Lab Members

Dr. Leila J. Hamdan

Associate Professor and Associate Director

School of Ocean Science and Engineering

Division of Coastal Sciences

University of Southern Mississippi

228-818-8011

leila.hamdan@usm.edu

Dr. Hamdan is a molecular microbial ecologist and her studies focus on geomicrobiology and the impact of changing environmental conditions on the structure and function of marine and estuarine communities. Her current studies center on microbial biogeography on continental margins and the impacts of hydrocarbons and chemical dispersants on communities found on artificial reefs (shipwrecks) in the deep biosphere of the Gulf of Mexico. Her work also addresses the microbiology of marine methane seeps and the role of microorganisms in the development of anoxia in the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to joining the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Hamdan was an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science and Policy Department at George Mason University, a Research Microbiologist in the Marine Biogeochemistry Section at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, and a National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate.

Staff

RMoseley_Headshot

Rachel Moseley

Laboratory Manager

School of Ocean Science and Engineering

Division of Coastal Sciences

University of Southern Mississippi

228-818-8030

rachel.moseley@usm.edu

Rachel completed her MS in Coastal Sciences from USM. Rachel’s research interests focus on microbial biogeography in deep-sea habitats, and the manner in which microbes are dispersed in ocean currents. Rachel also has a background in marine aquaculture and bivalve studies.

Students

mugge_4962b

Rachel Mugge

Graduate Research Assistant (PhD Program)

School of Ocean Science and Engineering

Division of Coastal Sciences

University of Southern Mississippi

rachel.mugge@usm.edu

Rachel’s research interests focus on the effects of spill contaminants on microbially-induced corrosion (MIC) and biofilm formation on metal-hulled shipwrecks through field- and lab-based experiments using comparative metagenome analyses.

ITownsend_photo

Isabelle Townsend

Graduate Research Assistant (MS Program)

School of Ocean Science and Engineering

Division of Coastal Sciences

University of Southern Mississippi

isabelle.townsend@usm.edu

Isabelle’s research interests focus on identifying the microbial community, structure, and function in a recirculating artificial seawater Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, hatchery production system.

Intern

darrielleheadshot

Darrielle Williams

NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute Intern

darriellemajaywilliams@gmail.com

Darrielle is a recent graduate with a burgeoning interest in ocean science. She received her BS in Animal, Poultry, and Veterinary Sciences from Tuskegee University. Darrielle grew her interest in ocean sciences after two summers of research experience working at the Department of Aquaculture and at the National Ocean Service. Both internship experiences introduced her to literature research, data analytics and interpretation, population dynamics, and conservation. She hopes to attend graduate school to combine her interest in animal medicine, conservation, and ocean sciences.

This semester she is an intern in the Hamdan Lab through the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. The beginning of her internship was spent aboard R/V Point Sur in the search for the SS Norlindo shipwreck. During this phase, she was able to learn about monitoring and interpreting bathymetric data collected by AUV’s, and how to deploy oceanographic tools such as CTD, Towfish, and the Eagle Ray AUV. During the second phase of her internship, she trained with lab members to learn DNA extraction and quantitation, bioinformatic analyses, and experimental design.