Tag Archives: Dr. Evan D’Alessandro

A Hoot and a Holler

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Panoramic view at Broad Key Research Station

Yesterday I spent some time on the Rosenstiel School’s research station, Broad Key, with site manager Dr. Evan D’Alessandro. After spending some time walking the island, we headed to the Great House located in the island’s center. The balcony and roof area provides excellent panoramic views of the surrounding environment and allowed me to use a favorite iPhone app of mine – Photosynth- which stitches together multiple photos to make a nice panoramic shot with minimal effort.

Great Horned Owl. Photo by Dr. Evan D'Alessandro

As we were standing on top of the roof taking in a beautiful site, Evan ushers me over to a corner. He then picks up what looked like a clump of dirt from a distance, but upon further examination, it was what he refered to as an “Owl Pellet.” Because Owl’s do not have teeth, they have to eat their food whole, swallowing large undigestible chunks such as fur, feathers and bones. To rid their bodies of these objects, they cough them up in a big ol’ fur ball or “Owl Pellet.” Evan tells me that Broad Key is home to a Great Horned Owl which he has spotted several times.

All in all it was a great day at Broad Key and I left with some interesting fun facts I never imagined knowing. Just another day at Rosenstiel’s dynamic Broad Key Research Station!

Owl Pellet

-Andrew DeChellis
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New Student Lounge Unveiled

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Kitchenette and Lounge Area

Yesterday, the Master of Professional Science Program (MPS) unveiled the new student lounge. Located on the first floor of the Science Library and Administration Building (SLAB), the lounge will provide an additional space for students to gather. The brand new hangout is complete with a couch, TV, lockers and kitchenette.

Study Area

“It filled a really big need for the program,” says MPS Director Dr. Jill Richardson. “Students can use it for study groups in between classes to write papers and work on assignments.”

MPS Visiting Assistant Professor and Broad Key Research Station Manager, Dr. Evan D’Alessandro added, “It’s a win-win for everybody. The students have a quiet place to relax and focus on their school work, with a central location to classrooms and access to their professors.”

Storage Lockers

In addition to the MPS lounge, Facilities Director Ray Alfonso and his team have been hard at work renovating classrooms around campus. The first classroom completed was SLAB 114. Traditional desks have been removed in favor of movable tables with electric outlets for computers. New white boards were hung and a TV screen is now being used to display presentations.

Classroom #114

-Andrew DeChellis
Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
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Have You Visited Broad Key Research Station?

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Aerial View of Broad Key. Photo by Dr. Neil Hammerschlag.

We’re quickly approaching our one year anniversary of a UM presence on Broad Key, and so its time for our inaugural blog post! For those of you who have been under rocks, Broad Key is a private 64-acre island just north of Key Largo that RSMAS is now leasing as a research station. It is covered by a pristine upland hardwood hammock and low lying mangrove forest, and is surrounded by diverse deep channel and shallow seagrass environments, while the coral reefs of Hawk Channel are a stone’s throw away. The island has two docks, a boathouse, two smaller houses (for the caretakers and island owner) and a six bathroom five bedroom main house.

Aerial View of Broad Key. Photo by Dr. Neil Hammerschlag

We have renovated the house which now has a newly sealed roof and railing on the top deck, high efficiency air conditioners, bunk beds, comfy mattresses, and ceiling fans in every bedroom, new furniture in the common areas, and all new kitchen appliances. We’ve also installed an HD projector and screen in the living room for presentations and classes. There are 5 stand-up fiberglass paddle boards, 10 tandem kayaks, a bunch of wetsuits, masks and fins, 10 scuba tanks, and an air compressor to support exploration around the island and research.

We have many more plans for the coming months and the island will continue to improve! If you haven’t seen the island yet and would like to visit, contact me or visit our facebook page.

Sunset at Broad Key. Photo by Dr. Evan D'Alessandro

- Dr. Evan D’Alessandro
Visiting Assistant Professor
Broad Key Research Station Manager
Follow the Rosenstiel School on Twitter: @UMiamiRSMAS
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