In March, the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences was gifted a new research boat and funds for its upkeep from the late Julius “David” Davidson.
Davidson, who passed in 2024, was a member of Samford’s 1958 graduating class and a renowned eye surgeon in Birmingham. In the Spring of 2025, Samford received a $13 million gift from his estate.
Before receiving the new research boat, the department had to rely on renting or using personal boats to conduct research. The only vessels the department formerly owned were canoes, which were valuable but had navigational limitations.
Professor Anthony Overton, chairman of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, said the new boat offers new, exciting opportunities, as professors and students can conduct research in a variety of aquatic systems without having to use outside resources or table research ideas because of limited access to equipment.
The research conducted on the boat will study a variety of freshwater and marine ecosystems, their living components, like fish, turtles and plants, and their non-living components, like water and soil quality.
On March 26, Overton and Andrew Coleman, a professor, used the boat to collect and test the blood of turtles along the Black Warrior River. This research is a part of a larger study Coleman is conducting on turtle populations in the Cahaba and Black Warrior rivers.
Professor Riley Lovejoy is using the boat to further her ongoing study of the impact of zebra mussels in Alabama reservoirs. Zebra mussels are small, freshwater mussels originally found in Eurasia and are an invasive species in Alabama. The mussels grow quickly and cause damage to freshwater ecosystems and native mussel populations. Zebra mussels can also damage infrastructure by clogging the water intake pipes of power plants.
Niko Foster, a Samford student, is also using the boat to conduct research. Foster is collecting Black crappie from Alabama reservoirs to track how fast their populations are growing and plans to collect fish from every reservoir in Alabama.
Joseph Schefano, a senior who has been conducting research on angler behavior in Alabama’s year-round trout fishery, stated that having access to a dedicated vessel will not only expand the scope of student and faculty research, but it will also offer students a more in-depth learning experience.
“It will now be much easier for students to get out on the water and gain hands-on experience, especially for those interested in fisheries and field-based research,” Schefano said. “Opportunities like this are invaluable for connecting classroom learning to real-world applications.”
Overton also stated the importance of hands-on experience, particularly when it comes to the mechanics behind conducting field research and using the equipment required to complete that research.
“Students learn how to conduct research on the water because obviously, there’s an added safety risk,” Overton stated.
Overton said that all the skills students will be learning in the field, including boater safety and navigation, are important for their future success in field work.
Editor’s note: The original version of this story spelled Joseph Schefano’s name incorrectly, as “Stefano”. It has been changed to his correct name.
Staff Reporter
I wish Samford University well their research.
Sincerely,
Clarence McDanal