW Atlantic, SE US Atlantic Coast, mid-North Atlantic (Mid-Atlantic Ridge), SE Atlantic (Canary Islands to South Africa), Pacific (Monterey Bay), and Southern Ocean (Ross, Scotia and Weddell Seas).

I currently lead the Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico Consortium, the DEEPEND|RESTORE Program, and previously led the NOAA-supported Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program in the Gulf of Mexico.     



EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography/Nova Southeastern University

• Ichthyology (OCMB 0999: Sutton): Focuses on the evolution, systematics, and biology of bony, cartilaginous and jawless fishes, both living and extinct. The anatomy of fishes is detailed, followed by a multi-lecture series treating the major lineages of fishes. Lab exercises involve anatomical study and taxonomy of extant fishes. Following systematic lectures key ecological aspects of fishes are examined, including trophic ecology, growth and reproduction, and community structure. These ecological elements are then traced back to the evolution of major lineages. Students will gain experience in field sampling techniques around the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center in order to acquire fresh material for laboratory exercises.

• Tropical Marine Fish Ecology (OCMB 6120: Sutton). A lecture/field/laboratory course that emphasizes the ecology and identification of Caribbean inshore and coral reef fishes. Lectires concentrate on general ecology (e.g., planktonic existence, reproductive strategies, feeding methods, distributional drivers) and species-specific ecology (e.g., diel and seasonal rhythms, feeding, reproduction), as well as taxonomy of approximately 200 species. Field and laboratory periods emphasize collection and curation techniques as well as the use of dichotomous identification keys.

• Know Your Oceans: Rivers to the Abyss. A synoptic look at aquatic ecosystems, from the distribution of water on Earth to the biology of marine ecosystems. This class will examine ecosystem structure from rivers to estuaries to continental shelves to the deep ocean.distribution of water on Earth to the biology of marine ecosystems. This class will examine ecosystem structure from rivers to estuaries to continental shelves to the deep ocean.

Nova Southeastern University Outreach Programs supported in Sutton Lab

 • Oceanic Ecology Lab Internship Program (2016-pres): Undergraduate and graduate students learn oceanographic techniques while helping with DEEPEND consortium research. Program alumnae: Eva Paulus (Barry University; Summer 2016); B. Brule, S. Shore, N. Slayden, A. Slofkis, and D. Tourani (NSU HCNSO).
• University School Science Research Mentorship Program (2015): Multi-week high school internship where exception students receive hands-on training and participate in lab research.
• St. Thomas University Science Internship Program (2014): Semester-long program where STU undergrads receive course credit for participating in laboratory research at the HCNSO Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center.


SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS

2019 Provost’s Award for Research and Scholarship – Nova Southeastern University
2019 GoMRI Synthesis Co-Lead - Core 3 (Ecology)
2019 Invited Speaker - EOAS Seminar Series, Florida State University
2018 Plenary Speaker - 15th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, Monterey, CA
2018 Invited Session Lead - Marine Mammal Synthesis Symposium, Washington D.C.
2017 Invited Speaker - NOAA Office of Exploration and Research "Surface to Seafloor" Workshop, Honolulu, HI
2016 Associate Member (Nominated Election), Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
2015 Board of Governors Appointment – Amer. Soc. of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
Invited Speaker, Vetlesen Distinguished Lecture Series – University of Rhode Island
Invited Speaker, Texas A&M University Graduate Seminar Series
2015-pres Director and Principal Investigator – DEEPEND Research Consortium (Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative)
2014-pres Expert Panelist Appointment – United Nations First Ocean Assessment
2014-pres Review Editor appointment – Frontiers in Marine Science
2013-pres Steering Committee appointment – Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI)
2013 Invited Keynote Speaker – 2013 Fisheries Society of the British Isles Deep-Sea Fish Symposium, Glasgow, Scotland
2013-2015 Co-Principal Investigator (Invited) – Deep-Pelagic Conservation Working Group; Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (with Malcolm Clark, NIWA)
2010-pres  Principal Investigator (Invited) – Offshore Fish and Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program; NOAA Office of Response and Restoration