December 2001 - Ashley Spring received an award from the Astronaut Trail Shell Club to assist with her research.

November 12-17, 2001 - GFCI meeting in Provodenciales

November 9, 2001 - Ashley Spring begins a feeding experiment with queen conch juveniles. She will compare three densities and determine the feed conversion ratio for each density. This is some of Ashley's preliminary research for her Master's thesis.

October/November 2001 - Researchers at HBOI collect several egg masses from the queen conch broodstock. Other scientists in the Florida Keys observe out of season spawning as well in wild animals.

October 01, 2001 - Dr. Alberto de Jesus-Narvarette joins the HBOI Molluscan Aquaculture team for a 6 month sabbatical. Dr. de Jesus-Narvarette is from Quintana Rou, Mexico and will be describing the larval cycle of the hawk-wing conch (Strombus raninus). In April, he will begin the second half of his sabbatical at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission laboratory and conduct research with Bob Glazer.

October 01, 2001 - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution recently received federal funding to create the Sustainable Aquaculture Systems program. This project entails designing low cost, energy efficient recirculating systems for the southern flounder culture project. Representative Mark Foley was instrumental in obtaining these federal funds and on October 1, 2001, he came to Harbor Branch to visit the flounder program. While here, Dr. Megan Davis was able to show him the conch aquaculture program and discuss the queen conch conservation and restoration research the scientists are currently working on. Representative Foley had the chance to observe the queen conch and Florida fighting conch broodstock, as well as a new egg mass in the incubation tank. PIC 1 - 2

September 26, 2001 - Coral Shores High School & Islamorada Christian Academy visit HBOI's conch aquaculture facilities. more>>>

August 21, 2001 - Representatives from the Caymen Fisheries Department visit HBOI and tour the Molluscan Aquaculture facilities.

August 27, 2001 - Ashley Spring, an FIT master's student, began conducting her research at HBOI. Ashley will study the effect of density and substrate on juvenile queen conch shell growth and strength. She will be noting the characteristics of the spires and will test the strength by exposing the animals to a predator (spiny lobster). Her research will assist in understanding some of the conditions that are necessary for the growout of juvenile queen conch for stock enhancement trials.

August 2001 - Students in the Florida Keys take care of the Islamorada conch tanks, located at Islamorada Fish Company.