Meet Our Lab Team Members
The Minds Behind the Research
Our lab teams work where the land meets the sea, from coastal estuaries to research stations, advancing discovery in the heart of the Gulf. From fieldwork to lab work, these are the minds shaping the future of marine and environmental sc
iences. Explore the labs. Join the minds shaping marine and environmental sciences in Mobile, AL.
Biological Oceanography Labs
Baker
Carmichael
Heck
Martin
Krause
Henning
Powers
Smee
Chemical Oceanography Labs
Robertson
Lehrter
Geological Oceanography Labs
Kiel-Reese
Physical Oceanography Labs
Dzwonkowski
Environmental Labs
de Oliveira
Hotard
Scyphers
Dr. Baker's Research focuses on the role of coastal ecosystems as nurseries for fisheries.
Name: Aaron Bland
Program of Study: Ph.D.
Thesis or Dissertation title: Ecological assessments of living shoreline restoration projects.
Academic training:
BS in Biology from The College of William and Mary
MS in Marine Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Email: abland@disl.org
Name: Hannah Ehrmann
Program of Study: Ph.D.
Academic training:
BS Environmental Studies from Gettysburg College
MS Environmental Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Email: hehrmann@disl.org
Name: Kelsey Hofheinz
Program of Study:
M.S. Marine Sciences
Thesis or Dissertation title:
Academic training:
B.S. Biological Sciences
Mississippi State University
Email: khofheinz@disl.org
Name: Sarah Ramsden
Program of Study: Ph.D.
Thesis or Dissertation title: Integrating movement & trophic ecology to assess the functional values of red drum habitats through ontogeny.
Academic training:
B.S. Environmental Studies Virginia Commonwealth University
M.S. Marine Sciences Savannah State University
Email: sramsden@disl.org
Name: Alex Rodriguez
Baker Lab Manager
Project Manager:
- RESTORE-funded Alabama Living Shorelines
- Graveline Bay
- Project Greenshores
Academic training:
M.S. Marine Sciences
University of South Alabama
B.S.Biology, Minor: Ecology
Florida Gulf Coast University
Email: arodriguez@disl.org
The Carmichael Lab focuses on marine ecosystem responses to environmental change, particularly the impacts of human activities on coastal habitats and species. The lab's research investigates how perturbations affect habitat and food quality for organisms, and the subsequent effects on growth, survival, and physiology. Natural abundance stable isotopes are also used to trace nutrient sources and understand trophic interactions.
The lab houses the Marine Mammal Research Program, which conducts primary research and monitoring of marine mammals (cetaceans and manatees) that reside in or visit the north-central Gulf and the surrounding waters through which they travel. This program—including DISL's Manatee Sighting Network, the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and other related research projects—focuses on marine mammal health and ecology. Its goal is to understand habitat and resource use, food web interactions, movement patterns and migration, as well as the threats and causes of strandings or death.