Ph.D. Candidate in Marine Science (2021 – pres.) The University of Texas at Austin | Advisor: Dr. Jordan Casey
M.S. in Biological Sciences, with distinction (2017 – 2020) California Polytechnic State University, SLO | Advisor: Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg Thesis: Quantifying the ecological drivers & impacts of parrotfish predation on Caribbean corals communities.
B.A. in Biology (2012 – 2016) Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Professional Experience
Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellow (2023 – 2024 AY) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Graduate Research Assistant (2021 – 2023) The University of Texas at Austin | Marine Trophic Ecology Lab
Teaching Assistant (2021 – 2023) The University of Texas at Austin | Marine Science Department
Scientist in Residence Fellow (Spring 2023) The University of Texas at Austin | Marine Science Institute
Graduate Research Assistant (2017 – 2020) California Polytechnic State University | Marine Conservation Lab Teaching Associate (2017 – 2020) California Polytechnic State University | Biological Sciences & Statistics Departments Assistant Research Biologist (2016 – 2017, 6 months) Bonaire National Parks Foundation (Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire)
Monitoring & Outreach Intern (2016, 2 months) Bonaire National Parks Foundation (Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire) This position was supported by a Lewis & Clark College Miller Internship Award.
Undergraduate Independent Research in Parrotfish Foraging Ecology (2015 – 2016) Lewis & Clark College | Advised by Dr. Kenneth Clifton
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (2015, 3 months) Washington State University Vancouver | Advised by Dr. Nikolay Strigul
Primate Behavior Intern (2015, 3 months) Caribbean Primate Research Institute | Advised by Dr. Carla Escabi Ruiz & Dr. Bonn Aure This position was supported by a Lewis & Clark College Miller Internship Award.
Publications
* denotes undergraduate student
Rempel HS, Siebert AK* [co lead-author], Van Wert JC, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (2022). Feces consumption by nominally herbivorous fishes in the Caribbean: an underappreciated source of nutrients? Coral Reefs 41: 355–367.
Rempel HS, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (2020). Impacts of parrotfish predation on a major reef-building coral: quantifying healing rates and thresholds of coral recovery. Coral Reefs 39: 1441–1452.
Technical Reports
Eckrich C, Liana Francisca R, Rempel HS, Ren E. (2021). Coral Bleaching in the Bonaire National Marine Park 2016-2020. STINAPA Bonaire National Parks Foundation. 14pp. Eckrich C, Rempel HS, de Wolf W. (2016). Hurricane Matthew: Reef Damage Assessment. STINAPA Bonaire National Parks Foundation. 15pp.
This illustration is currently on display at the Texas Science & Natural History Museum
Best 15-Minute Talk, 101st Mtg of the Western Society of Naturalists (2020) Best Student Poster, 39th Mtg of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean (2019)
Grants & Fellowships (Total: $304,400)
UT Austin Stengl-Wyer Graduate Fellowship (2024; $53,000 including tuition and healthcare) Scholar Award given by the International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood (2024; $25,000) Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellowship (2023; $48,000) Texas Gulf Coast Research Center Predoctoral Award (2023; $20,000) PADI Foundation Grant (2023; $9,500) British Ecological Society Small Research Grant (2023; $6,070) UT Austin College of Natural Science Supplemental Fellowship (2023; $4,000) UT Austin Instructor Learning Community Grant (2023, grant collaborator w/ 3 co-collaborators; $2,500) UT Austin Disability & Access James M. Young Endowment Award (2023; $1,500) Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Student Scholarship (2023; $1,500) UT Austin Marion Elizabeth Eason Award for the Study of Biological Sciences (2023; $1,100) UT Austin Graduate Dean’s Prestigious Fellowship Supplement (2023, $1,000) UT Austin Graduate Professional Development Award (2023; $400) UT Austin OGS Summer Graduate Research Fellowship (2022; $8,100) Lewis & Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research Grant (2022; $5,000) International Women’s Fishing Association Scholarship Trust(2022; $3,000) International Coral Reef Society Science Communication Fellowship (2022; $2,000) University of New Mexico IsoCamp Tuition Scholarship (2022; $1,350) Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research (2022; $1,000) British Ecological Society Travel & Training Grant (2022; $390) Southern Association of Marine Laboratories Student Support Program (2022; $300) Texas Public Education Grant (2021-2022; $3,000) Animal Behavior Society Student Research Grant (2021; $2,000) Women Divers Hall of Fame Marine Conservation Graduate Scholarship (2021; $2,000) Anchor QEA Graduate Education Scholarship (2021; $2,000) California Polytechnic State University Baker/Koob Endowment Award (2020; $5,000) Explorer’s Club OceanX Grant (2020; $3,500) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Short-Term Fellowship (2020; $3,000) Harvard Travelers Club Permanent Fund Grant (2019; $4,000) American Museum of Natural History Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research (2019; $3,240) Myers Oceanographic & Marine Biology Trust Grant (2019; $1,250) California Polytechnic State University Graduate Presentation Awards (2018 & 2019; $1,500 total) 39th Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean Student Travel Award (2019; $200) California State University COAST Graduate Student Research Grant (2018; $3,000) California State University COAST Student Travel Award (2018; $800) California Polytechnic State University Graduate Assistantship (2017; $15,300) Lewis & Clark College Miller Summer Internship Award (2016; $3,600) Lewis & Clark College Student Academic Affairs Board Undergraduate Research Grant (2015; $4,700) Lewis & Clark College Miller Summer Internship Award (2014; $3,600) Lewis & Clark College Dean’s Scholarship (2012 – 2016; $48,000)
Rempel HS, Leray M, Moreno Gonzales A, Casey JM. (11 Apr. 2024). Assessing the trophic dynamics of nominally herbivorous fishes on Caribbean coral reefs across ecological gradients. 52nd Benthic Ecology Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. [Awarded Best Student Talk–Popular Vote Category].
† Rempel HS, Majoris J, Lozano Peña JP, Neill CM, Rivera Higueras M, Casey JM. (3 Apr. 2024). Revealing the hidden trophic roles of cryptobenthic blennies on the Texas Gulf Coast. 15th Texas Bays & Estuaries Meeting, Port Aransas, TX.
Rempel HS, Barton E*, O’Rourke T*, Lamore R*, Vanderbloomer P*, Adam T, Burkepile D, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (7 Jul. 2021). Ecological drivers, healing rates, and thresholds for recovery of parrotfish predation on coral communities across the Greater Caribbean. 15th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bremen, Germany.
Rempel HS, Siebert AK*, Van Wert J, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (8 Nov. 2021). Vitamin sea: Feces consumption by herbivorous Caribbean fishes and its nutritional value. 102nd Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists, virtual.
Rempel HS, Siebert AK*, Van Wert J, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (30 Oct. 2021). Vitamin sea: Why coral reef fish eat poop. 11th Annual Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Conference, virtual.
Rempel HS, Siebert AK*, Van Wert J, Edwards MS, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (6 Aug. 2021). Coprophagy by herbivorous Caribbean fishes: quantifying species-specific rates and nutritional value. 58th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society, virtual.
† Rempel HS, Bowin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (12 Nov. 2020). Recovery of an endangered Caribbean coral species from parrotfish predation. 10th Annual Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Conference, virtual.
Rempel HS, Barton EM*, Hale TC*, Lamore RJ*, Adam T, Burkepile D, Bodwin K, Ruttenberg BI. (5 Nov. 2020). Ecological drivers of parrotfish corallivory across multiple spatial scales in the Caribbean. 101st Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists, virtual. [Awarded Best 15-Minute Student Talk].
Rempel HS, Bodwin KN, Vanderbloomer PD*, Ruttenberg BI. (2 Nov. 2019). Ecological drivers and long-term impacts of parrotfish predation on endangered Orbicella annularis corals. 100th Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists, Ensenada, Mexico.
† Rempel HS, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (24 May 2019). Recovery of threatened Orbicella annularis corals from parrotfish predation within and outside of a Caribbean marine reserve. 39th Meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. [Awarded Best Student Poster].
Rempel HS, Bodwin KN, Ruttenberg BI. (6 Apr. 2019). Integrating R Software & Google Drive for Collaborative Research. SatRDays Conference, UCLA, Los Angeles.
† Rempel HS, Goodman MC*, Lippert MR*, Roycroft MV, Vanderbloomer P*, Ruttenberg B. (11 Nov. 2018). Impact of and recovery from parrotfish predation on threatenedOrbicella annularis corals in a Caribbean Marine Reserve. 99th Meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists, Tacoma, WA.
Student Mentorship
Undergraduate Student Mentor– Field & Lab Work in Panamá (Summer 2022; 2023) Mentored two paid undergraduate students at the International Maritime University of Panamá who each assisted with two months of field and lab research. Provided training in various field collection and water quality monitoring techniques, fish dissections, DNA extractions and several ELISA laboratory analyses, as well as data management and analysis in R.
Out in STEM Mentor (2021) Mentored undergraduate student in University of Texas at Austin Chapter of the Out in STEM Society in school, research, and professional development. Parrotfish Corallivory Project Mentor (2017 – 2020) Helped supervise 6 undergraduate senior projects, led 4 months of coral reef ecology field research in St. Croix and Bonaire and supervised 5 undergraduate field research assistants, ran weekly meetings and mentored 18 undergraduate students conducting reef image processing and data analysis. Provided regular professional development workshops for students such as mentorship in developing cover letters and CVs, data analysis techniques, and applying for jobs, grad school, and grants.
Frost Undergraduate Research Mentor (2018 – 2020) Summer research supervisor for three undergraduate student research projects focused in coral reef ecology. One former student mentee is a co-lead author on a publication and the two others are co-authors on a forthcoming manuscript. All presented their research as talks and/or poster presentations at scientific conferences. Bonaire Junior Rangers Volunteer Mentor (2016) Helped lead after school and weekend activities for Bonairian teens focused on the ecology, conservation, and management of local marine and terrestrial flora and fauna.
Outreach
Public Science Communication (2014 – pres.) Delivered 13 public talks and wrote 8 public science articles for newspapers in the US & Bonaire to date. Conducted an invited one week take-over of ICRS Student & Early Career Chapter Instagram (2021).
Scientist in Residence Teaching 4-5th Grade Science Lessons (Spring semester, 2021) Developed and taught bi-monthly science classes to four 4-5th grade classes in the Port Aransas Independent School District as part of a long-term partnership with UTMSI. Lessons were focused on hands-on, place-based science. This work was supported by a UTMSI Scientist in Residence Fellowship.
Coral Reef Educational Outreach for Primary School Students (2021 – 2022) Collaborated with scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and University of the West Indies scientists, as well as Negril Education Environment Trust educational experts to develop and share culturally relevant coral reef ecology lesson plans during a one-week STEM Camp attended by 24 Jamaican teachers and 60 students. Adapting lessons to be online Open Educational Resources. This work was supported by an ICRS Science Communication Fellowship.
Graduate Student Association Social Chair (2021 – 2022) Organized activities to build community and foster student wellness such as free weekly yoga, a free community garden, and social events for faculty and students at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Communications Volunteer for Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean(2019 – 2021) Helped run AMLC social media accounts sharing research about Caribbean marine ecology & conservation by various member organizations and individuals, including during the 2019 AMLC conference.
Community Science Parrotfish Monitoring Program (2019) Collaborated with Bonaire’s largest dive shop to develop and implement a program to monitoring populations of several rare parrotfish species in response to local community concerns. Shared data with local scientists and presented findings to the public in two multilingual public talks on Bonaire.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee and Student Workers Union Volunteer (2018 – 2020) California Polytechnic State University Biology Dept. DEI Committee graduate representative working to develop and disseminate actional ways to advance equity and inclusion of all members of the department. Led successful effort to secure a 50% pay increase for graduate student biology TAs to reduce financial barriers to student success.