Between August 2023 and December 2024, Ian traveled with collaborator Dr. Michael Henson (Northern Illinois University) to perform sampling of bacterioplankton along two transects (one between Florida Bay and Sombrero Reef, and one between Florida Bay and Conch Reef) to assess the impacts of extreme heat wave conditions on bacterioplankton physiology. These trips (n = 6) involved collecting samples of seawater, filtering them, and collecting complementary data on the chemical and physical conditions of seawater. While most trips were in great weather, some were in strong winds and storms, but we made it work safely. We also collected swab samples at Grassy Key, Marathon, to assess temporal dynamics of the Diadema antillarum scuticociliatosis Philaster clade (DaScPc) in concert with algal densities and water quality parameters. Finally, we performed sampling on the sea cucumber Holothuria mexicanum to assess aquatic flaviviruses.

Work on these samples is still ongoing, pending funding opportunities.

Publications from these expeditions:

Henson MW, Leon-Rodriguez AJ, DeRito CM, Lessios H, Quod J-P, Vilanova-Cuevas B, Hewson I (2026) “Host-independent persistence of the Diadema antillarum Scuticociliatosis Philaster clade in coastal environments” biorxiv https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.07.698123