Dr. Shin-Ah Lee

Dr. Shin-Ah Lee is a Research Assistant Scientist in the Morrison Lab. She earned a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental science at Seoul National University in 2020 and she was focused on the source and fluxes of organic matter in the coastal ocean using biogeochemical tracers. Her research focuses on multiple biogeochemical tracers, including optical and fluorescence excitation−emission matrices to characterize dissolved organic matter and the analysis of stable isotopes of multiple elements, including the stable isotope of oxygen associated with phosphate.

Dr. Robert (Bobby) Scharping

Bobby earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of South Florida, where he studied the ecology and biogeochemistry of coastal aquifers and underwater caves. He continued researching coastal aquifer and cave ecosystems as a postdoctoral scholar at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the U.S. Geological Survey. Most recently, Bobby was a Visiting Instructor of Marine Biology at Florida Southern College. He enjoys cave diving, rebreather diving, paddling, backpacking, and playing music, especially when he gets to do those things with his partner.

In the Morrison Lab, Bobby is studying the organic matter, nutrient, and phytoplankton dynamics of South Florida estuaries to better understand harmful algal blooms in these systems.

Amanda Chappel

Amanda has seven years of experience in environmental systems and biological research with a focus in coastal water chemistry and wetland soil biogeochemistry. Amanda is a Certified Ecologist and received her Bachelor and Master of Science from the University of South Florida in Environmental Science. Her research background includes quantifying carbon burial and accumulation rates as a proxy for sea-level rise and historic ecosystem dynamics in mangrove forests. Additionally, Amanda has studied nutrient cycling and sequestration in estuarine and coastal habitats, performed extensive mapping and monitoring of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and is proficient in listed species surveys.

Her current research focus with the University is studying the ecosystem effects of coastal eutrophication in estuarine systems with the goal of supporting effective management strategies that will advance solutions to minimize anthropogenic impacts to coastal waters. This research also seeks to better understand the influence anthropogenic nutrients have on habitats that are an ecological and economic necessity like mangrove, marsh, and seagrass communities.

Tyler Vasco

Dr. João Henrique Fernandes Amaral is a biologist (Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil) with a Masters degree in Freshwater Biology and Continental Fisheries and a Ph.D. in Biology – Ecology, both obtained at the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), Brazil. He is an ecosystem ecologist with a strong background in biogeochemistry and limnology, motivated to understand ecosystem functioning in inland water ecosystems. His research combines field measurements, observations and experiments, with GIS tools for the application of statistical models to answer questions at the ecosystem level, and at different temporal and spatial scales. He was a postdoctoral researcher in the Morrison lab from 2021 to 2023.