Marine Biology Major Takes Top Honor at Conference

Lea Hinsley, a senior studying marine biology and Spanish, won the award for Best Undergraduate Presentation at the Florida Association of Aquatic Biologists annual meeting in September in Orlando. Her work, “Drop It! Ceratal Autotomy as a Defense Mechanism in Dondice jupiteriensis and Cyerce piercei,” was funded by a grant from UTampa’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. 

Senior marine biology major Brooke Marti ’27 also presented her project, “Comparing the Light Preferences of Two Sacoglossan Sea Slugs: Costasiella Ocellifera and Costasiella Nonatoi.” Marti conducted research for a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship under the guidance of Michael Middlebrooks, associate professor of biology.