About Us

Staff

Michael Bresette – Executive Director

Michael’s love for the marine environment began in his early teens during a summer class with Dr. Peter Auger studying diamondback terrapins on Cape Cod. Michael went on to attend the Florida Institute of Technology in Jensen Beach, majoring in Oceanographic Technology. He has designed and implemented various projects including mangrove habitat restoration, fish mark and recapture studies, and a wetlands conservation educational program for grade school children. He began working with sea turtles in 1992. His interest in the status of marine turtles in the southern Indian River Lagoon System was the impetus for the creation of Inwater Research Group. Michael is a founding member of Inwater Research Group and as you will see below is fortunate to be surrounded by some of the brightest and most dedicated marine biologists in the field.

Jeff Guertin

Jeff graduated with a B.S. in Biology from George Washington University in 2005 and an M.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University in 2010. During graduate school, he explored the regional differences in migratory activity by hatchling loggerhead sea turtles and the effect of reciprocal nest translocations between nests deposited on Florida’s east and west coasts. He joined the IRG team in 2010 and is interested in animal behavior and biological interactions between marine species.

Cody Mott, PhD

Cody has worked with sea turtles since 2006 on projects ranging from raising leatherback hatchlings to training a juvenile loggerhead for a documentary film. Cody’s research interests focus on animal behavior, nearshore reef ecology, and understanding the effects of anthropogenic stressors on sea turtles. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). He recently received his PhD, also from FAU, on Characterizing the Diet, Movement, and Hooking Frequency of Pier-hooked Juvenile Green Turtles. Cody worked as a Research Assistant at FAU and as a Marine Turtle Specialist for the City of Boca Raton, Florida, before starting with Inwater Research Group in 2010.

Rebecca Mott

Rebecca received her Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida in 2005. After school, she began as a K-5 classroom teacher, eventually moving to informal education where she could combine her two greatest interests: science and education. Since 2014, Rebecca has spearheaded programs at Inwater Research Group, creating equitable and experiential education initiatives for students across the world.  She firmly believes the future of conservation is kids, and uses sea turtles as a conduit to bring STEM alive in the classroom. Rebecca now serves as our Director of Education.

Ryan Welsh, PhD

Ryan Welsh received his BA in Biology from Earlham College in 2003 and a Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) with the Marine Turtle Research Group in 2019. Going back to school at UCF, he recently received his PhD on Site Use and Demographic Changes in a Northwest Atlantic Sea Turtle Foraging Ground. He has been a part of Inwater Research Group since 2012 and maintains a United States Coast Guard Master Captain’s license. His work has included collaborations throughout the Gulf of Mexico and into the Caribbean with the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Mote Marine Laboratory, and Sea Turtle, Inc. Ryan’s research interests focus on in-water mark-recapture projects, vessel-based transect surveys, and spatial modeling.

Ness Michaels

Ness started her journey at Coastal Carolina University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science in 2017. She then went on to graduate from the University of Miami with a Master of Science in Marine Conservation in 2018 working at the Dry Tortugas National Park. Ness joined the Inwater Research Group team in 2020 and has since been an integral part of both the research and education departments. She contributes to several sea turtle research initiatives across the state of Florida, including nesting beach activities on Hutchinson Island and sea turtle capture efforts in the Florida Keys. She also promotes IRG’s mission through the management of our social media platforms.

Andie Fisher

Andie received her B.S. in Marine Biology and Ecology from Bowling Green State University in 2018 and began working with sea turtles in 2016 while interning at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Following that summer, she conducted research focusing on the impact of artificial light and coastal development to loggerheads nesting on Florida’s Gulf Coast, working with Sand to Sea Inc. and Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and receiving her M.S. in Conservation Biology from the University of South Florida in 2021. Since then, she has collaborated with Key West National Wildlife Refuge, Padre Island National Seashore, and The Leatherback Trust, working on seabird and sea turtle conservation projects in the Florida Keys, Texas, and Costa Rica before joining Inwater Research Group in 2023.

Aaron Garstin

Aaron graduated with a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University in 2009 and an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies in 2015, where his focus was on elasmobranch bycatch in Guyanese trawl fisheries. He has collaborated with Sea Turtle Inc., the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the University of the West Indies on sea turtle conservation projects throughout the US, Caribbean, and Africa. Before coming to Inwater Research Group in 2023, he supervised sea turtle relocation trawling that coincided with US-based dredging projects.

Cadey Nolan

Cadey began working with sea turtles in 2019 as an intern at Edisto Beach State Park in South Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology and Global Studies from St. Lawrence University in 2020. After graduating, Cadey pursued her interest in sea turtle conservation by collaborating with Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation and Sea Turtle Inc. Before joining Inwater Research Group in 2023, she assisted in the management of a field response station for the manatee management program of FWC.

Yvette Fernandez

Yvette received her B.S in Environmental Science and Policy from University of South Florida and began working with sea turtles in 2009 while interning with Mote Sea Turtle Conservation Program. In 2012, she was granted the opportunity to travel to Uruguay and take a course on Sea Turtle Conservation and Rehabilitation with Karumbé Sea Turtle Center . In 2018, in collaboration with Inwater Research Group, she co-created a unique program to educate the Spanish-speaking community in the Tampa Bay area on sea turtle conservation: Amigos de Las Tortugas. Yvette grew up in Colombia, is completely fluent in Spanish, and has over 13 years of experience in sea turtle conservation on Florida’s nesting beaches. Before joining Inwater Research Group in 2023, she supervised the nesting field work and data management for the sea turtle conservation program at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Janie Reavis

Janie received her BS in Conservation Biology and Ecology from Arizona State University in 2019 and is currently a PhD candidate studying the behavioral responses of sea turtles to fishing gear and bycatch reduction technology. She researches animal behavior to inform marine conservation practices related to anthropogenic hazards. Janie began working with sea turtles in 2018 when she worked on a nesting beach in Costa Rica and coauthored a literature review on plastic pollution’s effects on marine megafauna. She started working with Inwater Research Group in 2020, assisting with various projects from nesting beach work to sea turtle conservation projects. She now oversees some of our newer projects, including sea turtle behavioral trials to develop a deterrent from anthropogenic hazards and marine animal detection with emerging sonar technologies.

Kinsey Thompson

Kinsey received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University in 2019. She began working with sea turtles in 2018 as a volunteer with the Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol. Following graduation, she interned at the sea turtle hospital at Loggerhead Marinelife Center and worked as a research technician with Loggerhead Marinelife Center, The Leatherback Trust, and Ecological Associates Inc. In 2024, she joined Inwater Research Group as part of the nighttime saturation tagging project and now works as an environmental specialist.

Krista Reed

Krista began her work with sea turtles in 2021. She graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Christopher Newport University in 2022. She was then a research assistant in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, primarily working with nesting green sea turtles. In 2025, she graduated with her M.S. in Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Sciences from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where her research focused primarily on the reproductive physiology of nesting loggerheads. Krista began working with Inwater Research Group as a Test Tank Research Technician in 2025.

Bailey Yarbrough

Bailey began her conservation journey while obtaining her B.S. from Georgia Southern University. During school, she worked in an Ocean Acidification lab and the Herpetology Collection. After graduation, Bailey worked as a Nighttime Tagging Intern with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. She then moved back to Georgia and worked as an Environmental Educator for the Tybee Island Marine Science Center before accepting a position with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center as a Research Technician and a Conservation Technician. She joined Inwater Research Group in September 2025 as a Research Technician for the Test Tank Team.

Derek Aoki

Derek received dual B.A. degrees in Environmental Science and Geography from the University of Denver in 2012 and an M.S. in Environmental Science from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in 2017. He is currently a doctoral student at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute studying the movement patterns of nesting leatherbacks using biotelemetry and stable isotopes. His work with sea turtles began in 2013 for Fundação Tartaruga, helping coordinate a nesting beach program in Cape Verde, Africa. Derek has also worked on projects in Costa Rica and Greece. He is also a Nighttime Tagging Technician for Loggerhead Marinelife Center and an Associate Researcher for Upwell Turtles. He was a seasonal employee for Inwater Research Group in 2020 before joining full-time as a Sonar Technician in 2025.

Grace Collins

Grace received her B.S. in Environmental Science from American University in 2022. She began working with sea turtles as an Educator and Conservationist at the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute in 2024, where she assisted with rehabilitating injured and entangled Hawaiian green sea turtles. She also helped to develop a curriculum to teach visiting students about the conservation of sea turtles, leading groups of students on snorkeling trips around Maui to conduct in-water surveys. Grace joined Inwater Research Group in 2025 as a Sonar Technician, using sonar cameras to detect sea turtles as part of a project to develop deterrents from anthropogenic hazards.

Jacqueline Rose

Jacqueline received a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Latino Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she managed the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and conducted marine protected area research at Lincoln University, New Zealand. As a Scuba Instructor her passion for marine education, outreach, and community engagement led to the formation of SeaVibe Foundation where she created experiential cross-cultural conservation leadership programs in the Caribbean, Tanzania, and U.S. She led multi-stakeholder community resilience initiatives at NOAA to build capacity among grassroots organizations, agencies, municipalities, academia, and beyond by sharing scientific research to guide collaborative actions. Her Marine Education internship at the Smithsonian Marine Station led her to Inwater Research Group as their Outreach Coordinator to expand partnerships and inspire meaningful public engagement.

Adam Steinfeld

Adam earned dual B.S. degrees in biology and psychology from the University of Central Florida where he studied habitat use of juvenile green turtles using satellite telemetry. Adam has experience as an educator for the Sea Turtle Conservancy, sea turtle nesting surveyor and tagging tech, and research assistant for the Harmful Algal Bloom lab at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in biology at FAU Harbor Branch in the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation lab focusing on how various marine species use commercial clam aquaculture sites. Adam’s primary research interests are centered on the complex relationship between people and the ocean, including for recreation, livelihood, and self-discovery. He joined Inwater Research Group in June 2026 as a Sonar Technician.

Board Members

Dave Clark – President/Director

He graduated with his B.S. in Ecology from Florida Atlantic University and his M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Florida. Dave worked with Inwater Research Group from 2007 to 2013 before pursuing a career in the restaurant industry, working his way up the ladder and securing the Chief Financial Officer position with a local restaurant group. Dave is still passionate about sea turtle conservation and will literally “jump” at the chance to help with whatever research he can.

Blair Witherington, PhD – Vice President/Director

Blair Witherington received his BS and MS in Biology from the University of Central Florida and a PhD from the University of Florida. He has conducted work on sea turtle biology and conservation within the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and has served on numerous graduate student committees, panels, and working groups. He is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Florida, has served as president of the International Sea Turtle Symposia, and is a member of the Marine Turtle Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Blair has been appointed to the National Research Council and authored over 40 scientific articles, monographs, and book chapters. Blair along with his wife, Dawn, are the authors of the field guide “Florida’s Living Beaches”.

Dean Bagley – Vice President/Director

Dean Bagley has 17 years of experience in handling immature and adult marine turtles with the University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research group under the direction of Dr. L.M. Ehrhart. Her extensive nesting beach experience was gained while working in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. She now works regularly in five in-water sites with immature and adult turtles. She began satellite tracking juvenile green turtles in 2000. Dean received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biology from University of Central Florida

Carrie Keske – Treasurer

Carrie’s knowledge of sea turtles includes over 35 years of professional experience in marine turtle research, biology, and conservation in both the private and governmental sectors. She received her AS in Environmental Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology and a BS from the University of Central Florida. Carrie has managed field studies, technical staff, and data collection. Her management experience includes personnel training, scheduling, project planning and development, and proposal preparation.

Jonathan Gorham, PhD – Secretary

Jonathan is a founding member of Inwater Research Group and has long been active in marine conservation. He received a BA in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz in 1981 and a Ph.D. in biology from Florida Tech in 1988. Jonathan has worked in the field of sea turtle conservation at the St. Lucie nuclear power plant both before and after the founding of IRG, and was heavily involved in the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of  2010. He has also worked for Indian River County, Florida, in managing the impacts to sea turtles and other marine wildlife from beach restoration and coastal development projects. Jonathan is an avid fisherman, SCUBA diver, and cruising sailor who has recently adopted a more terrestrial lifestyle in the mountains of North Carolina.

Rachel Smith, PhD

Rachel is a Conservation Programs Manager with Disney Conservation, overseeing sea turtle and other marine-based conservation work in Florida and beyond. She received her MS degree in Biology from the University of North Florida, and is currently in the Interdisciplinary Ecology PhD program at the University of Florida, focusing on innovative approaches to reducing sea turtle bycatch in Florida fisheries. Rachel began working with sea turtles in 2008 and has managed Disney’s sea turtle conservation and research efforts since 2012. She is passionate about sea turtle conservation, especially through the integration of ecological and social sciences to achieve greater conservation impact.

Patrick J. Coyne

Patrick J. Coyne is the principal for Coyne & Associates Wealth Management and brings over 20 years of experience in financial planning and investment management, helping individuals and families build and preserve wealth through disciplined, personalized strategies. Known for his analytical approach and client-centered focus, he develops clear financial roadmaps aligned to long-term goals. He previously served as a lead engineer on NASA’s Space Shuttle Launch Team at Kennedy Space Center, supporting more than 85 missions, an experience that shaped his precision and problem-solving mindset. Patrick holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Central Florida.

In Memoriam:

Llewellyn Ehrhart, PhD

A loving tribute to our beloved board member. Dr. Ehrhart was a vertebrate zoologist whose research program focused on reproduction, population biology, ecologic geography, and conservation biology of marine turtles. He was awarded the Carnegie Foundation’s Florida Professor of the Year in 2003 and was a professor Emeritus at the University of Central Florida. His most recent research involved the characterization of juvenile and sub-adult sea turtle populations in coastal lagoons and over near-shore reefs, as well as long-term studies of nesting beach productivity. He was broadly interested in herpetology and mammalogy, particularly the distribution, ecology, and conservation of Florida amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. He served as Team Leader of the Southeastern Region Loggerhead and Green Turtle Recovery Team.