Science On Tap

University of Victoria, The Fish Listener

Dr. Rountree has degrees in Marine biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (BS with Honors), The Charleston Higher Education Consortium (MS), and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University. He has managed multidisciplinary estuarine and fisheries programs for the National Marine Fisheries Service and University of Massachusetts. He is a recognized international leader in the development of passive acoustic technology applications to fisheries and marine exploration. He currently operates a small consulting firm, “The Fish Listener” and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Victoria, B.C. Dr. Rountree has published over 60 papers and reports with over 2900 citations. His work has been chronicled in the New York Times, NPR, Discover Magazine, and on-line. Dr. Rountree has maintained a web site on fish ecology, http://www.fishecology.org, since 1998 which is popular among both researchers and the general public.

University of Georgia Marine Extension and Sea Grant

Todd Recicar is the R/V Sea Dawg Captain and marine operations supervisor for the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Todd has nearly 20 years of professional experience in the operation, management and maintenance of research vessels in inland and offshore waters of Georgia and the South Atlantic region. Prior to his current position, he spent 11 years captaining vessels for research and dive operations for Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. In addition to vesseloperations, Todd provided support for field research design and logistics, facilities management, budgeting, public outreach and education, and was instrumental in the development of a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology. At UGA MAREX, Todd captains the 43’ R/V Sea Dawg or any of the various skiffs for field research, aquarium collections or for many of the education and outreach trips that occur year round. In addition, Todd manages the Marine Education Center and Aquarium (MECA) fleet of vessels and dock facilities. With an undergraduate degree in Biology and a passion for marine research, Todd also enjoys collaborating with educators and scientists that utilize hydrophones and ROVs in their toolbox of research equipment.

NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Kimberly Roberson is the Research Coordinator for Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. She began working with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s (NCCOS) Biogeography Branch in 2005 and joined the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in 2016. Kim received her Bachelors of Science degree from Berry College in Rome, GA and her Master of Science degree from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where she conducted research on leatherback sea turtles, using genetics to explore connectivity between nesting populations and pelagic individuals. Prior to NOAA, Kim worked with the National Park Service in St. Croix, USVI, conducting research and implementing conservation measures on endangered and threatened species. She uses diving as a tool for research and has been a NOAA certified diver since 2005, a NOAA Divemaster since 2006 and served as the National Ocean Service Diving Officer for three years and Chair of the NOAA Diving Control and Safety Board for two years. Her early NOAA work had her diving, conducting fish counts and assessing the potential Research Area boundaries of Gray’s Reef. Kim is originally from Tennessee and developed a love for the ocean during family vacations to the coast. She enjoys spending time outside, running, swimming, playing and exploring with her husband and two young sons.

Savannah State University student

Amara Davis is currently completing her Master of Science degree in Marine Sciences at Savannah State University, with a research focus in the spiny lobster disease, PaV1, and fisher knowledge of PaV1. Amara is a prospective 2021 Knauss Fellow, a former Olympic athlete, and a proud wife and mother. Amara is assisting as a science communications intern for Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Sanctuary Soundscapes citizen science project.