Meet the Team

MERL Principal Investigator

Image of Dr. Elizabeth Lacey

Dr. Elizabeth 'Z' Lacey
Associate Professor, Marine Science
Email | Virtual CV

Dr. Elizabeth 'Z' Lacey

Education:
Ph.D. Florida International University
M.S. Nova Southeastern University
B.S. University of North Carolina at Wilmington

I am a marine ecologist interested in holistically studying marine plant communities, which means investigating both living and nonliving components, how those components interact, and how those interactions influence ecosystem functioning.  Marine plant communities include both macroalgae, or seaweed, and seagrassses or submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).  These important primary producers form the base of the aquatic food web and influence ecologically and economically important coastal communities through functions such as shoreline protection and habitat for commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish.  Recent disturbances and impacts have caused declines in SAV and increases in macroalgal communities, which have lasting impacts on marine ecosystems.  My aim is to understand the effects of these stressors on ecosystem dynamics such as decline, recovery, and resilience, and use this knowledge to communicate viable protection and enhancement strategies for resource management agencies and policy makers.  Stockton University is a liberal arts university, which means to achieve these goals my focus is on undergraduate research training.  Student research assistants play an integral role in completing all field and laboratory work.


Current MERL Rangers

 

2023 MERL Rangers


Ceara Reilly, Erin O'Brien, Michelle Gutierrez, Meredith O'Donnell 2023

Projects:  Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program, DEP Dual Habitat Program, SAV Mapping Field Verification Team

Funding:  Barnegat Bay Partnership, DEP Water Quality

2022 MERL Rangers Team

Brianna Gutierrez, Erin O'Brien, Darby Brant, Kersten Axe 2022 

Projects:  Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program, DEP Dual Habitat Program

Funding:DEP Water Quality

 


MERL Ranger Alumni

2021 MERL Rangers Team collage

Delaney LaPollo, Alex Sellitsch, Matt Leason, Emily Zembricki, Audra McFarland, Elysia Lazzaro, Brianna Gutierrez, Tara Misiura, and Forrest Jennings
2021 

Projects:  Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program and DEP Dual Habitat Program

Funding:  Barnegat Bay Partnership, DEP Water Quality

Charlotte Leon

Charlotte Leon
Professional Science Master’s Student in Environmental Studies, 2021

Project: Soil Properties as Determinants of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Presence and Absence

Image of Stockton Unversity student Dani Dyson

Dani Dyson
2019 - 2020

Project:  Climate impacts to temperate submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities

Image of Stockton University student Isabelle Zoccolo

Isabelle Zoccolo
2019 - 2020

Project: Diplomacy Lab - Sargassum in the Eastern Caribbean and its Impact on the Blue Economy

Image of Stockton University students Faelyn Meyers, Allie Hoffman, Dani Dyson

Dani Dyson, Allie Hoffman, Faelyn Meyers
2018 - 2019

Project:  Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program

Funding: Barnegat Bay Partnership

Image of Stockton University alumnae Chloe Graham-Frock

Chloe Graham-Frock 
2019

Project:  Seagrass community response to environmental stressors in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

Image of Stockton University alumni, Michael Lindner, Ryan Henry, Evan Woerner

Michael Lindner, Ryan Henry, Evan Woerner
2017 - 2018

Project:  Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program

Kristina Koreivo

Kristina Koreivo 
2017

Project:  Competitive Interactions between Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima via in situ studies in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

 

Nicole Ertle, Heather Coulson, Kristina Koreivo, Patty McHugh, Emily Peraria

Nicole Ertle, Heather Coulson, Kristina Koreivo, Patty McHugh, Emily Peraria, Isabelle Zoccolo (not pictured)
2016-2017

Project: Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program

Funding: Barnegat Bay Partnership

 

Sam Sean and Kelsie 2016

Sean Lynch, Sam Tomkowich, Kelsie Lupinetti 
2015-2016

Project: Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program

photograph of Stockton University Student, Jessica Dancer, Marine Science alumna

Jessica Dancer 
2014-2015; 2015-2016

Project: Stockton MERL Herbarium Curation/Photo Field guide

Photograph of Stockton University student Apryle Panyi, marine science program

Apryle Panyi 
2014-2015; 2015-2016

Project: Population demographics and tube repair rates of the magnificent feather duster worm, Sabellastarte magnifica, on two coral reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panama 

Funding: Board of Trustees Fellowship

My field course:
blog:apanyipanamajournal.wordpress.com

photograph of Stockton University Morgan Pedtrick, marine science major

Morgan Pedrick 
2014-2015; 2015-2016

Project:Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program

Funding: Stacy Moore Hagan Internship

photograph of Stockton University student, Allison Lord, marine science major

Allison Lord
2014-2015; 2015-2016

Project: Oyster reefs as habitat in southern Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

Funding: Save Barnegat Bay Student Research Grant

photograph of Stockton University student, Stefan Haller, marine science major

Stefan Haller 
2014-2015    

Project:Barnegat Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program