Christopher Smith

Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science

Phone: (409) 740-4835

Ocean and Coastal Studies Bldg., Office 344

Learn more about Christopher Smith

What in your life drew you to your current field of study?

I have been fascinated by fossils since I was a small child. As with most children, I was obsessed with dinosaurs. I simply never grew out of the obsession. This eventually led me down the road to paleobiology and environmental science in my undergraduate and graduate studies. My interest in foraminifera and marine micropaleontology I owe primarily to my Master's advisor at Auburn University, Dr. Ron Lewis. Foraminifera are incredible organisms with importance far outpacing their small stature. I am continually amazed at the volume of vital information that can be discerned by such diminutive creatures.

What do you hope your students gain from studying or working with you?

I hope that my students will gain a greater appreciation for science and the myriad ways their everyday lives are impacted by the natural phenomena that surround them.

What are you passionate about in your personal life?

I am a film fanatic with well over 1,000 titles in my personal collection. Some favorites include Jurassic Park (of course), Casablanca, The Big Lebowski, and the many superb films of director Akira Kurosawa.

Publications

Smith, C.W. and Goldstein, S.T., 2019, The effects of selected heavy metal elements on experimentally grown foraminiferal assemblages from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida, U.S.A.: Journal of Foraminiferal Research v. 49 (3), p. 303-318.
Smith, C.W., Fehrenbacher, J., and Goldstein, S.T., 2020, Incorporation of heavy metals in experimentally grown foraminifera from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida, U.S.A.: Marine Micropaleontology v. 156, 101854.
Smith, C.W. and Goldstein, S.T., 2021, Variation of temperature and salinity and their effect on the impact of heavy metal pollutants (nickel and zinc) on experimentally grown foraminiferal assemblages from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida, U.S.A.: Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 51 (3), p. 99–114.

Presentations

Smith, C.W. and Lewis, R.D., 2014, The distribution of encrusting foraminifera at Cat Island, Bahamas: Preliminary results: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 46, no. 6, p. 540. (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Smith, C.W. and Lewis, R.D., 2015, The distribution of encrusting foraminifera at Cat Island, Bahamas: Joint Symposium on the Natural History and Geology of the Bahamas. (San Salvador Island, Bahamas)
Smith, C.W. and Lewis, R.D., 2016, The characteristics and distribution of encrusting foraminifera at Cat Island, Bahamas: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 48, no. 7. (Denver, Colorado)
Smith, C.W. and Goldstein, S.T., 2017, Effect of selected heavy metal elements on shallow-water benthic foraminiferal assemblages from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida: An investigation using the propagule method: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs: v. 49, no. 6. (Seattle, Washington)
Smith, C.W. and Goldstein, S.T., 2018, Effects of selected heavy metals on shallow-water benthic foraminiferal assemblages from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida (USA): International Symposium on Foraminifera. (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Smith, C.W. and Goldstein, S.T., 2019, Incorporation of heavy metals in experimentally grown foraminifera from Sapelo Island, Georgia and Little Duck Key, Florida, USA: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs: v. 51, no. 5. (Phoenix, Arizona)