Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy
C.M.E.R.A.
Our Beginning
CMERA was founded to provide students the unique opportunity to be in the field and work directly with marine life. This program was designed to be 100% hands-on and, in the field, so that each day you spent with CMERA you are on a boat catching and handling live animals. We are trying to give students the chance to use equipment, handle wild animals, and to participate in ongoing research. Many students choose a major without having any experience in their field of study. CMERA provides that experience so students can get a feel for real science outside a classroom or lab. Our application process is simple and we try to accommodate every applicant as best we can.
We hope that this experience will ignite a passion for science and research in the students involved, and we hope that this experience will help guide each student's path after they graduate. This experience has helped many of our previous students choose a specialty for graduate school, get accepted into other internships and into a career and we are thrilled to assist in that process!
Meet The Team
Alan Moore - President
Alan is the CMERA President. He develops new programs and opportunities to constantly update and improve the learning experience at CMERA. Alan is also the president of Moore Marine College, a new 4yr private college located in Clearwater, FL dedicated to marine studies with bachelor's and master's degrees in marine biology. He is a United States Coast Guard licensed masters boat captain and has over fourteen years of experience in field research, handling and tagging animals, and species identification. He previously owned and operated a scuba diving charter company that was in Sport Diver Magazine UK and on the Military Channel documentary Quest for Sunken Warships: USS Oriskany. He also has numerous years of experience in law enforcement with the federal government. You can contact Alan at alan@cmera.net
Dr. Cara Estes - Professor
Dr. Estes earned her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida. While at the College of Marine Science, Cara worked on research involving coral reef ecology in the Florida Keys. She used multidecadal time-series data to analyze changes among coral cover and reef-fish assemblages since the creation of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. During her career, she has worked within the NASA DEVELOP program at the Marshall Space Flight Center using remote sensing applications to monitor drought conditions in the Southeast United States. She has also worked as a Reef Fish Survey team member with NOAA Fisheries to analyze reef-fish assemblages in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. She has spent hundreds of hours on various research cruises in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and is ready to spend hundreds more. Her interests and expertise are in coral reef biodiversity, satellite oceanography and remote sensing, science communication, and ocean policy.
Jessica Place - Professor
Jessica grew up spending most of her time swimming, boating, and scuba diving in freshwater in upstate New York. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a Master’s in biology education. She attended CMERA as a student in 2019 before returning back to New York where she took on roles as a dog trainer and high school biology teacher. Her passion for sharks and ocean conservation inspired her to take the leap to move down to Florida to pursue a career where she could educate the next generations of students on marine biology while working directly with her favorite species.
Taylor Langdon - Professor
I was born and raised in central California, but I have always had a love for the ocean. I knew from a young age that I wanted to discover more about animals and the diverse environments around us. After getting my master’s degree in biology, I knew I had to find a way to be on the water and make it happen which brought me to Florida! It has been an adventure living in a new environment and being out on the water so much. I also have a passion for travel and love to visit places all over the world while photographing everywhere I’ve been!
Jacey Jackard - Marine Biologist & Research Vessel Masters Captain
Jacey was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan where she also obtained her bachelor's degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Michigan State University. After doing and coaching gymnastics for over a decade she decided to pursue other life passions and signed up for CMERA as a student the summer of 2019 and has been here ever since. First as a student, then intern/marine biologist and now as a masters captain operating all five of CMERA's research vessels. This will be Jacey’s 6th season with CMERA and she's always excited to see what challenges and successes the new season brings ! YEAH BABY !
Erica (Blaize) Berger - Marine Intern
My name is Erica, but I go by Blaize. I am a former Graphic Design major now enrolled in University Of Michigan majoring in Wildlife Biology. I am into anything animals related, but especially reptiles. I love to scout for antler sheds, skulls, go fishing, go herping, draw, and sculpt. I'm always looking for new places to explore and cool things to do and learn from. I never stop nourishing my curiosity!
Christian Swanner - Boat Captain / Biologist
Christian is from Carrollton, GA where he graduated from the University of West Georgia with a bachelor's degree in biology. While getting his education, he began working at a restaurant in his college town, where he is now the manager and head sushi chef. Christian played baseball and basketball for most of his life and continues to play these sports with his friends for fun. When he's not working or playing sports, he spends most of his time fishing or hunting, which is where his love for nature and animals comes from.
Paige Cram - Intern
Paige Cram, hails from Michigan and is currently a student at the University of Michigan. She is considering transferring to Moore Marine college to finish her degree in marine biology. Paige is a certified lifeguard and was a middle school swim coach for several years. She loves to be in the water. Outside of work Paige enjoys watching scary movies and spending time with her family/ friends.
Paige Kohlhase - Intern
Paige is from New Jersey and is working on finishing her Marine Biology degree at Stockton University where she does independent research on striped bass spawning grounds and DNA. Although she loves all marine life, sharks and rays are her favorite! She grew up as a competitive dancer competing around the country and teaching dance to younger kids. She spends most of her time with friends, fishing, or reading and she is very excited to spend the summer in Florida doing what she loves!
Maddie Abrahamson - Biologist
Maddie lived in Tennessee her whole life before moving to Florida. She studied at the University of Central Florida, where she received her bachelor's degree in environmental science. Maddie's passion for marine life and conservation stems from her love of sharks. Her dream is to one day be a part of Shark Week. Maddie was a student for CMERA the summer of 2020 and is excited to return this summer as a biologist.
David Carlysle – Research Boat Captain
David graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After becoming a registered Professional Engineer, he owned and managed an engineering consulting firm for almost 30 years before retiring and pursuing other interests, including becoming a United States Coast Guard masters boat captain. David has supported and helped her with shark and ray research since 2011. David is a master scuba diver, a licensed paramedic and a certified firefighter.