Kyle Piller, PhD

Dr. Kyle Piller serves as the Director of the Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project and
is Professor and Curator of Vertebrates in the Department of Biological Sciences.
He is an ichthyologist with more than 25 years of experience studying fishes in the
southeastern United States. He will oversee the aquatic (fishes, shrimp, crabs, and
clams) and eDNA monitoring in Lake Maurepas.
For more information: www.kylepiller.com 

Email: [email protected]

Chris Murray, PhD

Dr. Chris Murray is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.
He is a physiological ecologist who will take the lead on data collection and analyses
focusing on physiological stress, endocrine disruption, heavy metal markers, and organismal
gas gradients. Dr. Murray is also a crocodilian expert and in addition to analyzing
physiological metrics, he also will enumerate alligator nests and demographically
monitor the Maurepas alligator population via mark-recapture and movement analysis.
For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/murracm/

Email: [email protected]

Gary Shaffer, PhD

Dr. Gary Shaffer is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Shaffer
is a wetland scientist who has worked in the Maurepas basin for more than 30 years.
He and his team will monitor wetland plant growth, as well as assess elevation loss
and gain in the Maurepas basin. His team also will undertake bioremediation via annual
plantings of 2,000 cypress and tupelo seedlings.
For more information: https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/shaffer.html 

Email: [email protected]

Fereshteh Emami, PhD

Dr. Emami is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics. She
is an analytical chemist who will analyze benthic sediments and suspending sediments
in dredged and non-dredged areas in Lake Maurepas. Non-targeted analysis (NTA) will
be conducted to detect, identify, and monitor a broad range of chemical compounds
in the sediment and water of Lake Maurepas.

Email: [email protected]

Robert Moreau, PhD

Dr. Moreau is manager of the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station. Dr. Moreau,
the Community Outreach Coordinator, and his team will be responsible for the design,
development, and implementation of activities that highlight our independent monitoring
activities in Lake Maurepas. His team will be responsible for the creation and hosting
of special public events and education/outreach activities related to the community
outreach portion of our project. In addition, he will assist the research teams with
access to Lake Maurepas through the use of Southeastern’s Galva Canal Facility and
Turtle Cove boats. 

Email: [email protected]