I am a doctoral candidate in the freshwater ecology lab at the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology in Tampa. I am currently investigating abiotic factors (particularly, site morphometry, habitat complexity, surrounding land use and landscape structure) influencing the presence, abundance, and species composition of waterbirds in isolated freshwater ponds and marshes.
A Florida native, I obtained two Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Environmental Science from USF in 2005, followed by a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science (concentrating on island hydrogeology) from the University of Guam at the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, a highly ranked USGS research facility.
My professional and academic experience includes:
- managing south Florida wetlands for the Seminole Tribe of Florida
- conducting benthic marine surveys in Yap (F.S.M.) and Saipan (C.N.M.I.)
- managing environmental remediation projects in Florida and Guam
- conducting terrestrial wildlife surveys in south Florida scrub and wetland habitat
I can be reached by email at smhoffm4@mail.usf.edu. Expected graduation is Spring 2016.