Alexis Mitchem is PhD student at the University of South Florida. She was awarded the Florida Sea Grant Guy Harvey Fellowship in 2024.
Growing up on the Florida coast, I was an avid boater and beachgoer. I learned how to swim at age three and was surfing the waves by the time I was eight. The Gulf was more than an outlet for my hobbies; it was where my passion for learning began. In fact, most of my earliest memories involve reading and learning about the marine fish and mammals of Pensacola Beach. I became infatuated with the corners and crevices that small invertebrates inhabited, the open sandbars where sharks and other fishes congregated, and the jellyfish at mercy to the ebb and flow of the tides. It was there and then that my early understanding of the importance of conservation was sparked.
My foundational ideas of conservation matured as I dove deeper into the tangible science of Marine Biology at the University of West Florida (UWF). I quickly developed a profound interest in using emerging molecular tools to answer questions that were otherwise challenging to resolve in marine science. However, when I joined the Janosik Lab at UWF, I was able to pinpoint who I was and who I wanted to be as a scientist.
Dr. Alexis Janosik played a vital role in my success by fostering growth, committing to academic and professional excellence, and selflessly advocating for equality and acceptance within the scientific field. Establishing my scientific niche, I initiated, planned, and executed an original research project that analyzed elasmobranch presence in Pensacola Bay using environmental DNA (eDNA). I became intrigued with expanding upon the theory and technology of this rapidly growing field to learn more about essential, and potentially elusive, species.
Much is yet to be discovered about the spatial distribution of marine fish spawning in the Gulf of Mexico and associated estuarine areas. My PhD research project at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science in Dr. Mya Breitbart’s lab uses DNA barcoding to identify fish eggs, providing novel information about spawning patterns of ecologically, recreationally, and commercially important species. This project stemmed from fieldwork being halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and pivoted to take advantage of several years’ worth of archived fish egg samples during fall cruises, using a continuous underway fish egg sampler by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP).
While the existing study has accumulated a wealth of data on communities that spawn on the West Florida Shelf during the fall season, it is completely lacking information on important fish species that spawn during other times of the year. My research adds a novel component to this project by assessing the seasonal variability in fish spawning patterns by increasing sampling frequency to quarterly throughout each year from 2024 to 2026. The methods currently used for sequencing in this project are relatively expensive and often produce a low identification success rate that requires a time-consuming troubleshooting process.
Utilizing the experience that I have gained throughout my previous research, I plan to innovate more cost-efficient, effective, and accessible molecular tools to study fish spawning patterns. I anticipate that these innovative methods can be applied globally, especially by nonprofit organizations that may have limited funding and little to no current access to specialized equipment to execute molecular studies.
With the addition of the seasonal sampling aspect, this is the first study of this topic to be performed on the West Florida Shelf. Using fish eggs as a proxy for reproductive output is a definitive method for understanding and clarifying spawning patterns and timing across different species in this region. By providing critical insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of fish reproduction, this study will enhance our ability to manage and conserve fish populations more effectively. Furthermore, my findings will offer valuable data for fisheries management, ecosystem health assessments, and the development of more informed, science-based policies.
Being selected as a Guy Harvey Fellow has given me unique opportunities to showcase my research such as attending the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, ICAST, networking with non-profit organizations, and presenting at Ocean Sciences Meeting. I am also grateful for the support of Florida Sea Grant, whose contributions have made these experiences possible.
