Following his successful thesis defense in December, Ian completed his remaining graduate requirements, submitted his thesis to the FAU Graduate College, and graduated on December 12th!
 
Ian has accepted a position as a research technician with the Voss Laboratory effective immediately and will be responsible for managing the lab as well as coordinating the Voss Laboratory’s local field work.
 
Congratulations Ian!

​Voss lab graduate student Ian Combs successfully defended his master’s thesis research in a standing room only seminar on Thursday, October 31. Ian’s project is part of an ongoing collaborative effort to understand and combat stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) throughout southeast Florida. His research focused on monitoring the spread of SCTLD throughout the northern Florida Reef Tract, and characterized the impacts of SCTLD on individual colonies of Montastraea cavernosa using 3D photogrammetry.  Traditional coral surveys combined with the 3D photogrammetry method provided greater insights into the spatial/temporal dynamics and impacts of this disease on individual corals and reef populations than surveys alone.
 
This project was funded primarily by Florida Department of Environmental Protection with additional support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, EPA, and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation through the Indian River Lagoon Scholarship program.  Ian will continue working with the Voss Lab on SCTLD-related projects as a research technician.
 
Congratulations Ian!