Wessley Merten Ph.D. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico

Advisor:  Dr. Richard Appeldoorn

Education: 

                      Ph.D. Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, 2014

                      M.S. Marine Sciences  University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, 2009

                      B. S. Marine Biology    University of New England, 2005

Wessley Merten is a recent graduate of the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez campus.  His Ph.D. dissertation, which focused on studying the horizontal and vertical movements and population structure of dolphinfish, can be accessed by clicking here or by visiting academia.edu.  Dr. Merten is currently working on a grant with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources in analyzing fish dynamics relative to the Puerto Rico Fish Aggregating Device System proposed to be installed in the fall of 2014 and was selected as a 2015 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow to serve a one-year term in Washington, D.C., beginning in January.  The dolphinfish photos on this page are a representation of the conventional and satellite tag and release methods he used during his graduate work with CIMA.