avery byrd paxton - avery b. paxton

Avery Byrd Paxton – Curriculum Vitae, October 2013 1

AVERY BYRD PAXTON University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Phone: (252) 726-6841, ext. 380 Department of Biology Fax: (252) 726-2426 Institute of Marine Sciences Website: http://www.averypaxton.org 3431 Arendell Street; Morehead City, NC 28557 Email: abpaxton@live.unc.edu EDUCATION 2012 – 2017 PhD – Biology, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (expected)

Dissertation: Marine ecology and conservation of natural and artificial hard substrates. Advisor: Dr. Charles ‘Pete’ Peterson

2007 – 2011 BS – Environmental Science, University of Virginia

Specialization: Environmental and Biological Conservation; Advisors: Dr. Carleton Ray and Dr. Howard Epstein; Charlottesville, VA; Aug 2007-May 2011.

2011 Benthic Ecology of Salish Sea Research Apprenticeship, University of

Washington, Friday Harbor Laboratories. Advisors: Dr. Kenneth Sebens and Dr. H. Gary Greene; Friday Harbor, WA; Sept-Dec 2011.

2010 Sea Semester, Oceans and Climate Study Abroad Program; Woods Hole, MA

and Central Pacific Ocean, Oct-Dec 2010. HONORS AND AWARDS 2012 - pres. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, $132,000: Three

years stipend plus tuition awarded for academic merit and hard substrate research proposal.

2011 Distinguished Major, High Distinction: High distinction for undergraduate

distinguished majors thesis. 2009 – 2011 NOAA Hollings Scholar, $20,000: Scholarship for academic merit and

fellowship for shipwreck research. 2007 – 2011 Echols Scholar, University of Virginia Honors Program: 1 of 200 selected from

class of 3,000 incoming students. RESEARCH GRANTS

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2013 – 2015 North Carolina Coastal Resource Fishing License Grant ($207,195), “Fish utilization of low- and high- relief natural and complex artificial hard bottom habitat.” Peterson, C.H. (PI) and A.B. Paxton (PhD Student). Paxton conceptualized project and methods with guidance from Peterson. Paxton will conduct associated fieldwork and analysis. Peterson will assist with results interpretation and guide final publications and presentations.

2013 – 2015 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Contract ($733,618), “Studies

towards fulfillment of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act offshore of North Carolina: Stakeholder uses and essential fish habitat in wind energy call areas.” Peterson, C.H., C. Voss, C. Taylor, C. Freeman, and S. Fegley (Co-PIs) and A.B. Paxton (PhD Student). Paxton is the lead scientist for biological-sedimentary field assessments and associated products, which account for $90,000 of the total contract. Peterson will assist with results interpretation and guide final publications and presentations.

2013 – 2014 Waitt Foundation Rapid Ocean Conservation Grant ($9,640), “Protecting

Ksamil Bay: Fostering Marine Conservation and Sustainable Tourism on the ‘Albanian Riviera.’” Paxton, A.B. and D.M. Smith (Co-PIs).

2010 Harrison Research Grant, $3,000: University of Virginia grant for shipwreck

research. Paxton, A.B. (PI). 2009 College of Arts and Sciences, Small Research Grant, $500: University of

Virginia grant for shipwreck research. Paxton, A.B. (PI). PUBLICATIONS Paxton, A.B., G.C. Ray, J. McCormick-Ray. In prep. A protocol for prioritizing shipwreck

conservation. Paxton, A.B. 2011. Establishing a biological baseline for shipwrecks in North Carolina coastal

waters. Undergraduate Distinguished Majors Thesis, Department of Environmental Science, University of Virginia.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2012 – pres. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, Albanian Center for Marine Research, Saranda,

Albania. Conduct baseline data collection, habitat mapping, and hypothesis driven research on fish and invertebrate communities on submerged structures dating from 4th Century BC to 21st Century.

2012 SUBTIDAL ECOLOGY RESEARCH TECHNICIAN, Friday Harbor

Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA. Monitored

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long-term rocky subtidal transects with SCUBA surveys and analyzed photoquadrat images.

2011 INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER, Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of

Washington, Friday Harbor, WA. Investigated effect of substrate angle on benthic invertebrate assembly patterns in the San Juan Channel rocky subtidal with SCUBA surveys and related invertebrate community composition to resolution of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data.

2009 – 2011 INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.

Developed protocols to establish ecological baseline for and prioritize conservation of shipwrecks. Collected baseline data on five shipwrecks in NC with SCUBA methods to determine effect of wreck distance from shore, depth, and age on assemblages.

2010 INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole,

MA and Pacific Ocean. Designed and conducted field research to determine vertical migration type for Thaliacea (salp) species, e.g. normal, reverse, or none, and to investigate link between Thaliacea vertical migration and the lunar and carbon cycles.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE 2012 – 2013 GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT, University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Taught two introductory biology laboratory sections per semester of twenty students each on topics ranging from photosynthesis and enzymes to molluscs and vertebrate anatomy.

2012 INSTRUCTOR, Independent SCUBA Instructor, Friday Harbor, WA. Taught

basic through advanced SCUBA courses as an independent instructor on San Juan Island.

2008 – 2011 INSTRUCTOR, DIVEMASTER, CREW, Outer Banks Dive Center, Nags

Head, NC. Taught basic through advanced diving courses. Guided up to four divers on wreck dives 70-130 ft deep. Managed six to twenty passengers on R.V. Go-Between to provide safe, fun mid-Atlantic wreck diving experience for beginner to technical SCUBA divers; oversaw boat deck and delivered dive briefings.

2008 – 2011 INSTRUCTOR, DIVEMASTER, RETAIL STAFF, Dive Connections,

Charlottesville, VA. Taught basic through advanced level SCUBA courses; marketed and sold SCUBA equipment.

2008 – 2011 PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, SCUBA Club at UVA, Charlottesville, VA.

Co-founded SCUBA Club, recruited members, organized club events, including

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international dive trips, and taught basic through advanced courses. OUTREACH EXPERIENCE 2013 – pres. SCIENTIST COORDINATOR, Scientific Research and Education Networking

(SciREN). Recruit and coordinate scientists to participate in SciREN, an annual outreach event that connects scientists and teachers to share new marine science research.

2013 – pres. STUDENT LEADER, Scientists with Stories. One of seven student leaders for

collaborative UNC and Duke program that teaches scientists how to communicate their research as a story through media. Team leader for five-minute documentary on Wrecks as Reefs.

CERTIFICATIONS AND PROFICIENCIES SCIENTIFIC DIVING: 2013 AAUS Lead Diver at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute for

Marine Sciences 2012 AAUS Lead Diver at Albanian Center for Marine Research 2011 AAUS Scientific Diver to 100 ft PROFESSIONAL DIVING: 2012 PADI Dry Suit Specialty Instructor 2011 PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer 2010 PADI Enriched Air Specialty Instructor 2010 PADI Deep Diver Specialty Instructor 2010 PADI Wreck Diver Specialty Instructor 2010 PADI Search and Recovery Specialty Instructor 2010 PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor 2010 Emergency First Responder CPR / AED / First Aid Instructor 2009 PADI Assistant Instructor 2008 PADI Divemaster RECREATIONAL DIVING: 2009 NSS-CDS Intro Cave Diver 2008 NSS-CDS Cavern Diver 2008 PADI Master Diver 2008 NAUI Nitrox Diver 2007 PADI Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver 2005 PADI Open Water Diver SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY:

Statistics: R, SAS, PRIMER-E Photoquadrat Analysis: CPCe, PhotoGrid, Image J Geographic Information Systems: ArcGIS 10.1

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Media: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Prelude; Adobe Premier PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS 2008 – pres. Diver’s Alert Network 2013 – pres. American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), Student Member 2013 – pres. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Student Member 2013 – pres. Ecological Society of America (ESA), Student Member 2013 – pres. Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Student

Member