Caitlin Ryan

Background

About Caitlin Ryan

Most of my course work was done at UAB. However, my marine biology classes were taken both at Dauphin Island Sea Lab and at the Gerace Research Center in San Salvador, Bahamas. Some relevant classes taken include: natural history of vertebrates, tropical ecology, wetland ecology, marine conservation biology, and marine restoration ecology. The classes involved snorkeling, fishing, boating, and hiking trips where we used catch and release techniques to study native species and marine life. In addition, we acquired plant identification skills and used them to determine the species richness and overall health of the ecosystem. Wetland ecology was particularly helpful because we wrote reports on cases involving the Clean Water Act to learn about its evolution over time. While in school I participated in two research labs. For my capstone research project, I worked in a histology lab. I plated and stained tissue samples from Kemp's Ridley sea turtles for a conservation study. Additionally, I volunteered to help clean and feed Diamondback terrapin turtles before their release to the wild. I am very passionate about the work I do. I believe it is vital that we as humans take care of our planet and conserve its resources for future generations.