Florida United Malacologists (FUM) is a one-day gathering that brings together researchers, collectors, citizen scientists, enthusiasts, and students interested in a broad range of mollusk-related topics. The annual event is turning 14 years of age this year! The first FUM was held at the National Shell Museum in 2010, following a suggestion by the late Alan Gettleman and Phyllis Diegel. Since then, the Museum has hosted FUM every even-numbered year. In odd-numbered years, FUM was hosted by the Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville), University of South Florida (Tampa), Stetson College (Deland), and Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (St Petersburg). There was no FUM in 2021, courtesy of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2024 FUM will again be hosted by the Museum. Learn more about FUM here, and if you are in the area on April 13 and want to participate, make sure you register here. And check the photo above for familiar faces and the key for participant names below.
Participants at the first FUM meeting, January 30, 2010, at [then-named] Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum (names of presenters are in boldface; their institutional affiliation is provided).
1. Mark Thompson (Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation). 2. José H. Leal (The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum). 3. James D. Williams (University of Florida). 4. Fred Thompson (Florida Museum of Natural History). 5. Carole Marshall. 6. Rick Bartleson (Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation). 7. Alice Monroe. 8. Mary Ellen Akers. 9. Mari Hanley. 10. Rodger Bunnell. 11. Alan Gettleman. 12. Gregory Herbert (University of South Florida). 13. Loren Coen (Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation). 14. Dona Blaine. 15. Phyllis Sharp. 16. Gretchen Delman, 17. Dennis Delman. 18. Chelsey Campbell (Florida Museum of Natural History). 19. Carol Lyons. 20. Bill Lyons. 21. Steven Geiger (Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute). 22. Harry G. Lee (c/o Florida Museum of Natural History). 23. Ken Piech. 24. Lori Schroder. 25. ???. 26. Linda Kramer. 27. John Slapcinsky (Florida Museum of Natural History). 28. Sandra Jaramillo. 29. Sue Sprout. 30. Jim Scatterday. 31. Phyllis Diegel. 32. Harold “Smoky” Payson. 33. Gustav Paulay (Florida Museum of Natural History). 34. Anne Joffe. 35. Clair Beckmann. 36. David Campbell (University of Alabama). 37. Matthew Blaine. 38. David Karlen (Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County). 39. Richard Duerr. 40. Ted McLean, 41. Jeff Nekola (University of New Mexico). 42. Hal Pilcher, 43. Nathan Johnson (University of Florida). Other registered participants not in the photo were: Barbara Hansen, Kathleen Hoover, Joyce Matthys, Kim Nealon, Tom Risher, Don Swenson, Diane Orvis Thomas, Aswani Volety.