Grice News Archives
Marine Biology Colloquium
The Student Research Colloquium of the Graduate Program in Marine Biology (GPMB) was established in 1998, with the goals of increasing awareness of research activities by students and faculty affiliated with GPMB; providing graduate students with experience in making scientific presentations; and promoting interactions among faculty and students conducting research in marine biology. Dr. Erik Sotka stepped in the give the opening talk for Dr. Scott France of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Previously part of the CofC Department of Biology and Grice Marine Lab, Dr. France was unable to attend. A poster session and the Friday social was held on Septemer 25th, 2009. The poster presenters attended their posters from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and the posters remained on display throughout the Colloquium. Several students received honorable mentions for their posters. On Saturday, student talks ran from 9-3:30, followed by the closing address at 4pm by Dr. Geoff Scott of the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research and the Hollings Marine Lab. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed Lowcountry Boil and the new students to the GPMB program were introduced to the Fort Johnson community. Melanie Hedgespeth won the award for best oral presentation. Please see the Colloquium Program for a detailed schedule and presentation abstracts.
The Colloquium gives the students an opportunity to practice their presentation skills and provides them with feedback to make improvements; it also allows faculty to recruit new students to their labs, and allows new students to review the research going on in various labs and consider their own future research. Also, undergraduates interested in graduate school can get a sense of what graduate school is all about.
Very nearly all marine graduate students, except those in their first year, presented their research this year - as you will see in the abstracts, it is an impressive array of marine research!
Oral Presentation Award
Melanie Hedgespeth
Distinguished Recognition for Colloquium Poster
Lindsey Parent and Joy Gerhard
Distinguished Recognition for Colloquium Poster of Proposal
Ryan Joyce and Tessa Bricker
GML Participates in BEACH SWEEP
September 19th, 2009
Every year the Grice Marine Laboratory community participates in the Beach Sweep/River Sweep. Held from 9 a.m. to noon on the 3rd Saturday in September, we volunteer to clear the beaches and marshes around Grice of aquatic debris. The cleanup is organized by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and S.C. Department of Natural Resources and it occurs in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. We collect debris data during the Sweep to be tallied by The Ocean Conservancy. These data help to locate sources of litter and to eliminate pollution at its source. You can see posted photos and review the debris data collected in 2007 on the S.C. Seagrant Consortium website.
DiTullio Lab Researches the Effects of Climate Change
Dr. Giacomo "Jack" DiTullio and Dr. Peter Lee recently published two articles in the Marine Ecology Progress Series. The research was conducted with help from former GPMB students Jamie Rudisill, Aimee Neeley and Jennifer Maucher. The first article addresses the effects of global climate change on phytoplankton and biogeochemical cycles, specifically atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature. The experimental results suggest that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature will negatively affect the photoplankton's ability to sequester carbon. The other article evaulates the CLAW hypothesis which states that phytoplankton-derived dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) can increase the ability of the earth's surface to reflect solar radiation, thus reducing atmospheric temperatures and combating the effects of global warming.
Lobster on a Treadmill
Visiting scientist, Dr. Darwin Jorgensen (from Roanoke College in Virginia), and two of his undergraduate students, Vicki Brings and Micah Spruill, have been looking at the physiological support of underwater walking in lobsters and blue crabs. This lobster, walking at a speed of about 2 km/hr, is instrumented to measure hemolymph (blood) pressure in the circulatory system and hydrostatic pressure in the two gill chambers (located on either side of the thorax). The acrylic mask mounted at the head end of the animal collects the seawater exiting the two gill chambers. The yellow piece in the mask is an electromagnetic flow probe and is used to measure the amount of seawater being pumped through the gill chambers per minute. This work is designed to help us understand how the gills work in concert with the cardiovascular system to support migratory activity in these commercially-important crustaceans. Learn more about the lobster on a treadmill.
Lobster on a Treadmill Video
GPMB Student David Shiffman Interviewed by NPR
David Shiffman, a second year student in the Graduate Program in Marine Biology at the College of Charleston, was recently interviewed by NPR. As co-author of the blog Southern Fried Science, his article The Ecological Disaster that is Dolphin Safe Tuna raises questions about the impacts of this fishing technique on other marine species, including sea turtles, sharks, and billfish. The interview titled Do We Care Too Much About Flipper? was conducted by Patt Morrison on July 29, 2009. David also wrote an article on this topic featured in Beyond Blue magazine.
REU Gets Hands-on Research Experience
Grice Marine Laboratory’s REU students are sparking the Charleston community’s interests in marine science with their ongoing summer research. One REU student, Claire Hancock, is acknowledged for her work with coral bleaching. This bleaching technique in coral occurs from various stresses in the marine environment and is fatal to coral. For more information, visit the recent article printed in Charleston’s Post and Courier on July 26, 2009.
Highlights of the REU Summer Research Experience at Grice
Dr. Sotka studies invasive seaweeds
Dr. Erik Sotka at the College of Charleston's Grice Marine Laboratory is documenting how two invasive seaweeds appear to be negatively impacting our economy and health of our ecosystem. Over the last decade, Gracilaria vermiculophylla has become extremely common along the mudflats in several South Carolina estuaries, including Charleston Harbor, St. Helena Sound and Port Royal Sound. A second species, Polysiphonia breviarticulata, undergoes a 'boom-and-bust' cycle that is poorly understood. Its blooms occur largely outside of the estuaries within a few miles of the shoreline. The Sun News, the Island Packet and the Post and Courier have published articles addressing the impact of these algal species on coastal South Carolina.
The Natural Touch
Dr. Julian Harrison III (1934 - 2009), Professor Emeritus of Biology at the College of Charleston, was a lifetime volunteer with the Charleston Museum. An article by Albert E. Sanders, Curator of Natural Sciences, was published in the Summer 2009 issue of The Charleston Museum newsletter, Provenance.
Dr. Wiseman on the Water with BIO 209
The marine biology course students (Biology 209) peregrinated nearly 1400 miles up and down the Carolina coast from the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC to the eastern tip of Kiawah Island, SC, mucking through and seining in tidal marshes, diving on rocky jetties and floating docks, and trawling in Charleston Harbor. Some of the field experiences were shared with the Drs. Burnetts' summer REU students. Dr. Wiseman has been offering the course for 30 years, and reminds his students that there are no teachers just different degrees of learners.
Improvements to Grice Fleet
Grice Marine Laboratory has just installed a brand new environmentally friendly 200 hp 4-stoke Yamaha motor on the 22 foot C-Hawk. We have also added a new 18 foot Lowe Jon boat with a 50 hp Yamaha motor to the fleet. This new motor and Jon boat will accelerate teaching and research capabilities here in Charleston Harbor.
Upward Bound Outreach
On Wednesday June 24, 2009 the Upward Bound students came to the Grice Marine Laboratory to learn about the career field of marine science. Students were able to tour the historic site of Fort Johnson, talk with undergraduate and graduate students in the marine biology program, view marine life under microscopes, and get hands on experience with the GML’s touch tank filled with live marine life from Charleston Harbor. The Grice Marine Laboratory staff hope to inspire the Upward Bound students to make marine science a future career choice.
Molecular Core Facility Integrated Into Curriculum
The Molecular Core Facility (MCF) located in room 210 at the Grice Marine Laboratory provides Molecular Biology services that support onsite research and varying curriculum needs here at the College of Charleston. One class in particular, Dr. Erik Sotka’s Marine Molecular Ecology Course (Bio 503), become regular visitors to the MCF throughout the Spring semester. The goal of the course is to introduce graduate level students to the genetic tools that can be applied to a wide variety of ecological topics. This semester projects included identifying cryptic species of Blackbelly Rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus), determining the primary reproductive mode (asexual vs. sexual) of the invasive alga Gracilaria vermiculophylla, and quantifying the degree of genetic differentiation among populations of the tropical reef-building coral Porites asteroides and the mudflat periwinkle Illyanassa obtusa. The students became proficient on several instruments within the MCF including a thermocycler and a digital imagining system as their projects progressed. Additionally, they received demonstrations and personal reviews of their DNA sequencing, microsatellite, and applied fragment length polymorphism data as it was generated by the Genetic Analysis System housed at the MCF. Results from these projects have spurred several individuals to continue their working relationship with the MCF in regards to their thesis research and additional side projects.
2009 REU Interns
Welcome to the 2009 Interns of the Fort Johnson Undergraduate Summer Research Program! The eight undergraduates moved into the Grice lab dormitory on May 27 and will spend the next 10 weeks conducting independent research projects under the watchful eyes of mentors from the;College of Charleston, SCDNR, NOAA and NIST.
Loren Danese joins the Sotka lab
Loren Danese is a new research technician in the Sotka lab. She is a 2009 graduate of CofC, where she earned a B.S. in Marine Biology and was given the Navy League award for most outstanding junior in Marine Biology. She is the veteran of two Research Experience for Undergraduate summer programs (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in 2007 and the CofC in 2008). During her stay in Marie DeLorenzo's ecotoxicology laboratory, Loren published an article from her work with pesticides and larval shrimp. Loren is an avid diver, likes wearing flip-flops to work, and knows where to get the best Philly Cheesesteak in town. Please welcome her when you get a chance.
Former REU has a whale of a story!
Jeremy Goldbogen, a Summer 2001 Intern in the Fort Johnson REU Program, has made some stunning discoveries regarding the mechanics of foraging behavior in rorqual whales. Jeremy related the story of his research exploits to the 2009 Fort Johnson REU Interns as part of the new Summer Program lecture series Fort Johnson REUs Reporting Home. Jeremy's findings form the basis for his soon-to-be defended PhD dissertation at the the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. His work has received extensive coverage in the popular press, such as the New York Times and CBC radio. Listen to the podcast.
Dr. Julian R. Harrison, III (1934-2009)
Dr. Julian Harrison, III (1934-2009) was Professor Emeritus of Biology at the College of Charleston and was fascinated with natural history from a young age. He volunteered at the Charleston Museum where he helped with Nature Trailers, an afterschool program for children. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 1956 and completed a masters degree at Duke University and was awarded a PhD from the University of Notre Dame. In 1963 he became a Biology faculty member at the College of Charleston where he served with distinction until 1994 when he retired. Dr. Harrison remained an active member of the scientific community.
Long-time faculty member at the College Charles K. “Chip” Biernbaum remembers his friend and colleague. "The College of Charleston family suffered a major loss Friday, May 15th with the passing of Julian Harrison. A native Charlestonian and alumnus of the College (class of 1956), Julian joined its faculty in 1963. He was a classical naturalist, beginning his scientific exploration of natural areas of the Carolinas as a ten-year-old with the Charleston Museum, serving as an important volunteer at the Museum up through his college years. He focused his research on amphibians and mollusks of the two regions he loved the most, the South Carolina Lowcountry and the southern Blue Ridge Mountains -- he was a highly respected authority on the salamanders of the southeastern US. A quiet, unassuming, hard-working gentleman, Julian was respected and admired by his fellow faculty members and his many students. He and I were very close, frequently doing research together in a variety of habitats. I learned a great deal from him as he served as a very important friend and mentor while I matured as a faculty member at the CofC. Julian was a very special person and will be sorely missed.”
Former GPMB Graduate Awarded Teaching Honors
A former College of Charleston Marine Biology Masters graduate has received great honors for her work in Charleston County School District. Katherine Lee Metzner-Roop, a teacher at Academic Magnet High School, has been named the South Carolina Academy of Science's 2009 Teacher of the Year. Metzner-Roop was recently honored in Columbia, SC at the Academy of Science and Junior Academy of Science meeting. Not only has she been named 2009’s Science Teacher of the Year, but she was also named Teacher of the Year (2003-04) at her school as well as the Junior Science Academy Sponsor of the Year (2004-05). She has been making a difference teaching in Charleston County Schools for seventeen years and has been shaping lives at the College of Charleston for nine years. Congratulations Katherine!
Dr. Sancho and his Research Team in Spain
Dr. Gorka Sancho is currently on sabbatical leave in Spain. He has been working on two different projects. The first includes coordinating an angler-lead tagging program of dolphinfish in the Western Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic. This project is done in collaboration with Don Hammond of the Dolphinfish Research Program in Charleston and the anglers from the Confederacion Española de Pesca Maritima de Recreo Responsable. Tagging of dolphinfish will start in August of 2009, and will provide information on movement patterns of this pelagic species in the Atlantic Ocean. This research will compliment the extensive dataset collected in the Western Atlantic by the Dolphinfish Research Program. His second project has been in collaboration with Courtney Murren and Matt Rutter from the CofC Biology Department. Dr. Sancho and his research team has been collecting large amounts of field data on the natural history and ecology of Arabidopsis thaliana, a small annual plant that grows in the surroundings of Trujillo. With the help of Laura Ferguson, a marine biology undergraduate student, they have monitored, measured and collected seeds from over 100 plants from two different river basins (Tajo and Guadiana). A lot of preliminary work has been done locating populations of this plant, which will hopefully lead to future intensive studies of this plant species in the years to come.
GPMB Students Inducted into Sigma Xi
On April 23, 2009, several GPMB Students were inducted into Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, at the annual banquet and awards ceremony. According to Dr. Robert T. Dillon, Jr., "Sigma Xi may be best known here locally as the main sponsor for the annual "Darwin Week" and for sponsoring presentation awards at the annual MUSC Student Research Day, GPMB Student Research Colloquium and the Citadel's Student Research Presentation Day. The organization provides excellent opportunities for professional networking among scientific institutions in the Charleston area and offers solid evidence of professional involvement for graduate students as they move into the next stage of their careers."
Surviving on the colder side of life
In a recent issue of the journal Science, a team of scientists, including College of Charleston biogeochemist Dr. Peter Lee, described a novel ecosystem in which a microbial community had managed to survive for over a million years in the absence of sunlight and oxygen. The authors believe that as sea levels decreased and glaciers began to advance across Antarctica pockets of seawater became trapped in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and were sealed off from the atmosphere and sunlight by the advancing glaciers. Unlike most subglacial lakes in Antarctica that are totally inaccessible without drilling equipment, this subglacial lake periodically discharges through the Taylor Glacier at a location known as Blood Falls. Using a combination of classical “wet chemistry” methods, modern molecular and genetic techniques, stable isotope analyses and thermodynamic modeling, the team of scientists examined this discharge and found that the surviving microorganisms had adapted to use sulfate andiron compounds as their source of energy but in an unusual way. Normally when microbes use sulfate for energy, they produce hydrogen sulfide (the compound that causes the characteristic smell of salt marshes) as the end product. But in this case, they stopped short of producing hydrogen sulfide and instead used the sulfate as a “catalyst” to derive their energy from iron minerals mobilized from the glacier’s bedrock. These findings provide insight into how life may have survived periods of Neoproterozoic glaciations ("Snowball Earth" events) when some scientists believe that the Earth was entombed in ice. The authors also suggest that similar ecosystems may provide a “refuge” for life in other inhospitable environments, such as Mars and the Jovian moon Europa.
Dr. Strand Published
Karen K. Martien, Dave Gregovich, Mark
V. Bravington, André E. Punt, Allan E. Strand, David A. Tallmon, and
Barbara L. Taylor recently published an article titled "TOSSM: an R package for assessing performance of genetic analytical
methods in a management context" in Molecular Ecology Resources.
Abstract:
TOSSM (Testing of Spatial Structure Methods) is a package for testing the performance of genetic analytical methods in a management context. In the tossm package, any method developed to detect population genetic structure can be combined with a mechanism for creating management units (MUs) based on the genetic analysis. The resulting Boundary-Setting Algorithm (BSA) dictates harvest boundaries with a genetic basis. These BSAs can be evaluated with respect to how well the MUs they define meet management objectives.
Rathburn Receives Presidential Legacy Award
The Multicultural ExCEL Awards were established to honor members of the College of Charleston community for their efforts to diversify and improve the campus. The Presidential Legacy Awards are a major part of this annual event and acknowledge the legacy and vision of former presidents of the College of Charleston. Charles Kolo Rathburn was awarded the Leo I. Higdon, Jr. Presidential Legacy Award for Outstanding Leadership on March 31st, 2009. Kolo, a marine biology graduate student, is founder member and presiding President of the College of Charleston Graduate Student Association. He is dedicated and passionate about making CofC and his community a better place for graduate students. Under his leadership the GSA participated in the 3rd annual CofC Dance Marathon which generated over $75,000, almost double the previous years amount, for the Children’s Miracle Network, specifically MUSC Children’s Hospital.
Aquarium Room Renovations Complete
The Grice aquarium room is designated for holding living organisms. College of Charleston faculty, staff and students use these marine specimens for teaching and research. Recently, several improvements were made to increase the room’s safety and functionality. All the air lines have been replaced and the workbenches have been painted. The electrical services have been upgraded to include additional circuits and emergency outlets. A notification system was installed to alert staff members of emergency power outages. If you would like to use this room for teaching or research, please contact Pete Meier, the Marine Operations Manager, at 953-9218.
Dr. Natasha Sharp joins Burnett Lab
Dr. Natasha Sharp recently joined the Burnett Lab as a postdoctoral researcher and will be further investigating the effects of low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) and elevated carbon dioxide (hypercapnic hypoxia) on the immune defense of shrimp and blue crab. These animals frequently experience these conditions in the shallow coastal waters they inhabit. Originally from New Zealand, she moved to the USA to complete her doctorate under the guidance of Marius Brouwer at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi. Her dissertation assessed the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) hemocytes. Her research focused on the changes in hemocyte number as well as cytological effects and differential gene expression.
29th Annual Sea Turtle Symposium
Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate studies Dave Owens has returned from presenting an invited paper at "An International Symposium : Reproduction of Marine Life" at the world famous Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The Owens paper, with Research Associate Gaëlle Blanvillain as a co-author, was titled "Captive Reproduction of Sea Turtles: An Important Success Story." He and three CofC graduate students also attended the 29th Annual International Sea Turtle Symposium, held Feburary 17- 19 in Brisbane, Australia. Steven O'Connell (GPMB) and Melissa Bimbi (MES) gave oral presentations, and Jesse Alderson (GPMB) presented a poster.
Fulbright Fellow Joe Pollock in Australia
In addition, Dr. Owens also visited Townsville, Australia which is the home of James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). Our graduate student Joe Pollock is a Fulbright Fellow at AIMS and James Cook University. Under the guidance of Pam Morris of MUSC, Joe is working to develop tools to accurately diagnose coral diseases on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and around the world. Currently, the diagnostic tools are very limited, so coral diseases are distinguished almost exclusively on their macroscopic appearance. He is focusing his efforts on developing a technique to detect the pathogen responsible for the coral disease White Syndrome on the GBR and coral bleaching in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. His research is progressing well and bioassays are underway to test the tool’s effectiveness in vivo.
Undergraduate Researcher Hannah Giddens Published
In a newly published article in the journal Biological Bulletin, Hannah Giddens (a former CofC undergraduate) found that elevated seawater temperatures can cause herbivore to alter their feeding preferences, in some cases toward consuming foods that are of poorer quality even when higher quality foods are available. This is the first demonstration of temperature-dependent shifts in feeding preference, and provides another example of how global increases in seawater temperature may alter the dynamics of nearshore ecosytems in surprising ways.
DiTullio Lab Research Cruise
In December 2008, the DiTullio lab members participated in a scientific research cruise aboard the R/V Roger Revelle, Scripp’s research vessel. They joined scientists from around the world in a collaborative effort to study a phytoplankton bloom that occurs every spring off the Southern coast of Argentina. The goal of the research cruise was to examine the effects of elevated carbon-dioxide levels on the growth of a particular group of phytoplankton called Coccolithophores. These organisms help fight global warming by turning carbon dioxide into protective shells called coccoliths. These armored plates are shed by the algae and sink to the sea floor thus, sequestering the carbon. As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, the ocean act as a natural carbon dioxide sponge; increasing oceanic carbon dioxide levels result in a lower oceanic pH or acidification. One of the experiments examined how this change in ocean’s pH levels might adversely affect Coccolithophores and their ability to sequester carbon in their coccoliths. The cruise lasted thirty days and provided the researchers with a lot of interesting data and samples that are currently being processed in the lab.
Student Research Colloquium
The Student Research Colloquium of the Graduate Program in Marine Biology (GPMB) was established in 1998, with the goals of increasing awareness of research activities by students and faculty affiliated with GPMB; providing graduate students with experience in making scientific presentations; and promoting interactions among faculty and students conducting research in marine biology. Oral and poster sessions, including the Friday social, were held at the Marine Resources Research Institute, Fort Johnson. The Lowcountry Boil on Saturday took place in the outdoor classroom adjacent to the Marshlands House. The poster presenters attended their posters from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday and the posters remained on display throughout the Colloquium. Meggie Kent won the award for best oral presentation. Please see the 2009 Colloquium Program for details about the presenters and topics.
Colloquium Speaker
Dr. Stephen Palumbi was the keynote speaker for the Student Research Colloquium which took place on February 6-7, 2009. Dr. Palumbi is the director of Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. His research group focuses on a wide variety of topics related to marine biology.
MESAS Outreach
On January 24th, we participated in the Lowcountry MESAS (Middle / Elementary School Academy of Science); a one day opportunity for students in grades 4 through 8 to engage is hands-on activities with local scientists. Our marine touch tank exhibit was titled “Estuaries: Nurseries of the Sea”. There were microscopes available for students to examine a variety of organisms found in Charleston Harbor. They also learned how to distinguish between a male and female blue crab and developed an understanding about what it means to be a marine scientist.
SICB Meeting
Several faculty and students attended the annual meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) on January 3-7, 2009 in Boston, MA. Organized by discipline, SICB aims to integrate the many fields of biology. It is one of the largest and most prestigious professional associations of its kind. According to its constitution, SCIB “promotes the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge and concepts in integrative and comparative biology, and it adopts and supports policies advancing innovative studies of organisms.” Eight presentations and six posters from the College of Charleston were presented at the meeting. Please refer to the 2009 SICB Program for details on each presentation.
An Octoclaus Sighting
If you happened to be on Folly Beach on December 13th, you may have seen a giant blue octopus wearing a red Santa hat and riding on top of a boat. New species? Mutant genes you ask? Turns out it was part of a float entered by GML in the Folly Beach Christmas Parade. Graduate students dressed as sea critters danced around the boat as it was pulled along the parade route and threw candy canes to the delight of the many children. OCTOCLAUS was a huge success, finishing in 2nd place and winning a prestigious trophy and $200 for the Marine Biology GSA. Click here for more photos and video clips.
Grice Scientist Quoted on Oyster Research
Research Associate and Adjunct Faculty member Dr. Karen Burnett was quoted in the Post and Courier newspaper. “We're very fortunate. We have the luxury of saying we're trying to protect the resource that's here,” said Karen Burnett, an associate professor of biology at the College of Charleston, who attended the conference. “I think we're doing the right things. I'm concerned about being able to continue.”
Undergraduate Researcher Published
“It was not until this past summer while in an internship position at the Hollings Marine Laboratory with the College of Charleston that I began noticing a recurring visible discoloration on the shell of a large number of the blue crabs that were brought into the laboratory.” Nick Burnett is a freshman biology major at the University of South Carolina. His article was published in Issue 6, Fall 2008 of MarSci, the first online journal dedicated to undergraduate research in marine and aquatic science.
Grice Scientist Appears on the Today Show
Grice lab director Dr. Lou Burnett and Pacific University collaborator Dr. David Scholnick appeared on the NBC Today Show to talk about their work on shrimp physiology using a treadmill that has been made famous on the internet through YouTube. They are interesting in how disease processes can influence performance in shrimp and other crustaceans. They appeared on two segments of the show. Click to view:
Segment 1 Segment 2