Mike McCallister
Mike McCallister, MSc. is the Research Coordinator for the HBOI FEC Program. Mike joined the Fish Ecology Program from the FWC Finfish lab in Marathon, FL, where he studied the ecology of tropical reef fishes; primarily snappers, groupers, and lionfish. Mike earned his BS in Marine Science and Biology from the University of Miami in 2007 and his MSc in Biology from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL in 2012. Mike’s research has focused on the habitat use, foraging ecology, predator-prey interactions, and movement ecology of elasmobranchs and commercially and recreationally important teleost fishes
Mike began a part-time PhD in the Geosciences program in 2023, and is studying various aspects of shark depredation for his dissertation topic.
TJ Ostendorf
TJ Ostendorf, B.S. is a Research Coordinator for the FEC lab. TJ graduated with a B.S. degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota in 2010. He began working with the program in January 2020 primarily with the Bonefish reproduction project. Before joining the lab, he worked at the Bimini Biological Field Station “Sharklab” for 3.5 years where he helped conduct the field research on elasmobranchs and managed the station. Prior to his work in the Bahamas, TJ worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Dutch Harbor, AK as an observer on commercial fishing boats. His primary research interests are movement ecology and space use of marine fishes and marine resource management.
STAFF ALUMNI
Breanna DeGroot
2018-2024
Breanna DeGroot, MSc. joined the staff after graduating with her M.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University in 2018 while working for the FEC Lab. Prior to joining the lab, Breanna worked at Mote Marine Laboratory in both the ocean acidification and spotted eagle ray conservation program from 2013-2016. During her time at Mote she also worked as a education specialist teaching a variety of educational programs for children ages 6-15. Her primary research interests lie in the movement ecology, behavior, and conservation of fishes.
Jessie Stevens
2019
Jessie worked with the FEC lab for approximately 1 year. She was heavily involved in the bonefish reproduction research project, and oversaw the kickoff of our lab’s social media pages.
CURRENT POSITION: Park Ranger, Jonathan Dickinson State Park.