Sarah Woolley Hutchins

Alumni

Degree Obtained: M.S. (2022)
Major Professor: Dr. Matt DiMaggio

Sarah got her start in aquaculture working at Roger Williams University's CEED Wet Laboratory and interning at the New England Aquarium as a Giant Ocean Tank scientific diver. She then worked as the senior phycologist at an oyster hatchery with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, running a 144 algae bag continuous system and rearing oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica) for local farmers and restoration.

Sarah joined the UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab team in June 2018 to run live feed production. She cultured six species of microalgae and two species of copepod (Parvocalanus crassirostris and Oithona colcarva), primarily in support of marine larval fish production. Sarah also provided feed and assistance in ongoing research projects, such as rearing larval sea urchins (Diadema antillarum) and optimizing culture parameters for Oithona colcarva.

Sarah obtained her M.S. in 2022 and is now a Staff Scientist at Gulf Shellfish Institute, Inc in Palmetto, FL.  

• Education

  M.S., Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2022, University of Florida

  B.S., Marine Biology, 2014, Roger Williams University

  Study Abroad, Fall 2012, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

• Presentations

  Murray, C.A., O.I. Markham, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Characterizing the gastrointestinal development and digestive enzyme ontogeny of larval Amphiprion ocellaris. Poster Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 390.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Effects of environmental manipulations on survival, growth, and feeding incidence of larval Dascyllus auripinnis. Invited Oral Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 341.

  S.W. Hutchins, C.A. Murray, O.I. Markham, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Mod your pods: Improving feeding success of marine larval fishes by modifying copepods’ escape responses. Invited Oral Presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. pg 264.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2023. Manipulating environmental parameters to improve survival, growth, and feeding incidence of larval Neocirrhitus armatus. Poster presentation. Aquaculture America, New Orleans, LA, USA. Poster Presentation pg 342.

  O.I. Markham, C.A. Murray, S.W. Hutchins, M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Effects of environmental manipulations on survival, growth, and feeding incidence in larval golden domino damselfish, Dascyllus auripinnis. Poster Presentation. Women of the Water, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida.

  S.W. Hutchins, C.A. Murray, O.I. Markham, J.L. Diemer, B.C. Ray, and M.A. DiMaggio. 2022. Slow your roll, improve your role: Suppressing copepods’ escape responses to improve feeding success of larval fishes. Poster Presentation. Women of the Water, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida.

  Hutchins, S., M. Hauville, and M. DiMaggio; 2019. Optimizing culture parameters of the cyclopoid copepod Oithona colcarva.Marine Aquarium Conference of North America, Orlando, Florida (poster)

• Awards

  2023 Best Thesis Research Oral Presentation Award - US Aquaculture Society

  2023 Aquatic Equipment and Design Travel Award - US Aquaculture Society

  2022 Office of Research Travel Grant - UF/IFAS

  2022, AFS Fish Culture Section Best Student Abstract - Aquaculture America

  2021, Best Student Poster - Women of the Water

  2021, MASNA Student Scholarship - Marine Aquarium Conference of North America

  2019. Best Graduate Student Poster - Marine Aquarium Conference of North America