The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) asked our lab in 2020 to carry out a basic microbiome profile (CRCP 13) of selected sites in Port Everglades Inlet and nearby offshore reef sites. We have now completed phase two of this project. The full FDEP report is available at https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coral/content/dep-coral-reef-conservation-program-projects
Phase II of CRCP in 2021 was completed mostly by Catherine Bilodeau (pictured) who carried out most of the processing of 120 16S rRNA samples, with assistance from undergraduate Christian Rodriguez and after Alex Delgado’s Industrial Diver Corporation team made sample collections. Statistical and microbiome analyses was carried with CosmosID Inc resources and Dr. Lauren Krausfeldt’s assistance. Also Colleen McMaken helped with R and PRIMER programs, Dr. Yan Ding from Florida International University for analysis of water and sediment samples, We are also grateful to Jocelyn Karazsia and Dr. Xaymara Serrano for background information on operational and maintenance PEI dredging activities. We are grateful to Shelby (Wedelich) Casali for the original impetus of the study. These results are now being prepared for a peer review manuscript.
Lopez Lab @ NSU 