Andrew Coleman came to Samford University in 2025 after serving as chair of the Biology Department at Talladega College. His research background focuses on the natural history and conservation of turtles, and he has studied sea turtles and diamondback terrapins in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Coleman initiated the Urban Turtle Project in 2018, and this work aims to gain valuable information about aquatic turtle populations in the Cahaba and Black Warrior rivers and their tributaries. In addition to this project, he has active research focusing on turtle species in southern Alabama, Florida panhandle, and Belize.

Coleman enjoys providing research opportunities to students both in the classroom and in the field. He values the importance that these experiences give students as they build their own research foundations. He plans to continue offering study abroad courses to Belize that he has done in the past.

Degrees and Certifications

• Ph.D. in Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2011)
• M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy, Johns Hopkins University (2011)
• M.S. in Biology, Appalachian State University (2005)
• B.S. in Biology, University of Alabama (2002)

Publications

• Andrew T. Coleman (2023) Predation of turtles by bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the southeastern United States. Food Webs 36: e00293.
• James Godwin, Andrew T. Coleman, Craig Guyer (2023) Distribution and status of the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) in Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 22:109-125.
• Anjolaoluwa Lawani, Cathy Holmes, Terra Throgmorton, and Andrew T. Coleman (2022) Incidental capture of immature green turtles (Chelonia mydas) at a fishing pier in northwest Florida. Marine Turtle Newsletter 165:12-14.
• Andrew T. Coleman (2020) Urban turtle project: Documenting the demography and ecology of an urban population of Alabama map turtles (Graptemys pulchra). Chelonian Conservation and Biology 19:283–290.
• Melissa Cook, Victoria S. Dunch, and Andrew T. Coleman (2020) An interview-based approach to assess angler practices and sea turtle captures on Mississippi fishing pier. Frontiers in Marine Science 14: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00655
• Andrew T. Coleman, Jonathan L. Pitchford, Helen Bailey, and Moby Solangi (2016) Seasonal movements of immature Kemp’s ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 27:253–267.
• Andrew T. Coleman, Eric E. Pulis, Jonathan L. Pitchford, Kristin Croker, Andrew Heaton, Alicia Carron, Wendy Hatchett, Delphine Shannon, Frank Austin, Martha Dalton, Connie Clemons-Chevis, and Moby Solangi (2016) Population ecology and rehabilitation of incidentally captured Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in the Mississippi Sound. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 11:253–264.
• Jonathan L. Pitchford, Victoria A. Howard, Jamie K. Shelley, Billie J.S. Serafin, Andrew T. Coleman, and Moby Solangi (2015) Predictive spatial modelling of seasonal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) distributions in the Mississippi Sound. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 26:289–306.
• Andrew T. Coleman, Taylor Roberge, Thane Wibbels, Ken Marion, David Nelson, and John Dindo (2014) Size-based mortality of adult female diamond-backed terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in blue crab traps in a Gulf of Mexico population. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 13:140–145.
• Andrew T. Coleman, Thane Wibbels, Ken Marion, Taylor Roberge, David Nelson, and John Dindo (2014) Dispersal behavior of diamond-backed terrapin post-hatchlings. Southeastern Naturalist 13:572–586.
• Redwood W. Nero, Melissa Cook, Andrew T. Coleman, Moby Solangi, and Robert Hardy (2013) Using an ocean model to predict likely drift tracks of sea turtle carcasses in the north central Gulf of Mexico Endangered Species Research 21:191–203.
• Jonathan L. Pitchford, Billie Jo Stevens Serafin, Delphine Shannon, Andrew T. Coleman, and Moby Solangi (2013) An analysis of historical bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) strandings in the Mississippi Sound, USA using classification and regression tress (CART). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 13:201–209.
• Andrew T. Coleman (2013) Evidence of long distance homing in a displaced juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) Marine Turtle Newsletter 137:10–12.
• Heidi Lyn, Andrew Coleman, Megan Broadway, Jamie Klaus, Shannon Finerty, Delphine Shannon, and Moby Solangi (2012) Displacement and site fidelity of rehabilitated immature Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). Marine Turtle Newsletter 135:10–13.
• Andrew T. Coleman, Thane Wibbels, Ken Marion, David Nelson, and John Dindo (2011) Effect of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) on the capture of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in crab pots in an Alabama salt marsh. Alabama Academy of Science 82:145–157.