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Resume

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris)

© Diondre Ryan

Elasmobranch Field Research

Field School, Miami FL                                                           

August-December 2022

  • Tied knots such as clove hitch, bowline, and cleat hitch

  • Assisted in removing bow and stern lines from dock

  • Assisted in cleaning boat after field day

  • Assembled, deployed, and reeled in longline and drumline fishing gear

  • Cut fish and baited hooks

  • Snorkeled to look for yellow spotted stingrays

  • Participated in elasmobranch’s work-up

    • Held down sharks tail to allow for data collection

    • Placed pump in sharks’ mouth if needed

    • Tagged sharks by placing tag in dorsal fin

    • Measured sharks using measuring tape

    • Collected elasmobranch samples such as blood, muscle, fin, and parasites

    • Wrote down data and labeled sample tubes

  • Processed blood to determine lactate levels

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Horseshoe Crab Watch

Florida Fish and Wildlife, Miami, FL                                               September 2022- April 2023

  • Walked the beach to search for horseshoe crabs

    • Tagged horseshoe crabs

    • Measured horseshoe crabs

    • Weighed horseshoe crabs

    • Determined sex of horseshoe crabs

    • Aged horseshoe crabs

    • Took pictures of horseshoe crabs

    • Wrote down data

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Seal and Sea turtle Rehabilitation

NY Marine Rescue Center, Riverhead, NY                                                 

June- August 2022

  • Participated in animal physicals

    • Prepared paperwork for bloodwork

    • Collected weight by placing animal on scale

    • Took measurements of sea turtle shells using a caliper to monitor growth

    • Took photos and uploaded them to the computer

    • Cleaned shell, checked for injuries, applied manuka honey to wounds

    • Put blood in container to be received for testing

  • Took water quality measurements of tanks

  • Prepared animal diets, fed them, and disinfected the kitchen

  • Assisted in animal restraint for veterinarian check-ups

  • Monitored unresponsive sea turtle after IV injection

  • Cleaned and disinfected animal enrichment

  • Did tank checks every morning and evening to ensure tanks were running appropriately

  • Responded to stranded common dolphin call

    • Restocked box truck with appropriate supplies

    • Took breath counts of dolphin

    • Assisted placing and carrying dolphin in stretcher

    • Assisted in euthanasia and sample collection of dolphin

  • Participated in seal and sea turtle releases

    • Collected public donations

    • Assisted in flipper tagging animals for release

    • Assisted in carrying animal down to the beach

    • Held herding board for seals to ensure public safety

    • Took pictures of animals being released

  • Ran the front desk/shop and answered all public questions

  • Gave a tour to the public of the facility

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Homer Wildlife Response Volunteer and Sea Otter Intern

Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK; US Fish and Wildlife Service, Homer, AK

September 2021-April 2022

  • Responded to both live and dead stranding reports of marine mammals

  • Took level A measurements of dead marine mammals

  • Took rectal swabs and collected scat samples of dead sea otters

  • Took skin samples of a dead harbor seal, humpback whale, and beluga

  • Observed behavior of live, stranded sea otters

  • Collected carcasses to be shipped, frozen, or discarded of

  • Dissected sea otter to obtain bones

  • Created posters, trifolds, and flyers for Marine Mammal Forum

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MMPA Permit MA-041309-5

Beluga Monitoring

Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership (AKBMP), Cook Inlet, AK

September 2021-April 2022

  • Participated in 2-hour beluga monitoring sessions for AKBMP

  • Completed data sheets on beluga sightings for the AKBMP

  • Photographed belugas for photo identification work

  • Recorded behavior of belugas for AKBMP

  • Took eDNA samples using Kemmerer and filtered in lab

  • Used refractometer, pH meter, and temperature probe to analyze water samples

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Marine Mammal Boat Observer

Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK

September 2021-April 2022

  • Used binoculars to find and count marine mammals

  • Photographed marine mammals for identification and research

  • Marked locations of marine mammals and path of the boat using GPS

  • Deployed a hydrophone to obtain cetacean audio

  • Wrote down observations in data log

  • Engaged in marine mammal line transect surveys while on the boat

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Fieldwork

Kenai Peninsula College, Homer, AK

October 2021-April 2022

  • Tracked moose collars using radio telemetry techniques

  • Trimmed willow trees for regrowth for moose feeding

  • Collected plankton for research using plankton tow

  • Attended a harbor porpoise necropsy

  • Collected water samples and performed water quality tests

  • Participated in a sea duck survey and shorebird monitoring by counting, photographing, and identifying bird species

  • Engaged in intertidal line transect surveys

  • Participated in razor clam survey by collecting clams that floated to the surface with Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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Sea Star Wasting Research Project

Kenai Peninsula College, Homer, AK

January-April 2022

  • Swabbed sea stars to growth bacteria on agar plate

  • Performed gram stains on bacteria and identified them under a microscope

  • Tested bacteria for antibiotic resistance using antibiotic disk

  • Presented research in a poster format at an undergraduate symposium

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Cook Inlet Beluga Necropsy

National Marine Fisheries Service, Anchor Point, AK

  • Collected beluga organ samples

  • Inserted and removed blades on scalpels

  • Labeled test tubes and whirl bags for lab work

  • Photographed and cataloged injuries to the beluga

Level A #2018278

Stejneger's Beaked Whale Publication Work

Kenai Peninsula College, Homer, AK

September-December 2021

  • Excavated whale bones

  • Buried whale flippers and shoulders to be dug up in a year

  • Cleaned whale bones using a hose and soap

  • Photographed and 3D scanned whale bones

  • Measured and weighed whale bones

  • Created a publication book for research scientists

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Skeletal Articulation

Kenai Peninsula College, Homer, AK

August-September 2021

  • Arranged marine mammal bones in correct orientation

  • Articulated Stellar sea lion right flipper and a harbor porpoise skeleton

  • Drilled and glued harbor porpoise and Steller sea lion bones

Humpback Identification Intern

Winged Whale Research, Homer, AK

August-December 2021

  • Updated humpback whale identification catalog

  • Used catalog to photo ID humpbacks in Kachemak Bay

  • Drove boat to obtain whale fluke photos

  • Created map of humpback sightings

  • Learned how to tie clove, hitch, and cleat hitch knots

  • Removed mast and secured boat to trailer

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Seal Identification Work

Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, West Sayville, NY

February-March2020

  • Photographed individual seals with a camera to look for individual markings

  • Added photos to public database to monitor individual harbor seals

  • Observed and recorded seal behavior

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© Artie Kopelman for Cresli

Fish Identification Work

Stony Brook University, Long Island Sound, NY

September-December 2019

  • Identified and drew fish species with use of dichotomous key to understand differences among species and determine invasive species

  • Dissected fish species and identified major organs and structures to learn about the anatomy of fish and the differences between species

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Plankton Identification Research

Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY

September-December 2019

  • Identified plankton species using microscopic techniques and dichotomous key to determine species distribution and invasive species

  • Captured photographs of plankton species to create a species catalog

  • Kept records of each individual to determine the number of plankton in each sample

  • Used Sechi disk to measure water turbidity

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Computer Programs: Excel | Google sheets | Google Drive | Google Maps | PowerPoint | RStudio | Audacity | QGIS | Zoom | MATLAB

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Laboratory skills: Quality assurance, Data analysis

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Trainings: Wildlife Safety training (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) | Live and Dead Marine Mammal Stranding Training (Alaska SeaLife Center) | Zoonosis (Alaska SeaLife Center) | Beluga Monitoring Training (Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership) | Shorebird Monitoring (Kachemak Bay Birders) | Deckhand skills (University of Alaska, Anchorage) | IACUC Training (University of Miami) | SDI Open Water Scuba Certification (Good Life Divers) | Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Volunteer Training (Florida Fish and Wildlife)

Download my resume

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