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Contact Information:
- Coastal Science Center, Rm. 151-H
P.O. Box 261954
Conway, SC 29528
- (843) 349-2257 (tel)
- (843) 349-2545 (fax)
- dabel@coastal.edu
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Education:
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography - Ph.D. 1986
- College of Charleston - M.S. 1981
- College of Charleston - B.S. 1978
Professional Experience:
- 1994 - Sr. Instructor/Lecturer
Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University - Conway, SC
- 1988 - 1993 Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences, Mary Washington College Fredericksburg, VA
- 1985 - 1986 Teaching Associate
Biology Department, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
Courses Taught:
- MSCI 101, 101L The Sea
- MSCI 102, 102L Environmental Geology
- MSCI 111, 111L Introduction to Marine Science
- MSCI 302L Marine Biology Lab
- MSCI 473 Field Studies in Shark Biology (Bimini, Bahamas)
- CMWS 630 Aquatic Physiological Ecology
- ENVI 201 Introduction to Environmental Science
Research Interests:
- Recent surveys of sharks along the southeast coast have shown declines in several species, e.g. sandbar and dusky sharks. These and other sharks inhabit coastal waters and/or estuaries, and may use the latter as nurseries. We are undertaking a long-term long-line study: to survey the sharks of Winyah Bay, North Inlet, and nearby waters; to determine which sharks use the Bay as a nursery; and to understand habitat selection by selected species in the Bay.
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Recent Publications and Presentations:
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Abel, D.C., R.F. Young, J. A. Garwood, M. Travaline, and B.K. Yednock . (in review) . Observations on the importance of salinity structure to shark populations and nurseries in two South Carolina estuaries . Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc.
- Abel, D.C., and R.L. McConnell. 2002. Environmental Issues in Oceanography. Prentice Hall.(second edition).
- McConnell, R. L. and D.C. Abel. 2002. Environmental Issues: Measuring, Analyzing, and Evaluating. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. (Selected as “Earthworks Environmental Science ‘Book of the Month' April, 1998;” Second edition)
- Garwood, J.A., M. Travaline, B. Yednock, and D.C. Abel. 2004. Differences in the shark population of Winyah Bay, South Carolina, in drought and wet years. To be presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society, May 27 – 31. 2004, Norman , OK.
- Prosser, C. and D.C. Abel. 2004. A Longline Assessment of Shark Nursery Grounds in Two South Carolina Estuaries. To be presented at the 2004 annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society, May 27 – 31. 2004, Norman, OK.
- Abel, D.C., Jason A. Garwood, and Mario J. Travaline. 2002. Sharks, Half-Sharks, and Pups: A Preliminary Survey of the Sharks of Winyah Bay, S.C. and Delineation of Nursery Grounds. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Meeting, October 17 – 19, 2002, Conway, SC.
- Abel, D.C. and R.L. McConnell. 2001. Understanding Marine Environmental Issues Using Critical Thinking, Simple Math, and the Metric System. Presented at the 2001 National Marine Educators Conference, Victoria, Canada
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Recent Student Projects:
Undergraduate
- Koontz, K. 2004. Spatial delineation of shark habitat and nursery grounds in Winyah Bay, S.C. Senior Honors Thesis.
Graduate
- Yednock, B. K. In progress. Evaluation of North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina, as essential fish habitat for coastal sharks
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