Marine Ecology and Acoustics Lab
Principal Investigators
Dr. Kevin Boswell
Marine Sciences Program
Department of Biological Sciences
I am a marine ecologist, with general interests in the ecology and behavioral dynamics of coastal and marine nekton and surface-oriented vertebrates. My research program broadly focuses on the interacting factors that mediate the distributional patterns, behavior, habitat use, energetics, and natural ecology of coastal and oceanic animals, including the implications of ecosystem variability, particularly for rapidly changing environments. To address many of these interests, my lab integrates advanced sampling techniques, such as active and passive underwater acoustics, with observations from autonomous aerial and aquatic platforms to collect high-resolution data to simultaneously describe spatial and temporal patterns of interest, ranging from individual-level interactions to broad ecosystem dynamics. The observational and analytical techniques my lab employs are robust across an array of ecosystems and animal types facilitating a high-level interdisciplinary and collaborative research program.
Areas of Interest: Active and Passive Acoustics; Estuarine, Coastal, and Pelagic Ecology; Behavior; Population Biology; Habitat Loss; Oil and Gas Development; Biological Oceanography
Dr. Benjamin Binder
Marine Operations Engineer
FIU Institute of Environment
I received my bachelor’s degree from Coastal Carolina University in May of 2010 and immediately left for the Florida Keys to begin working for Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. As an FWC biologist, I was fortunate enough to participate in a range of research projects; including long term telemetry based MPA connectivity effort in the Dry Tortugas, lionfish recolonization and removal projects throughout the Keys, and various other studies that allowed me to interact and collaborate with different agencies from the region. Most relevant to my current thesis work, we studied historically known reef fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) in the lower Keys using various acoustic technologies, telemetry techniques, and diver surveys. My thesis work is an extension of the FSA work in the Keys, focusing on using local fishermen to locate and quantify the density, spatial distribution, temporal predictability, and age structure of FSAs along the contiguous reef tract in S. Florida. Along with the spatiotemporal aspects of FSAs, I am interested in the reproductive behavior and biology of aggregating fish, and their potential to alter local nutrient cycles and influence benthic organisms. Aside from my research I am an avid waterman and hope that my research will contribute to the protection and preservation of our local fisheries resources.
Post Doctoral Researchers & Affiliates
Dr. Allison White - Post Doctoral Researcher
Marine Sciences Program
Department of Biological Sciences
For as long as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by marine life. As early as high school I knew that my true passion was fisheries research. Reading about the rapidly deteriorating state of global fisheries, I became determined to help improve the sustainability of fish harvesting. I began working towards this goal at Texas A&M University at Galveston, where I received Bachelor's degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Fisheries. During this time, I also completed an undergraduate research project with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium comparing fish and invertebrate assemblages on natural and artificial reefs. After graduating, I received a Master's degree in Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. For my thesis, I examined the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of life history and productivity trends in Atlantic Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis). My thesis project happened to coincide with the stock assessment for weakfish, which provided me with the opportunity to observe the stock assessment process first hand and even participate in it.
I am interested in the quantitative ecology of fishes. My current research is focused on the spatial dynamics of human-harvested and affected fishes and invertebrates in coastal habitats. I am also interested in the application of active acoustic methods and spatial analyses to provide population size and distribution information of reef fishes. My research goals are to improve the effectiveness of management and conservation efforts for coastal ecosystems by integrating modelling approaches and the use of advanced technologies in fisheries-independent surveys. Outside of my research, I enjoy diving, caving, cave diving, and generally anything having to do with fish and/or caves.
Graduate Students
Haley Glasmann
Ph.D Candidate
Since my first SCUBA diving experience at age ten, I knew I wanted to pursue an education in marine science. In June of 2020, I completed my Bachelor of Science in aquatic biology with high honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara. My first and most memorable field experience was collecting biometric data from nesting female Olive Ridley sea turtles in Costa Rica. During my time at UCSB, I conducted research within the Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology (EEMB) department, from tropical marine ecology to fish physiology. Having interned for the Burkepile Lab with photo analysis of coral-algal interactions and the Moorea Coral Reef Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Lab with video data analysis for species interactions between herbivorous fishes surrounding coral bombies in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia. I also volunteered for the Eliason Lab, where I assisted the efforts in examining the physiological thresholds of salt marsh fishes by means of respirometry and participated in the local Santa Barbara education outreach program, CURIE-osity. In 2019, I completed my AAUS scientific diver certification and secured the top internship position to assist Dr. Deron Burkepile with his research exploring the role that fishes play in nutrient cycling on coral reefs in Moorea. The culmination of my undergraduate field work and laboratory research solidified my desire to pursue a graduate program. After graduating from UCSB, I interned for the US Navy Marine Mammal Program where I assisted in the unclassified training of bottlenose dolphins and California sealions. During summer, I worked for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park leading educational tours focused on the adaptations of terrestrial African animals.
As a Ph.D. student in the Boswell Lab, I am investigating the fine-scale community structure of the deep scattering layer community. A majority of my work is based in the Northern Gulf of Mexico in collaboration with the DEEPEND (Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico) Consotrium. The organisms I study are collectively referred to as mesopelagic micronekton which range in size from 2-20cm and include fishes, siphonophores, crustaceans, and zooplankton. Many of these animals participate in a phenomenon known as the diel vertical migration, which is the largest daily migration on earth and is a ubiquitous feature across the global ocean. Using a combined approach of ecology and marine technology to examine community and ecosystem level dynamics, I will apply my research to ocean management and conservation efforts. In addition to my research efforts, I am also the social media coordinator for our lab (@boswelllab) and FIU's Marine Biology Program (@fiumarinebio).
To keep up with my graduate school adventures check out @scubahaleykat on Instagram!
Gina Clementi, M.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
I grew up fishing at the Jersey shore, which inspired me to pursue an education in marine biology. I received my Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami, during which I spent my summers in the salt marshes of New Jersey studying the effects of urbanization on fishes with Rutgers University. I then attended Stony Brook University for my Master of Science degree, where I worked on several projects that focused on marine ecology and conservation, ranging from estuarine predators in temperate bays to artificial reefs off the south shore of Long Island. For my master’s thesis, I used baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) to assess anthropogenic and environmental drivers of reef-associated elasmobranch abundance and diversity in the Caribbean. After graduate school, I worked as the lab manager of the Predator Ecology & Conservation lab at FIU, where I worked on several BRUVS, eDNA, and acoustic tagging studies. Currently, I am working in the Boswell lab on a project assessing greater amberjack abundance in the Southeast US and a permit depredation study in the Florida Keys.
Ian Areford
Ph.D. Student
Hi everyone my name is Ian Areford and I’m a first year PhD student in the Boswell Lab. I received my undergraduate degree in Biology from Saint Leo University where I conducted research on phenotypic plasticity in Mangroves in response to pore water nutrient concentrations. I then traveled down to Nova Southeastern University where I completed my masters in Marine Science. At NSU my thesis project focused on analyzing mesopelagic fish biomass patterns in the northern Gulf of Mexico in response to major oceanographic features. Through this project I discovered my interest in deep-sea fish and pelagic ecosystems in general. This is what ultimately drew me to the Boswell Lab where I hope to build upon my previous research through the use of active acoustics and other technologies. During my time in the Boswell Lab I will be assisting on a research project investigating the potential impact that pelagic organisms have on ocean mixing.
In addition, to my research on mangroves and the mesopelagic zone I also spent the previous summer working as a sea turtle specialist with the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program where I completed morning surveys, responded to stranding, and preformed outreach events.
Aedan Mell
Ph.D. Student
Hi, my name is Aedan Mell and I am a Marine Science major. In 2021, I transferred to FIU from Monmouth University in New Jersey. I started out as a volunteer in this lab working on the Amberjack Project, creating computer models of Amberjacks and their fish bladders and processing them. I was later hired as an undergraduate research assistant intern/lab technician. Since then, I have mainly been helping with day to day tasks, such as setting up lab equipment and annotating BRUV videos. I have also been lucky enough to help out on some really cool projects. My favorite one so far has been working with the BISON, which is short for Baited Imaging Sonar. I got to work with a PhD student doing deployments with it in the Biscayne Bay. I really love working in the lab and learning the technological side of research, but field work is the best part. Before I came to this lab, I did not know too much about hydroacoustics, and although I have some knowledge now, I still have a lot to learn. After I graduate, I am considering working for NOAA as a Fisheries Observer and eventually I plan on going into grad school.
Lindsay Pierce
Ph.D. Student
I received my bachelor's degree in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Miami in May 2026. During my time at UM, I spent three years interning with the Traylor-Knowles Cnidarian Immunity Lab, researching disease processes and environmental stress in corals, and completed an honors thesis studying phagocytosis and cell death rates in the mountainous star coral. In spring 2025, I studied abroad on Isabela Island in the Galapagos, where I completed five field-intensive research courses and several independent projects, including one on behavioral thermoregulation in marine iguanas and another on sex ratios across Pacific wrasse species. I also assisted the Galapagos National Park with marine invasive species monitoring. Additionally, I spent two summers in Savannah, Georgia during my undergrad. The first, I worked as an aquarium science intern, caring for marine and terrestrial animals and leading public programs. The second, I was a research intern for the ZERO-C Lab, where I researched zooplankton community structure and distribution in the South Atlantic Bight. As a Ph.D. student in the Boswell Lab, I am broadly interested in using acoustics-based tools to better understand predator behavior and interaction with prey in coastal ecosystems.
Mason Sanford
M.S. Student
Many major aspects of my life have always revolved around enjoying nature and its residents. I really fell in love with the ocean when I snorkeled in Mexico with Whale Sharks. After realizing my passion, I completed my bachelor's in marine biology and marine fisheries at Texas A&M Galveston. During this time, I volunteered in Dr. David Wells and Dr. Jay Rooker's labs. Assisting with graduate projects ranging from tagging various pelagic fish species to dissecting red drum specimens for stomach content analysis. One summer, I completed an internship at Texas Parks & Wildlife, at the Palacios Field Station. Here, I worked on many field excursions, completing trawls, dredges, seines, and gill nets for quantitative and qualitative data of the marine life of Matagorda Bay. Another summer, I spent working in a research group named the Gulf Research Institute of Highly Migratory Species. During my time at GRIHMS, I spent my days assisting with other research projects, tagging pelagic fish, preparing PFAS samples, blood and muscle tissue for stable isotope analysis, and otoliths for age analysis. Now I am a master's student in Kevin Boswell's Lab. My current research focuses on the Hydrodynamic processes of Biscayne Bay, examining the dispersal of PFAS plumes from major waterways into the bay, as well as studying larval dispersal within the bay. Investigating the overlap of nursery habitats with potential hotspots of PFAS that gather within the bay.
Lab Technicians
Bruce Lozano
Research Analyst
Hi, my name is Bruce Lozano and I'm a Research Analyst I in the Marine Ecology and Acoustics Lab . I received my Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami in May 2023, where I developed a strong foundation in software development, data analysis, and signal processing. I joined the lab in April 2024 and have since focused on developing Python-based tools and pipelines for processing and analyzing hydroacoustic data collected across a range of marine environments. My work primarily involves building automated data processing workflows using packages such as EchoPype, Pandas, and OpenCV, with a focus on extracting meaningful ecological patterns from large-scale acoustic datasets. One of my main projects involves developing a diel vertical migration tracking system that applies computer vision and clustering techniques to detect and characterize scattering layer behavior over time. I have also been working on porting a MATLAB-based imaging sonar fish detection system to Python, modernizing the workflow for broader research use. Beyond processing pipelines, I develop interactive data visualization tools for cruise-collected acoustic data, enabling researchers to efficiently explore and interpret large datasets with greater ease and accessibility. Additionally, I maintain and contribute to the lab's code repositories on GitHub, ensuring that our analytical tools are well documented and accessible to collaborators. Coming from a computer engineering background, I bring a software development perspective to marine acoustic research and I'm passionate about building tools that help bridge the gap between complex hydroacoustic datasets and meaningful ecological insight.
Chelsea Warren
Research Technician
Hi everyone! My name is Chelsea Warren and I graduated from Florida International University in December 2026 with my B.S. in Marine Biology and a minor in Chemistry. I grew up in eastern Michigan right next to Lake Huron where I spent lots of time on/in the water, woods, and ponds where I developed my love for aquatic life. Outside of research I love spending time with my friends and family and will never turn down an invitation to snorkel or scuba dive. I started interning in Boswell lab in December of 2025 processing active acoustic data with Haley Glasmann and am now working full time as a research technician on multiple integrative projects!
Lab Alumni
Past Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Marta D'Elia- Currently Grant Administrator II- Research Development Officer; Postdoctoral Associate, FIU Institute of Environment
Dr. Camilo Roa- Currently a Research Scientist with NOAA SWFSC in La Jolla, California.
Dr. Guillaume Rieucau- Currently Assistant Professor at LUMCON
Dr. Laura Catano- Currently the Adjunct Assistant Professor University of Missouri, St. Louis.
Dr. Erin LaBrecque - Currently a freelance scientist
Past Students
Chase Schaffhauser (Undergraduate/ Lab Technician). Now pursuing a Master of Science and Oceanography under Dr. Matt Ajemian in the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU's Harbor Branch.
Andrew Natter (M.S. Student). Thesis Title: "Connectivity and Conservation of Permit (Trachinotus falcatus): Evaluating Population Structure and Spawning Aggregations in South Florida and Belize." Now pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences under Dr. Diego Cardenosa at FIU.
Nicholas Tucker (Ph.D. Student) Dissertation Title: "Elucidating ecological drivers in baleen whale habitat use: a case for predation risk." Currently working as a postdoctoral researcher for the Gulf Ecosystem Initiative (GEI) in Santa Barbara, California.
Evan Mularo (Undergraduate/Lab Technician). Now pursuing a Masters of Environmental Management at Duke University.
Allison White (Ph.D. Student). Dissertation title: "Spatial distribution of reef-associated fish in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: an active acoustics approach". Position: Postdoctoral researcher, Shark Biology and Fisheries Science Lab, Texas A&M University at Galveston. email: allison.l.white@noaa.gov
Benjamin Binder (Ph.D. Student). Dissertation title: "The Patterns of Occurrence, Management, and Behavorial Ecology of Fish Spawning Aggregations in Southeast Florida". Position: FIU Marine Observatories Engineer. Contact: bbind002@fiu.edu
Ivan Rodriguez-Pinto (Ph.D. student). Dissertation title: "Structure, Control, and Communication of Collective Animal Behavior in Dynamic Environments". Position: Research Scientist, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division. Contact: ivanrodriguezpinto@gmail.com
Gabriel Diaz (Undergraduate/ Lab Technician). Working as a restoration technician at Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC. Contact: gdiaz094@fiu.edu
Mark Barton (Ph.D. student). Thesis title: "Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Arctic Nearshore Fish Community and Food Web Structures". Currently works at South Florida Water Management District. Contact: mbart034@fiu.edu
Aubree Zenone (MS student). Thesis title: "A Comparative Study of Concurrent Acoustic and Diver Survey Data, and Fish Community Descriptions of a High Latitude Coral Reef, Florida, USA." Position: Aquatic Studies Project Manager (Consultant) for Burns & McDonnell. Contact: a.m.zenone@gmail.com
Past Undergraduates Mentored
Cristina Antonio (Lab Technician). Graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences. Currently an environmental technician with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.