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April 30, 2009

Highlights
Congratulations to three of our faculty on receiving tenure! Dave Bushek has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Liz Sikes continues as an Associate Professor, now with tenure. Cisco Werner, Director, has received tenure as Professor I. Click on names for research interests.
 
Rutgers Day
The first all-University Rutgers Day held on Saturday, April 25, 2009, was a spectacular success. The crowd was enormous; the weather was perfect; and our marine science presence was quite impressive. There were marine science activities for all ages, which attracted a large contingent of parents and kids. Special thanks to the GPO Graduate Student Association and the graduate students who helped with various activities; to Janice, Scott, and Josh, the students in their classes, and the COOL staff for their educational activities and glider deployment in Passion Puddle; to Bob Chant and graduate student helpers for the wave tank demonstrations of estuarine flow; and to Peter Rona for presenting Volcanoes of the Deep. Thanks to all of those above and to anyone I might have missed for their help in making it a great day.
Jim Miller, Chair DMCS
Christening for RU27
On March 23, 2009, Scott Glenn, Oscar Schofield and Josh Kohut of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hosted the Christening of RU27 aka “Scarlet Knight II.” Members of the Coastal Ocean Observation Lab along with undergraduate students have deployed this glider off Atlantic City for its voyage cross the Atlantic Ocean, from New Jersey to Europe. You can follow the journey of the Scarlet Knight II by clicking on the link http://rucool.marine.rutgers.edu/atlantic/
9th Annual Shore Bowl Competition
At 7:00 am on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 eleven high school teams from New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania met at Busch Campus Center in Piscataway to compete for a chance to be crowned Shore Bowl Champions as part of the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB). The NOSB is a nationally recognized academic competition that provides a forum for high school students to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.
The morning started with a series of round robin matches to decide which eight teams would then move on to the double elimination rounds. By the time the Championship round came along the Marine Academy of Science and Technology of Sandy Hook (MAST A) and Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences of Manahawkin (MATES B) challenged each other for the title. First place went to MAST A who remained undefeated the entire day. Second place went to MATES B and third place went to MAST B.
In April, MAST A headed to Washington D.C. to defend their title in the NOSB Finals, won by Marshfield (WI) High School. We congratulate all of the teams, and thank the many volunteers from IMCS and JC NERR that volunteered their time.
  • A joint resolution calling for the state legislature to convene hearings on the complex issues facing Barnegat Bay has advanced. Cousteau Reserve staff worked with members of the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program and several state legislators to draft the resolution which has led to renewed visibility and identification of resources to restore bay health. Legislators have called for hearings and have begun to identify long-term, stable sources of funding to advance research, monitoring and stewardship of Barnegat Bay to ensure that this natural resource is protected for future generations.
  • Congressman Adler met with IMCS administrators, fishery scientists and representatives of the fishing industry on March 28th to discuss pressing fishery management issues facing New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region. Mr. Adler will be visiting IMCS facilities in the 3rd district in the near future to learn about programs and services conducted at the Marine Field Station and Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve.
  • Five ocean bills were passed by Congress on March 25th. These include authorization measures for Ocean Mapping, Ocean Acidification, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, Ocean Exploration and National Undersea Research Program, and Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program. IMCS staff assisted in the drafting of the latter three bills. The bill, which includes funding to acquire vast acreages of land for conservation, has been sent to the President for signature.
  • Cisco Werner and Mike De Luca recently visited with legislators in Washington, D.C., to discuss key marine and coastal programs, and to solicit support for establishment of a Cooperative Research Unit for New Jersey. The Unit, a state-federal partnership program, would provide resources to support research and training on fish and wildlife management issues.
  • Liz Sikes and Michelle Hardee participated in a cruise on the New Zealand Oceanographic vessel RV Tangaroa Jan 27 to February 5. The objective was to measure the response to light and nutrients in the productivity of the coccolithophorids and the temperature recording biomarkers that they produce. The work was in collaboration with Brian Popp at the University of Hawaii and was a piggy back project on the New Zealand cruise which was measuring summer conditions at the mooring site of two sediment traps in subpolar and subtropical waters while collecting and re-deploying the traps. The IMCS work will become part of a 10-year time series for the mooring site. Liz and Michelle posted weblog entries while at sea. See the IMCS blog for details of their ocean-going experience.
  • Marine Field Station (RUMFS) personnel reported finding a Chinese Mitten Crab on March 5, 2009 from a fyke netter they are working with in the Navesink River. Chinese Mitten Crabs are native to East Asia, and could have negative ecological and economic impacts. Mitten Crabs are already established invaders in Europe and on the West Coast of the United States. The crab has been reported to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and will be sent to that facility to aid in research on this species.
  • Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) hosted NOAA’s Coastal Services Project Design and Evaluation Course on March 25 and 26. Over 35 coastal resource management and education professionals attended this course at the JC NERR Coastal Center in Tuckerton. The course provided the knowledge, skills, and tools to design and implement projects that have measurable impacts on targeted audiences. Attendees were shown how to increase the effectiveness of their projects by including measurable objectives, out-come focused project evaluation and appropriate design theory to their project designs.
  • The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA), in association with Rutgers Pinelands Field Station, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR), Drexel Bioscience and Biotechnology Department, and the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, hosted the first in a series of science-policy forums on February 4, 2009. Topics covered included fire ecology, water quality, water quantity and landscape ecology. A second forum on water quality is scheduled for fall 2009.
  • Peter Rona organized a hands-on workshop presenting the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS) on April 9th at IMCS. Participants included 15 graduate students, faculty and staff in oceanography, environmental sciences and geological sciences. Dr. Andrew Goodwillie, a lead developer of MGDS at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, demonstrated the power of MGDS in linking to and visualizing data from a wide range of oceanographic databases including seafloor relief (GeoMapApp), water column properties, and sea surface observations at continental margins and in ocean basins. Participants were unanimous - the workshop provided valuable new tools immediately useful for their research. Peter thanks Donglai Gong for encouraging graduate student participation. Peter Rona was quoted in an Associated Press story on the Marine Mining of Seafloor Massive Sulfides workshop at Woods Hole, 1-2 April 2009. You can read more of "Technology opens promise, perils of ocean mining" at Yahoo website http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_us/sci_deep_ocean_mining or click here.
  • Oscar Schofield was quoted in the article "Rutgers documenting Antarctic climate shift" by Kirk Moore of the Asbury Park Press, March 4, 2009. Several of his photographs were also used. To read, click here.
  • The Annual Volunteer Recognition Program honoring the men and women who devoted their time, talent and stewardship in support of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve mission was held on March 6, 2009. These dedicated volunteers have provided over 1588 hours of support at the Coastal Center, Life on the Edge Exhibit and the Rutgers University Marine Field Station in 2008.
    The Volunteer of the Year plaque was awarded to newcomer Astrida Sinteff. Also honored were volunteers Al Morgan and Marilyn Carpenter who dedicated 500 hours and Steve Zeck, Rose Faiss and Helen Zaengle who each volunteered over 1000 hours. Twenty-seven new volunteers were recruited during 2008 to support education, research and CTP programs.
  • Jennifer Francis was interviewed by Kirk Moore for the Asbury Park Press. The article "Rutgers researcher: Complex patterns affect changing sea ice," appeared in the March 4, 2009 issue. To read, click here.
  • Fred Grassle was interviewed by Patrick Regan for "Polar Sea Life" and "Seafloor Explorer," both of which aired on NJN News. Click on link to view: http://www.njn.net/newspublicaffairs/science/
  • Anthony Broccoli gave the following invited presentations: 1. "What Can We Learn from the Meridional Overturning Circulation During the Last Glacial Maximum?" in Centre for Global Change Science Distinguished Lecturer Series, University of Toronto, March 2009. 2. "Climate Change and Its Impact on Water Suppliers and Purveyors" at New Jersey Section, American Water Works Association, seminar on climate change and sustainability ("Changing Climate: Adapting a Sustainable Approach for Your Utility"), Rutgers EcoComplex, Bordentown, NJ, February 2009. He also served as 1. moderator for a panel discussion on climate change and hurricanes at a symposium entitled "The Climate Ahead: Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events," Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, April 2009; 2. interviewer for Honors Interview Day, SEBS General Honors Program, Rutgers University, March 2009; and 3. Invited panelist in NJPIRG Global Warming Solutions Panel, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, April 2009.
  • Alan Robock gave the following presentations and invited lectures:
    • "The Global Soil Moisture Data Bank and Scales of Soil Moisture Variations with Applications to Network Design" at the Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature Observations and Applications: A Joint U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) - National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Workshop, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 3-5, 2009.
    • On "Smoke and Mirrors: Is Geoengineering a Solution to Global Warming?": NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, February 23, 2009; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 5, 2009; Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, March 17, 2009; South Dakota State University, Brookings, March 30, 2009; University of South Dakota, Vermillion, March 31, 2009 (Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture); University of North Carolina, Asheville, April 6, 2009 (Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture); NOAA National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, April 7, 2009; Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, April 7, 2009 (Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture)
    • On "Global warming is real, and what you can do about it": South Dakota State University, Brookings, March 30, 2009 and South Dakota State University, Vermillion, March 31, 2009 (Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture)
    • On "Global warming and global conflict": Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey, April 2, 2009
    • On "Climatic Consequences of Nuclear Conflict": California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, February 24, 2009; Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, April 8, 2009 (Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture); Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, April 10, 2009
  • Joanna Burger and Michael Gochfeld participated in a week-long series of workshops on Occupational Health and Ecological Risk Assessment at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshops, organized by Mark Robson, included giving a series of lectures on general principles and specific problems in EOH as well as formal and informal meetings with graduate students. The workshops are sponsored under the International Training and Research in Environmental and Occupational Health program of the National Institute of Health’s Fogarty Foundation for international capacity building through a grant to UMDNJ-School of Public Health (Mark Robson PI; Burger & Gochfeld co-PIs). The trip also included field work to assess the potential for research on pesticide and other chemical exposure (including from fish consumption).

Meetings Attended

  • Peter Rona was an invited participant in the workshop, "Deep-Sea Mining of Seafloor Massive Sulfides: A Reality for Science and Society in the 21st Century," held at WHOI 1-2 April 2009. His presentation addressed an exploration gap in discovery of large Seafloor Massive Sulfide (SMS) deposits. Peter Rona served on the National Research Council Research Associateship Programs panel (Engineering, Applied Science & Math) meeting held 9-10 March at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California.
  • Mike Kennish attended the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society Conference in Ocean City, Maryland from March 5-7 and gave the following presentation: "Seagrass Decline in a New Jersey Coastal Lagoon: A Response to Increasing Eutrophication." Mike Kennish also gave the following two presentations at the Atlantic County Environmental Stewards Program in Atlantic City on March 18: 1. "Human Activities, Global Warming, and the New Jersey Coast," and 2. "Human Activities and Impacts on Estuarine and Coastal Marine Environments of New Jersey."
  • Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) recently co-hosted the Seaboard Fisheries Institute 1st Symposium on Atlantic Sturgeon. The symposium focused on the challenges and opportunities for enhancing an understanding of Atlantic sturgeon population dynamics and ecology with an appreciation that such understanding is critical for developing restoration strategies for the species. The 3-day symposium provided a unique opportunity for nearly 90 scientists, resource managers, industry representatives, nonprofits, and government officials from the Delaware Estuary region and U.S. eastern seaboard to come together, fostering a coast-wide perspective and approach. Lisa Calvo, JC NERR Watershed Coordinator, and Symposium organizer notes “this level of interests highlights that the time is right to move forward in building a constituency and knowledge base to support the recovery of this significant species.”

New Grants

  • Arango, Hernan. Office of Naval Research, "A Community Terrain-Following Ocean Modeling System (ROMS/TOMS)," ($121,000 Addnl).
  • Arango, Hernan. Office of Naval Research, "Characterization and Modeling of the Lombok Strait Dynamics Using the ROMS 4DVAR," ($100,000 Addnl).
  • Broccoli, Anthony. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Change Data and Detection Program,"Towards an Improved Understanding of Simulated and Observed Changes in Extreme Precipitation." 6/01/ 09-5/31/12, ($309,000).
  • Glenn, Scott. Stevens Institute of Technology, "The National Center for Secure and Resilient Maritime Commerce and Coastal Environments." 7/1/08-6/30/09, ($430,00).
  • Robock, Alan. National Science Foundation, "Research Experience for Undergraduates," (supplement to grant ATM-0730452, 2/01/09 - 1/31/10, $5,000).
  • Schofield, Oscar. Marine Biological Lab, Palmer, Antarctica: Long-Term Ecological Research "Looking Back in Time through Marine Ecosystem Space," 9/1/08 - 8/31/09, ($112, 775).
  • Vetriani, Costa (P.I.) and Bini, E. (Co-P.I.). National Science Foundation-MCB (Metabolic Biochemistry): "Transcriptional analysis of the deep-sea vent Epsilonproteobacterium, Caminibacter mediatlanticus, in response to different growth conditions." 3/15/09-3/31/12. ($373,721).

Publications

  • Able, K.W., G. Sakowicz, and J. Lamonaca. 2009. Scale formation in selected fundulid and cyprinodontid fishes. Ichthyological Research 56:1-9.
  • Able, K.W. and M.C. Curran. 2008. Winter mortality in some temperate young-of-the-year fishes. Bulletin of the New Jersey Academy of Science 53(2):1-5.
  • Avery, L., P.A. Ramey, R. and Wilson, R. New Polygordiidae (Polychaeta) from the Australian Region. Zootaxa (accepted)
  • Brun N., V.M. Bricelj, T. MacRae, N. Ross, 2009. Acquisition of thermotolerance in bay scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians, via differential induction of heat shock proteins. Journal Experimental Marine Biology Ecology 371: 77-83.
  • Cermeno, P., R.P. Dutkiewiczm Harris, M. Follows, O. Schofied, P. Falkowski. 2008. The role of nutricline depth in regulating the ocean carbon cycle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(51): 20344-20349.
  • Crespo-Medina, M., A.D. Chatziefthimiou, N.S. Bloom, G.W. Luther, D.D. Wright, J.R. Reinfelder, C. Vetriani, and T. Barkay. 2009. Adaptation of Chemosynthetic Bacteria to Elevated Mercury Concentrations in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents. Limnol. Ocean. 54:41-49.
  • Johnson, M.D., J. J.V. Volker, H.V. Moellera, E. Lawsc, J. Breslauer, P.G. Falkowski. 2009. Universal constant for heat production in protists . Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0902005106
  • Kristiansen, T., R.G. Lough, F.E. Werner, E.A. Broughton, L.J. Buckley. 2009. Individual-based modeling of feeding ecology and prey selection of larval cod on Georges Bank. Marine Ecology Progress Series 376:227-243.
  • Lachmayr, K.L., L. Kerkhof, A.G. DiRienzo, C.M. Cavanaugh, T.E. Ford. 2009. Quantifying nonspecific TEM B-Lactamase (blaTEM) genes in a wastewater stream. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 75: 203-211. 0099-2240/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128A/AEM.01254-08.
  • MacQuarrie, S.P., V.M. Bricelj, 2008 Behavioral and physiological responses to PSP toxins in Mya arenaria populations in relation to previous exposure to red tides. Marine Ecology Progress Series 366: 59-74.
  • Montes-Hugo, M., S.C. Doney, H.W. Ducklow, W. Fraser, D. Martinson, S. Stammerjohn, O. Schofield. 2009. Recent changes in phytoplankton communities associated with rapid regional climate change along the West Antarctic Peninsula . Science. 323:1470-1474. 10.1126/science.1164533.
  • Peterson, C. H., K.W. Able, C.F. DeJong, M.F. Piehler, C.A. Simenstad, and J.B. Zedler. 2008. Practical proxies for tidal marsh ecosystem services: Application to injury and restoration . Pp. 221-266 /in/ D. W. Sims (ed.) Advances in Marine Biology, Vol. 54. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA
  • Rangwala, I., J.R. Miller, M. Xu. 2009. Warming in the Tibetan Plateau: Possible influences of the changes in surface water vapor. Geophysical Research Letters. Vol. 36, L06703, doi:10.1029/2009GL037245
  • Robock, A., C.M. Ammann, L. Oman, D. Shindell, S. Levis, and G. Stenchikov, 2009. Did the Toba volcanic eruption of ~74k BP produce widespread glaciation? J. Geophys. Res., 114, doi:10.1029/2008JD011652, in press.
  • Rona, P.A.and C.D. Jones. 2009. Acoustic scintillation thermography, Editors J. H. Steele, K.K. Turekian, S. Thorpe, Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Second Edition), Elsevier, 3430-3433.
  • Sebastian, M. and J.W. Ammerman. The alkaline phosphatase PhoX is more widely distributed in marine bacteria than the classical PhoA . The ISME Journal doi:10.1038/ismej.2009.10
  • Sikes, E.L., W.R. Howard, C.R. Samson, T.S. Mahan, L.G. Robertson, and J.K. Volkman. 2009. Southern Ocean seasonal temperature and Subtropical Front movement on the South Tasman Rise in the late Quaternary. Paleoceanography, 24, PA2201, doi:10.1029/2008PA001659
  • Vasslides, J. and K.W. Able. 2008. Abundance and diet of three sciaenid fishes in southern New Jersey: an assessment of habitat value for shoreface sand ridges. Bulletin New Jersey Academy of Science 53(1):1-8.
  • Wiebe, P.H., R.P. Harris, M.A. St. John, F.E. Werner and B. de Young. (Eds.) 2009. BASIN: Basin scale Analysis, Synthesis, and INtegration. Science Plan and Implementation Strategy. GLOBEC Report 27: 43pp.

Student News

  • Congratulations to Evan Randall-Goodwin, the 2009 winner of the Outstanding Senior Award. As an undergrad, Evan worked in the Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (COOL) with advisors Scott Glenn and Josh Kohut. After graduation, Evan will be heading to the University of California, Santa Cruz for graduate school.
  • Hui Liu successfully defended her dissertation “Evolution, Diversity, and Biogeography in Pelagic Microcalcifiers” on April 20, 2009. Members of her committee are: Dr. Colomban de Vargas (co-advisor), Dr. Costantino Vetriani (co-advisor), Dr. Marie-Pierre Aubry, Dr. Oscar M.E. Schofield & Dr. Stephane Aris-Brosou (University of Ottawa).
  • Katye Altieri successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation “Insights into the Molecular Level Chemical Composition, Sources, and Formation Mechanisms of Dissolved Organic Matter in Aerosols and Precipitation” on March 16, 2009. Members of her committee are: Dr. Sybil Seitzinger (advisor), Dr. Barbara Turpin, Dr. John Reinfelder, Dr. Paul Falkowski & Dr. Tim Jickells (University of East Anglia).
  • Joan Pravatiner was awarded research funds via the National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research Fellowship for the next three years.

Doug Zemeckis and Dave Bushek by the poster at NSA

Doug Zemeckis and Josh Kauffman explaining their work to one of the attendees

Marine Science undergraduate seniors Doug Zemeckis and Josh Kauffman each received $500 from the Aresty Research Center for Undergraduates at Rutgers, to present their research from last summer's REU experience at HSRL at the 101st Annual Meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association held in Savannah, GA, March 22-26. Their research involved determining whether or not a protozoan parasite of oysters is more likely to affect females than males based on gender rather than simply size of the oyster. Females are generally larger than males and the fishery selectively removes larger animals. If the disease also selectively removes females, then this could have important management implications. Results indicated no preference based on gender.

They also participated in the University-wide Aresty Undergraduate Research Symposium with over 350 presentations on April 24th at the Student Center on University Ave.

Let's Welcome

Aurora Elmore joins IMCS as a postdoctoral associate. She received her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Rutgers University this spring. Her dissertation was titled, "Late Pleistocene Changes in Northern Component Water: Inferences from Geochemical and Sedimentological Records from Gardar Drift," with Jim Wright as her supervisor. Aurora will be working with Liz Sikes using stable isotopes and radiocarbon analyses of benthic and planktonic foraminifera to track Southern Ocean ventilation rates since the Last Glacial Maximum. (ext. 539)

Congratulations

Congratulations to Kim Thamatrakoln (postdoc with Kay Bidle) on the birth of a healthy baby girl, Siena Kapalio Niheu, on April 13, 2009. Siena weighed 6 lbs 9 oz at birth. Mom, daughter and family are all doing well.