Alec S.

Leitman
alecleitman.weebly.com | alecleitman@gmail.com | LinkedIn
Education

Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL June 2023

Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI May 2020

Employment & Research Experience

NSU Open Water Scuba Instructor, Academic Diving Program, Davie, FL Aug 2022 – Present
 Supervisors: Tec Clark, Bill Conrad, Kimmy Schmutz
o Instruct various scuba courses in the classroom with multi-media/training aids & in the pool with SCUBA
o Lead/assist/supervise students on dive trips for all courses and recreational club dives/trips along with briefings/debriefings
o Administer and distribute course paperwork and equipment for students
o Perform site assessments, set up dive site(s), give briefing(s), maintain rosters, give demonstrations while overseeing students
o Execute shore & in-water operations for open water, advanced open water, rescue diver & divemaster classes
o Focus on skills in dive planning, leadership, teaching and proper response to common underwater issues
o Conduct & lead skin diving & intro to snorkeling pool sessions/check out trips

GIS & Spatial Ecology Lab Scientific Diver, Halmos College of Natural Sciences & Oceanography Mar 2022 – Aug 2022
 Supervisor: Dr. Brian K. Walker
o Large Coral Monitoring
 Re-visited field coral colonies within database for updated surveys utilizing meter stick/tags/Olympus
cameras/amoxicillin for treatment and pictures across various locations Montastraea cavernosa, Orbicella
faveolata, Pseudodiploria clivosa

Marine Larval Ecology Lab Research Assistant, Halmos College of Natural Sciences & Oceanography Mar 2022 – May 2023
 Supervisor: Dr. Joana Figueiredo
o Assisted in daily husbandry of coral colonies; Diploria labyrinthiformis, Porites astreoides, Agaricia agaricites, M. cav, O.
fav, P. cli
o Helped with coral spawning, micro-fragmentation, and ongoing experiments/maintenance of aquaria and recirculating
aquaculture systems within the laboratory
o Aided with thesis work: Colony collection/Hobo logger maintenance/observed spawning synchrony in A. cer
 Field colony retrieval & monitoring of A. cer, A. aga, P. ast
 Weekly A. cer colony collection at 3 main sites utilizing SCUBA & temperature logo maintenance. Preservation of
colonies back on ex-situ land-based nurseries
 Dives at South Spawning Hub to collect P. cli tissue using a leather punch and hammer, placed them in labeled bags,
and transferred them to falcon tubes on the surface
 Out-planted A. cer, A. aga, P. ast colonies back onto reef via SCUBA

Coral Aquaculture Technician, Plant A Million Coral Foundation, Summerland Key, FL Apr 2021 – Aug 2021
 Supervisor: Dr. David Vaughan
o Created curved acrylic tanks in the reduction of air for water circulation within restoration tanks
o Assisted in hands-on preparations of transportable coral nurseries prior to export
o Created a coral plugs for attaching fragments via mold with rubber/silicone mixes
o Assisted in construction and assemblage of 200+ foot water system in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands for UVI marine
science center with Dr. Vaughan and crew
o Produced counter-sunk molds/coral head out planting modules small/medium/large for reduction in intermediate steps for out
planting coral colonies
o Created stem plugs fitted to adhere to egg crate(s); 160 rather than 80 ceramic/concrete plugs, maximizing available space for
restoration production
Manatee Research Program Intern, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Sarasota, FL Jan 2021 – Apr 2021
 Supervisor(s): Kerri Scolardi/Sherri Barton/Jen Johnson/Christina Nau
o Assessed Florida manatee population distribution through the Sarasota area
o Collected field data via photo-ID, aerial surveys & non-invasive genetic sampling
o Processed & sorted field data into master database
o Equipment use/maintenance & boat handling with extensive hours on field surveys
o Supported with capturing & transporting stranded manatees in different areas with the FWC Florida Manatee Program

Coral Restoration Program Nursery Intern, Mote Marine Laboratory, Summerland Key, FL Sep 2020 – Dec 2020
 Supervisor(s): Zachary Craig/Dakotah Merck/Alicia Manfroy
o Daily husbandry tasks (P. cli, P. str, M. cav, O. fav, A. pal, A. cer):
 Observed, maintained & transferred coral fragments within tanks
 Mitigated ciliates, hydroids & cyanobacteria through the use of lugol
 Cleaned, scrubbed & siphoned tanks, spot feeding (A. pal)
 Daily PAR, temperature, temperature & pH measurements
o Contributed with on-going research projects
o Micro-fragmentation of O. fav & P. cli corals
o Bin Feeding Project:
 Compared the differences amongst M. cav fragments and the impact that feeding vs non-feeding had on surface area
& growth of fragments
o Served & volunteered alongside Dr. David Vaughan at Plant A Million Corals Foundation
 Constructed 6 standup raceways with water/air/waste piping
 Assembled two separate tanks for experimental set up for plexiglass/curved structure that allowed for better
waterflow in raceways & the reduction in utilization of air
 Total Work Hours: 400 Hours

Intern (Land Position), Coral Restoration FoundationTM (CRF), Key Largo, FL May 2020 – Sep 2020
 Supervisor: Derek Hagen
o Collaborated with managing coral nursery monthly/annual monitoring data
o Ran & operated two facility buildings open to the public by giving educational presentations
o Intern Project
 Connected with 100 dive shops and 70 private boat rental shops along the Florida’s Coral Reef
 Created and handed out flyers to dive shops/private boat rentals to utilize mooring lines/buoys, which are
alternatives to the use of anchors
o Presented paper presentations of scientific topics for interns & staff
o Wrote passages for newsletters & updated public on foundation improvements within education & outreach departments

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Bermuda Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (BIOS), Bermuda Oct 2019 – Dec 2019
 Supervisor: Dr. Yvonne Sawall – Marine Benthic Ecology & Ecophysiology Laboratory
o Conducted an independent research project examining the effects of decreasing temperatures on the acclimatization of
Siderastrea radians
o Set up of indoor LSS aquaria systems - Maintained 3 temperature treatments; 4 aquaria per treatment; 21-30 fragments per
aquaria
o Utilized laboratory procedures with data collection to assess fluctuations in chlorophyll-a concentrations & color score paired
with Image J to evaluate variation in species pigmentation throughout experiment
 Fall Semester Program:
o Marine Invertebrate Zoology
 Introduction to diversity and ecology of marine invertebrates as well as development, anatomy, biology, and
evolutionary relationships of marine invertebrate phyla including sponges, cnidarians, mollusks, annelids &
arthropods
 Comparative diversity of animal forms and their adaptations to different ecosystems with a focus on tropic and sub-
tropical taxa relevant to Bermuda
o Coral Reef Ecology
 Overview of ecological principles of coral reefs – classification, feeding, reproduction, environmental conditions
 Various field techniques using SCUBA; subsequent lab analyses used repetitively at different coral reef sites for
comparative analysis investigating each reef habitat
 Written lab reports, as well as a final oral presentation on differences in reef habitats
o Research Diving Methods: Theory and Practice
 SCUBA utilized in part with other courses with BIOS’s Dive Safety Officer (DSO), Alex Hunter
 Underwater techniques utilized: Transect, quadrat, caliper placement/measurements, video-transect method with
random dot technique, roving diver survey method
 o Marine Biology and Oceanographic Research
 Conducted 2 months of research, within the realm of a mentor.
 Throughout the duration, full research proposals, introductory presentation, conduct research project, methods poster
presentation, and final oral presentation, as well as final paper were both presented and submitted

Ornamental Aquaculture Employee, Roger Williams University Aquaculture Wet Lab, RI May 2018 – Nov 2018
 Supervisor: Dr. Andy Rhyne
o Maintained entirety of Wet Lab, daily husbandry tasks included:
o Conducted water quality tests, siphoned, cleaned tanks regularly & maintained aquarium systems
o Reared, measured, fed and recorded all activity of fish, shrimp and larval organisms
o Aided with research projects of multiple personnel
o Trained in areas of shrimp and larval husbandry tasks
o Total Work Hours: 425 Hours

Teaching Experience

NSU Open Water Scuba Instructor, Academic Diving Program, Davie, FL

Presentations

Leitman A, Sawall Y “The long-term effects of decreasing temperatures on the acclimatization of Siderastrea radians” 2019, Oral
Presentation at BIOS Fall Student Research Symposium

Certifications

 USCG/FWC, Florida Boating License (2022)  DAN, DFA Pro Instructor/Provider (2022)
 PSI/PCI, Visual Cylinder Inspector (2022)  DAN, BLS: CPR & First Aid Instructor/Provider (2022)
 PADI, Specialty Instructor (2022)  DAN, Emergency O2 Instructor/Provider in First Aid for
 PADI, Open Water Scuba Instructor (2022) Scuba Diving Injuries (2022)
 AAUS, Scientific Diver (2019)  50+ scientific dives, 30fsw
 230+ Recreational Dives

Skills

Laboratory
 Coral husbandry (Land/Field) & aquaria maintenance  Water quality analysis & data collection from aquarium
 Assessing chlorophyll-a concentration & zooxanthellae systems
densities  Micro-fragmentation of massive/branching Atlantic
coral species

Field
 Coral/quadrat sampling, caliper  S. rad, P. ast, A. aga sampling from coastal areas with
placement/measurements, coral monitoring SCUBA
 Atlantic coral/fish/algal species ID, roving diver/belt  Video-transect survey method with random dot
transect/surveys, underwater photo transects technique
 Amoxicillin treatment techniques

Computing
 Microsoft Office Suite  ArcGIS
 R studio  Adobe Acrobat
 ImageJ

Outreach/Service

 Conservation Booth and Vendor at Mote’s 10th Annual Ocean Festival, Tidal Tees Apparel (Nov 2022)
 Volunteered at coastal cleanup with Pura Vida Divers, Tidal Tees Apparel & Palm Beach County (Sep 2022)
 Volunteered at a benefit event for Coastal Connection Inc. with Tidal Tees Apparel (Sep 2022)
  Volunteered at underwater coastal cleanup with NSU Academic Diving Program, Dixie Divers & Broward County (Jun 2022)
 Donated books, “Preemie Peace,” & ‘Preemie’ gear to NICU at Winthrop Hospital, NY (Jan 2014 - 2021)
 Volunteered at a beach clean-up with Keep Bermuda Beautiful (Sep 2019)

Interests

 Classically trained pianist & saxophonist (alto, tenor, & baritone), self-taught acoustic guitar
 Avid free-diver & swimmer (locally, 2008-2013), Soccer player (Travel, 2009-2016), Runner (L.I. & Queens Half Marathon,
multiple 5Ks)
 Traveled: Caymans Islands (10 times), Spain: San Sebastian, Madrid, Barcelona, Argentina: Buenos Aires, Bermuda (2 times),
U.S. Virgin Islands, Florida