Pupil Highlight: Nathan Hewitt – Florida Sea Grant – Cyber Tech

Pupil Highlight is a recurring phase of Florida Sea Grant’s Sea Students Publication, the place a earlier or present scholar solutions questions on their analysis expertise. 

Nathan Hewitt was a 2023 mission growth intern underneath Michael Savarese, PhD, Division of Marine and Earth Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast College (FGCU). This previous spring, Nathan concluded his internship and graduated with a bachelor’s in environmental science and marine science. At the moment, he interns for NASA’s Pop-Up Mission at FGCU and works as a scholar lab assistant on the college’s Water College.

Q: What sparked your curiosity in marine science and making use of to be an intern with the Florida Sea Grant?

As humorous as it’s, Shark Week and a bunch of exhibits on Animal Planet and Nationwide Geographic sparked my early curiosity, in addition to simply going to the zoo lots. As a child, I discovered a ardour for fishing, which later impressed me to guard our waters. As soon as I discovered about overfishing, I needed to assist populations keep secure, assist stability the marine surroundings, and preserve the fisheries for the longer term. 

Then I obtained concerned with Florida Sea Grant after Hurricane Ian got here by means of and hit proper exterior FGCU. I used to be even within the hurricane. After taking Dr. Savarse’s ArcGIS class, he introduced a analysis alternative to take a look at the impacts of Hurricane Ian and make the most of each geomorphology and ArcGIS. I used to be very happy to begin engaged on the mission.

Nathan amassing information on elevation and coordinates with a bit of kit often known as the Carlson BRx7.

Q: Are you able to describe a bit bit about what your analysis was about?

We had been flying drones outfitted with a large sensor to get elevation information from the seashores of Southwest Florida, trying particularly at how the geomorphology shifted.

We had been shoreline adjustments, areas of abrasion and deposition, and most notably, the presence of scour channels. Scour channels happen when the outgoing storm surge erodes sediments. As storm waters recede, these channels can kind. We had been these channels’ frequency in numerous areas of seashores, in addition to what precipitated these options to return about, whether or not they had been close to a vegetated strolling path or a ramp or simply fully random.

Q: What would you say are the sensible implications or impacts of this analysis?

With local weather change as a complete, it is going to be necessary to know these implications for future administration choices. As researchers, we are able to’t advise coverage adjustments, however we are able to provide the knowledge to assist information folks, like contemplating whether or not sure kinds of vegetated paths may result in erosion. In Fort Myers Seaside, we noticed among the homes being eroded away as channels fashioned within the paths of least resistance, the place there are areas of sediment with not a lot of an anchor, like mangroves or vegetation. Typically small homes with much less laborious foundations are extra weak to erosion and scour channel formation. 

The data and information collected may help folks think about such questions:

How do you greatest construct these buildings sooner or later for extra intense storms, that are projected with local weather change, rising sea ranges, and even probably greater stalls? How do you go into the longer term with this information and classes at hand to raised adapt?

Q: Did you discover something fascinating or shocking all through this analysis?

One among these shocking issues was the frequency of those storm surges in sure areas, however not in different areas. Sanibel and Fort Myers Seaside had been two barrier islands that had a excessive frequency of scour channels. Sanibel particularly, had loads of these channels on strolling paths with no vegetation and seaside entry for folks. 

These barrier islands ended up serving as a scour channel, crossing into the dune fields and virtually destroying these dunes worse than the injury folks do within the first place, simply strolling to and from.

We additionally noticed a better abundance and deeper channels on the centralized location of Fort Myers Seaside. We did analysis from Cayo Costa and Higher Captiva all the way in which down by means of Marco Island up by means of Lee and Collier counties. These are among the solely locations that had extra ebb surge channels, no less than at a better frequency than we noticed wherever else.

Q: Did you may have a favourite half about being a analysis intern or a favourite expertise?

It was completely the sphere. Going exterior to seashores isn’t a foul factor. But additionally, it feels good to do significant analysis, that individuals are us to advise on future choices.

I loved having conversations with folks, together with locals and folks at nationwide conferences,  who’re appreciative of the work that we’ve been doing and grateful that we’ve got just a few concepts on methods to higher adapt to the longer term.

Q: In the event you needed to sum up your time as an intern in three phrases, what would they be?

Difficult, significant, and unforgettable.

Q: How would you say your work with the Florida Sea Grant has impacted your present analysis at FGCU’s Water College?

It’s given me larger confidence total with my analysis talents, however simply offered the entire alternative. Florida Sea Grant has been an exceptional supporter of this analysis mission, it actually got here to life. I don’t know the way we’d have been in a position to do that with out the assistance of Florida Sea Grant. Their assist has been instrumental and it’s been simply purely superior to work by means of all of the totally different strategies and kinks, whereas getting some good information and good merchandise that may be delivered to a wide selection of audiences.

Q: What recommendation would you give to different college students trying to examine or pursue marine science analysis?

Go for it, and you might be by no means too younger to begin internships. Analysis experiences, apply to as a lot as you’ll be able to. Make nice connections to the employees at any college that you just’re attending, work laborious and hold engaged on. The sky’s the restrict, and you are able to do something you say you need to.

Nathan plans to proceed his training by pursuing a grasp’s in environmental science from FGCU sooner or later.