ANDERSON, S.C. (courtesy andersonuniversity.edu) — A group of students from the Anderson University College of Arts and Sciences traveled to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States for studying subtropical environments.

Twenty-one students from the Subtropical Ecosystems class, along with Dr. Joni Criswell, associate professor of biology, and three chaperones traveled to Pigeon Key Island, Florida, May 5-11 to gain a better insight into the biodiversity among the subtropical regions of the United States. Another goal of the trip was to better educate students about conservation efforts and the effect human pollution is causing on ecosystems such as mangrove forests.

“I feel this trip is extremely beneficial to any student looking into ecology or how to better our planet through natural resources,” said Brianna Rao, a rising junior biology major from Rock Hill, South Carolina.

According to Dr. Criswell, the Florida Keys closely resembles tropical areas of other countries she’s visited. She says that observing subtropical and tropical ecosystems is beneficial, because such areas contain upwards of about 90 percent of diversity.

“Even though we live in a state that has a fair amount of biodiversity with the coast, the Upstate and the mountains, subtropical and tropical regions host most of the world’s biodiversity. You don’t get an appreciation until you’re up close and have hands-on experience with it and are not seeing in a zoo setting. It’s one thing to appreciate something behind a fence, but it’s completely different to actually see it in the wild and have an up-close encounter with a species,” Dr. Criswell said.

Pigeon Key is a five-acre island with a marine science center located along the old Seven Mile Bridge. The students also learned the history of Pigeon Key, which was originally the location for a work camp connected with construction of the Florida East Coast Railway in the early twentieth century.

“We visited Pigeon Key to learn more about conservation efforts and to physically experience what we had learned about in class, like coral reef ecosystems and how they were affecting marsh ecosystems and mangrove ecosystems. The experience gave us a better view of how our oceans work and how our ocean life is built upon these ecosystems that are subtropical and how we’re dependent on them for the future of the world,” Rao said. “We got to explore a lot and were able to snorkel. We were able to see some cool stuff along the islands: eels, lobsters, rays, dolphins, starfish—all the sea life you could possibly imagine. We were able to do a lot of things on the island that visitors can’t do. Staying the night we were able to do tide pooling and were able to look at smaller creatures we were never able to see and experience in South Carolina.”

The students also saw firsthand just how vulnerable such an ecosystem can be, picking up items that litter the area.

“We found pieces of wire from fishing lines, netting, pieces of wood, pieces of beer cans, alcohol bottles, pieces of cigarettes that had washed up, and a bunch of lumber and tires that shouldn’t be there,” Rao said. “It opened our eyes to a lot of conservation efforts and the reasoning behind so much of a movement in the world for conserving our coral reef ecosystems and mangrove ecosystems. I think for me it also opened my eyes to more career opportunities in the future, such as moving toward careers in conservation and ecology.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy columbiasc.edu) — As the winter sports seasons gear into full swing, the makeup of Columbia College (SC) Athletics will look a little different. For the first time, the Koalas will have a men’s team participating in the sport of indoor track and field.

The first-year head coach for Columbia College men’s track and field, Eric N’Dri, is no stranger to the Koala athletics program. Last season, N’Dri served as the assistant coach for the women’s track and field team and was instrumental in helping the Koalas win the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Title and finish as conference Runner-ups during the outdoor season.

“I am extremely excited to lead this team of incredibly talented student-athletes,” N’Dri said. “I will take a little bit of something from every college where I have worked, including here, and implement it in the program.”

Throughout the preseason, N’Dri and the coaching staff have been working hard to prepare the team and understand that it will take more than just hard work to get the job done this season.

“A key to this season will be building great team chemistry and having the athletes build trusting relationships with one another,” added N’Dri. “Once the relationships develop, the performance will follow.”

The team began its era at the Best Cregger Invitational hosted by Roanoke College Dec. 3-4. In this inaugural meet, the Columbia College (SC) men’s track and field team had four athletes to qualify for the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for February 17-19. The Koala men also had several Top-10 finishers in the first meet of the program.

After the opening meet, the team will take a break for the holiday and return to action the weekend of January 14-15, when they participate in the Gamecock Open hosted by the University of South Carolina.

The Koala men’s indoor track and field team will have a total of six meets before participating in the 2022 AAC Indoor Track and Field Championships February 17-18.

Note: The men’s indoor track and field team will be the fourth men’s team to compete in the history of Columbia College (SC). Men’s soccer, men’s cross-country, and men’s golf began competing this fall.