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Investigating the effect of oil spills
on the environment and public health.
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April Cook

Nova Southeastern University

Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences

Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography
3301 College Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL  33314  

acook1@nova.edu

Project List:

Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND)

Year 5-7 Consortia Grants (RFP-IV)Role: Program Manager / Technical Coordinator

Publications & Presentations:

Journal Articles - 8

2020

Cook, A. B., Bernard, A. M., Boswell, K. M., Bracken-Grissom, H., D'Elia, M., deRada, S., et al. (2020). A Multidisciplinary Approach to Investigate Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon. Front. Mar. Sci., 7.
Frank, T. M., Fine, C. D., Burdett, E. A., Cook, A. B., & Sutton, T. T. (2020). The Vertical and Horizontal Distribution of Deep-Sea Crustaceans in the Order Euphausiacea in the Vicinity of the DeepWater Horizon Oil Spill. Front. Mar. Sci., 7.
Moore, J. A., Fenolio, D. B., Cook, A. B., & Sutton, T. T. (2020). Hiding in Plain Sight: Elopomorph Larvae Are Important Contributors to Fish Biodiversity in a Low-Latitude Oceanic Ecosystem. Front. Mar. Sci., 7.

2018

Richards, T. M., Gipson, E. E., Cook, A., Sutton, T. T., & Wells, R. J. D. (2018). Trophic ecology of meso- and bathypelagic predatory fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 76(3), 662–672.

2017

Burdett, E. A., Fine, C. D., Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., & Frank, T. M. (2017). Geographic and depth distributions, ontogeny, and reproductive seasonality of decapod shrimps (Caridea: Oplophoridae) from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. bms, 93(3), 743–767.
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Diversity of midwater cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico: comparison of two collecting methods. Marine Biodiversity, 47(3), 647–657.
Mohan, J. A., Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Boswell, K. M., & David Wells, R. J. (2017). Influence of oceanographic conditions on abundance and distribution of post-larval and juvenile carangid fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Fish Oceanogr, 26(5), 526–541.

2016

DElia, M., Warren, J. D., Rodriguez-Pinto, I., Sutton, T. T., Cook, A., & Boswell, K. M. (2016). Diel variation in the vertical distribution of deep-water scattering layers in the Gulf of Mexico. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 115, 91–102.

Conference Presentations - 54

2020

Cook, A., & Sutton, T. T. (2020). Addressing Data Gaps in Deep-Pelagic Fauna: A Case Study of an Apex Predatory Fish Family in the Meso- and Bathypelagic Domains. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20: Poster.
deRada, S., Penta, B., Anderson, S., Lembke, C., English, D., Hu, C., et al. (2020). Finding Murphy: A $200,000 Slocum Glider Saved by a Numerical Ocean Model. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20.
Frank, T. M., Milligan, R. J., Fine, C., Burdett, E., Nichols, D., LaSpina, N., et al. (2020). Temporal Changes in the Micronektonic Crustacean Assemblage in the Gulf of Mexico Since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20.
Musgrave, R., Judkins, H., Cook, A., Fenolio, D., Frank, T., Myers, M., et al. (2020). Inviting Learners to the DEEPEND: A Team Approach to Successful Outreach and Education. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20.
Sutton, T., Milligan, R., Cook, A., Frank, T., Joye, S., Judkins, H., et al. (2020). A Summary of Post-Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Open-Ocean Faunal Population Dynamics: Vulnerability, Resilience, Data Gaps, and Management Implications. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20.
Sutton, T. T., Moore, J. A., Cook, A. B., Bernard, A., Eytan, R., Weber, M., et al. (2020). The deep-pelagic realm as a 'biological desert'?... hardly. A case study of a highly speciose meso/bathypelagic ecoregion, the Gulf of Mexico. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020. San Diego, CA : 02/16/20-02/21/20.
Traenkle, O., Romero, I., Youngbluth, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. T. (2020). Analysis of Organic Pollutants in Gulf of Mexico Gelatinous Zooplankton. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2020. Tampa, FL : 02/03/20-02/06/20: Poster.

2019

Sutton, T. T., Moore, J. A., Cook, A. B., Bernard, A., Shivji, M., Eytan, R., et al. (2019). Oceanic Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico: the DEEPEND Synthesis. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2019. New Orleans, LA : 02/04/19-02/07/19.

2018

Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2018). On the community information needed prior to mesopelagic fisheries: a low-latitude, high-diversity case study (Gulf of Mexico). In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2018. Portland, OR : 02/11/18-02/16/18.
Jones, R., Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Moore, J. (2018). Ecology of the barracudinas (Paralepididae) in the Gulf of Mexico. In 15th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Monterey, CA : 09/09/18-09/14/18: Poster.
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Sosnowski, A., Timm, L., Richards, T., Romero, I., et al. (2018). DEEPEND: What have we learned since 2011 about cephalopods of the northern Gulf of Mexico? In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2018. New Orleans, LA : 02/05/18-02/08/18.
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Timm, L., Romero, I., Richards, T., Cook, A., et al. (2018). Lessons learned since 2011 about cephalopods in the Gulf of Mexico. In 15th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Monterey, CA : 09/09/18-09/14/18: Poster.
Marks, A., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2018). Reproductive ecology of dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae) in the Gulf of Mexico. In 15th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Monterey, CA : 09/09/18-09/14/18: Poster.
Nichols, D., Burdett, E., Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Frank, T. (2018). An analysis of the status of the Oplophorid shrimp assemblage in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill between 2011 and 2017. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2018. Portland, OR : 02/11/18-02/16/18: Poster.
Richards, T. M., Gipson, E. E., Cook, A., Sutton, T. T., & Wells, R. J. D. (2018). Trophic Ecology of Meso- and Bathypelagic Predators in the Gulf of Mexico. In Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society 42nd Annual Meeting. College Station, TX : 01/25/18-01/27/18: Poster.
Sutton, T., Milligan, R., Cook, A., & Moore, J. (2018). DEEPEND: Evidence of Dramatic and Persistent Declines in Deep-Pelagic Fish Abundances in the Oceanic Gulf after Deepwater Horizon. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2018. New Orleans, LA : 02/05/18-02/08/18.
Sutton, T., Milligan, R., Cook, A., Moore, J., & Boswell, K. (2018). Evidence of dramatic and persistent declines in meso- and bathypelagic fish abundances in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2018. Portland, OR : 02/11/18-02/16/18.

2017

Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Larger predatory fishes of the meso- and bathypelagic domains: Linking the planktivores and top predators. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Larger predatory fishes of the meso- and bathypelagic domains: Linking the planktivores and top predators. In ASLO 2017 Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI : 02/26/17-03/03/17.
Cook, A., Sutton, T., & Moore, J. (2017). Intensive sampling of the Gulf of Mexico reveals a global hotspot of meso- and bathypelagic fish biodiversity. In The 10th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference. Tahiti, French Polynesia : 10/02/17-10/06/17.
deRada, S., Penta, B., Sutton, T., Johnston, M., Milligan, R., Easson, C., et al. (2017). Physical-bio-optical modeling in the Gulf of Mexico: analysis of water mass relationships to pelagic habitat. In ASLO 2017 Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI : 02/26/17-03/03/17.
deRada, S., Penta, B., Sutton, T., Johnston, M., Milligan, R., Easson, C., et al. (2017). DEEPEND: Relating Pelagic Habitat to Ocean Stratification. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Frank, T., Fine, C., Burdett, E., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). DEEPEND Geographic distributions and reproductive seasonality of Oplophorid and Euphausiid crustaceans in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Sipll. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Hartland, R., Burdett, E., Fine, C., Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Frank, T. (2017). DEEPEND Taxonomic and distributional appraisal of deep-sea sergestid crustaceans (Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata: Sergestidae) in the northern Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17.
Jones, R. C., Moore, J. A., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Depth Strata Partitioning by Deep-Pelagic Alepisauroids in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Cephalopod vertical distribution in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Cephalopod vertical distribution in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In ASLO 2017 Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI : 02/26/17-03/03/17.
Musgrave, R., Judkins, H., Frank, T., Myers, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2017). Creep into the DEEPEND virtual research missions. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: poster.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2017). Research in the Gulf of Mexico; The DEEPEND Consortium. In ASLO 2017 Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI : 02/26/17-03/03/17: Poster.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2017). DEEPEND Consortium Science poster for Research Board Reception. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Milligan, R. (2017). Evidence of diel vertical migrations by bathypelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico: A new vector of water-column connectivity in the oceanic domain. In ASLO 2017 Aquatic Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, HI : 02/26/17-03/03/17.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Milligan, R. (2017). DEEPEND: First Evidence for Vertical Migration by the Gulf Bathypelagic Fauna and its Relationship to the DWHOS Deep Hydrocarbon-Dispersant Plume. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17.
Sutton, T., Judkins, H., Cook, A., Fenolio, D., Frank, T., Musgrave, R., et al. (2017). DEEPEND Consortium E/O poster for RB event. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2017. New Orleans, LA : 02/06/17-02/09/17: Poster.
Sutton, T., Moore, J., Cook, A., Bernard, A., Boswell, K., Eytan, R., et al. (2017). The epi-to-bathypelagic ichthyofauna of the Gulf of Mexico: recent surveys reveal exceptional diversity and endemism, with 180 new species records. In Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Austin, TX : 07/12/17-07/16/17.
Sutton, T., Moore, J., Cook, A., Bernard, A., Boswell, K., Eytan, R., et al. (2017). The Need for Surveying Before Exploitation: Post Hoc Analysis After Deepwater Horizon Reveals Exceptional Deep-Pelagic Biodiversity and Endemicity in the Deep Gulf of Mexico. In 147th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. Tampa, FL : 08/20/17-08/24/17.

2016

Cook, A. (2016). Historic undersampling of deep-pelagic top predators: a case study of the Chiasmodontidae of the Gulf of Mexico using multiple sampling gears. In HCNSO Ocean Science Jamboree. Dania Beach FL : 05/19/16- 05/20/16.
Cook, A. (2016). Historic undersampling of deep-pelagic top predators: a case study of the Chiasmodontidae of the Gulf of Mexico using multiple sampling gears. In Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. New Orleans, LA : 07/06/16-07/10/16.
Judkins, H. J., Cook, A., Sutton, T., & Vecchione, M. (2016). Vertical Distribution Patterns of the Cephalopod Fauna of the Gulf of Mexico. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16: Poster.
Mohan, J., Sutton, T., Cook, A., Boswell, K., & Wells, R. J. D. (2016). Influence of oceanographic features on abundance and distribution of carangid fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In 69th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Conference. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands : 11/07/16-11/11/16: Poster.
Sutton, T., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., Cook, A., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2016). DEEPEND: Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico. In Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. New Orleans, LA : 07/06/16-07/10/16: Poster.
Sutton, T., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., Cook, A., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2016). DEEPEND: Deep Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico. In National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI) Conference: Discovering the Deep Blue Sea. Irvine, CA : 11/09/16-11/12/16: Poster.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., Frank, T., Boswell, K., Vecchione, M., Judkins, H., et al. (2016). The Dynamics of Vertical Movement in the Oceanic Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon: Active Linkage of Large Vertebrates and Deep-pelagic Realm. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2016. Tampa, FL : 02/01/16-02/04/16: Poster.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., Frank, T., Boswell, K., Vecchione, M., Judkins, H., et al. (2016). The Dynamics of Vertical Movement in the Oceanic Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon: Active Linkage of Large Vertebrates and Deep-Pelagic Nekton. In Ocean Sciences Meeting 2016. New Orleans, LA : 02/21/16-02/26/16.
Sutton, T., Cook, A., & Moore, J. (2016). Active Linkage of Large Vertebrates and Deep-Pelagic Fauna of the Oceanic Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon: Vertical Dynamics of the Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, and Bathypelagic Ichthyofauna. In Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. New Orleans, LA : 07/06/16-07/10/16.

2015

Judkins, H., Vecchione, M., Cook, A., & Sutton, T. (2015). What have we learned about the cephalopod fauna of the Gulf of Mexico? Initial results of the NOAA/NRDA Offshore nekton sampling and analysis program. In Cephalopod International Advisory Council 2015 Conference. Hakodate, Japan : 11/06/15-11/14/15.
Sutton, T. T., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., Cook, A. B., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2015). Dynamics of epi-, meso- and bathypelagic fish assemblages: A Gulf of Mexico case study and new research initiative (DEEPEND). In 2015 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Reno, NV : 07/16/15-07/19/15.
Sutton, T. T., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., Cook, A. B., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2015). Understanding deep-pelagic ecosystem dynamics: A new research initiative in the Gulf of Mexico (DEEPEND). In Fish at Night: an international symposium. Miami, FL : 11/17/15-11/20/15.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2015). DEEPEND: Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2015 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Reno, NV : 07/16/15-07/19/15: Poster.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2015). DEEPEND: Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico. In 14th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Aveiro, Portugal : 08/31/15-09/04/15: Poster.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Boswell, K., Bracken-Grissom, H., deRada, S., English, D., et al. (2015). Understanding deep-pelagic ecosystem variability in an age of increasing deep-ocean commercial activity: A Gulf of Mexico case study and new research initiative (DEEPEND). In 14th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Aveiro, Portugal : 08/31/15-09/04/15.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Moore, J., & Pietsch, T. (2015). What have we learned about the oceanic fish fauna of the Gulf of Mexico? Initial results of the NOAA Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program. In Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference 2015. Houston, TX : 02/16/15-02/19/15.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Moore, J., & Pietsch, T. (2015). What have we learned about the diversity of oceanic fauna of the Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon? Initial results of the NOAA Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program. In 2015 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Reno, NV : 07/16/15-07/19/15.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Moore, J., & Pietsch, T. (2015). What have we learned about the diversity of oceanic fauna of the Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon? Initial results of the NOAA Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program. In 14th Deep-Sea Biology Symposium. Aveiro, Portugal : 08/31/15-09/04/15.
Sutton, T. T., Cook, A. B., Moore, J., & Pietsch, T. (2015). What have we learned about the diversity of oceanic fauna of the Gulf of Mexico after Deepwater Horizon? Initial results of the NOAA Offshore Nekton Sampling and Analysis Program. In Fish at Night: an international symposium. Miami, FL : 11/17/15-11/20/15.