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October 31, 2007

Highlights

• Jennifer Francis was quoted in a New York Times article by Andrew Revkin on 10/2/07 entitled, "Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts." http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/science/earth/02arct.html?_r=1&oref=slogin (or click here to read)
• Jennifer Francis appeared on the MSNBC TV live morning news show on 18 October to discuss the recent dramatic loss in Arctic sea ice.
• On October 17-18, 2007, The Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve sponsored a joint conference on LiDAR (light detection and ranging).
  The conference engaged speakers from remote locations (such as South Dakota and Montana) using video conferencing and webex technologies. A diverse group of attendees representing county government, NJDEP, academic institutions, planning commissions, soil conservation districts, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Delaware River Basin Commission, and the Navy, received information on the collection, analysis and use of LiDAR data. Contact Scott Haag for more details.
• Liz Sikes presented the talk "Missing SINK: Carbon Dioxide and the Ocean Connection" at the Liberty Science Center Saturday Oct 27. This is the second in a series of lectures that are a partnership between Rutgers and the Science Center, funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The talk series also has two hour professional development workshops that coordinate with the talks presented to distribute lesson plans and materials that will help bring the ocean back to the K-12 classroom. Sindia Sosdian assisted with the workshop. Janice McDonnell runs the program with assistance from Sage Lichtenwalner.
• Karen Bemis has been appointed the Site Coordinator for the Endeavour Integrated Study Site of the Ridge 2000 program. The Integrated Study Sites (ISS) are places of focused multidisciplinary (biological to geophysical) research along selected mid-oceanic ridge segments. The Endeavour ISS is on the Juan de Fuca Ridge off of northwestern US and Canada. Karen also participated in the InterRidge sponsored Theoretical Institute this fall (Biogeochemical Interaction at Deep Sea Vents) and presented a paper at IUGG in Perugia, Italy this summer entitled "Implications of lazy plumes for entrainment of vent larvae into seafloor hydrothermal plumes."
• Peter Rona presented an invited keynote talk, "Ocean Exploration and Discovery Near and Far," at the Annual New Jersey Science Convention on October 10 at the NJ Convention Center in Somerset. He presented ongoing discoveries in Hudson Canyon and on ocean ridges and promoted the film, "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea," as a classroom teaching resource.
• Adam Kustka was the seminar speaker at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (Division of Biology and Paleo Environment), presenting, “Mechanisms of iron uptake in diatoms: Kinetics, gene expression and the potential for
  niche differentiation.” October 26.
• Jennifer Francis gave an invited talk entitled, "Atmospheric Drivers of Arctic Sea Ice Variability" at a workshop on Recent High-Latitude Climate Change in Seattle, WA, Oct. 22-24, 2007.
• Mike Kennish was quoted in the Asbury Park Press article by Kirk Moore entitled, "Environmental chief: Barnegat Bay pollution needs action." Mike Kennish continues to stress the need to chart and monitor increasing levels of nitrogen compounds found in the Barnegat Bay. Click here to read.
• Mike Kennish was quoted in an article by Todd Bates appearing in the October 8, 2007 Asbury Park Press entitled, "Different theories offered for fish kills." To read the article click here.
• Alan Robock gave an invited presentation, "Climatic consequences of nuclear conflict-nuclear winter is still a threat" (Nuclear Weapons: The Final Pandemic Preventing Proliferation and Achieving Abolition, Royal Society of Medicine, London, England, October 3-4, 2007).

Meetings Attended

• Mike De Luca chaired a policy session at the annual meeting of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). Mike Chairs the Legislative Committee for NERRA, is a member of the NOAA Visioning team for CZMA reauthorization, and serves on the CZMA workgroup of the Coastal States Organization.
• Adam Kustka attended the “Frontiers in Geobiology Workshop” at the Academy of Sciences, Göttingen, Germany October 12-14, presenting “Iron uptake strategies of marine phytoplankton and a Gedankenexperiment on the
  differential effects of ocean acidification.” Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
• Adam Kustka participated in the Aureococcus anophagefferens JGI Genome Annotation meeting, Southampton, NY October 3-5, presenting annotation efforts of the “metal metabolism” subgroup. Aureococcus is a harmful algal
  species responsible for brown tides plaguing NY, NJ and other mid-Atlantic states.
• Alan Robock represented Rutgers at the annual meeting of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, October 9-10, 2007. He also served on the UCAR President's Advisory Committee on University Relations, Boulder, Colorado, October 11, 2007.

New Grants

• Glenn, S. University of Washington, "ONR Glider Consortium." 01/01/06-10/01/08 ($218,782 additional funds)
• Guo, X. and Y. Wang. Validation of disease-resistance markers for marker-assisted selection in the eastern oyster. NOAA Sea Grant Oyster Disease Research Program, 6/1/07 – 5/31/08, ($139,110).
• Guo, X. An automated genetic analyzer for shellfish genetics and breeding. Rutgers University SEBS and NJAES Competitive Intramural Awards Program, Research Infrastructure Awards 2007, ($65,000).
• Guo, X. USDA NRAC via University of Maine, "Cross-breeding and field trials of disease-resistant eastern oysters." 6/16/07 - 6/15/08, ($15,120).
• Kennish, M. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Bluefish Research Program XI." 10/01/07-09/30/08 ($602,985)
• Kohut, J. Plangere Foundation, "Long Duration Glider Missions." 03/15/07 ($125,000)
• Kustka, A. National Science Foundation, "Collaborative Research: Iron Storage in Diatoms and N2 Fixing Cyanobacteria." 09/01/07-08/31/10 ($317,467)
• McDonnell, J. National Science Foundation, "Collaborative Proposal: COSEE (Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence-Networked Ocean)." 09/15/07-08/31/09 ($460,001)
• Schofield, O. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, "Bioinformatic Mapping of Biogeochemical Provinces." 05/01/06-04/30/09 ($162,991 additional funds)
• Seitzinger, S. University of Maryland, "SFP2006: Measuring & Modeling Nutrient Uptake in Florida Bay." 06/01/06-05/31/08 ($21,951 additional funds)
• Sherrell, R. American Association for the Advancement of Science, "Reconstructing Nutrient Histories of Biscayne & Dry Tortugas National Park Coral Reef Environments." 09/19/07-09/18/10 ($40,000)

Publications

• Cardona-Marek, T., J. Schaefer, K. Ellickson, T. Barkay, and J.R. Reinfelder (in press) Mercury speciation, reactivity, and bioavailability in a highly contaminated estuary, Berry`s Creek, New Jersey Meadowlands, U.S.A., Environ. Sci. Technol.
• Francis, Jennifer, Tony Broccoli, Kristy Dahl, David Robinson, and Alan Robock, 2007: Global warning, not whining. (Letter to Editor) Daily Targum, 140, No. 16 (Sept. 25), 10-11.
• Francis, J.A. and E. Hunter, 2007: Changes in the Fabric of the Arctic's Greenhouse Blanket. Environmental Research Letters.
• Jenny, M. J., R. W. Chapman, A. Mancia, Y.A. Chen, D. J. McKillen, H. Trent, P. Lang, J.-M. Escoubas, E. Bachere, V. Boulo, Z. J. Liu, P. S. Gross, C. Cunningham, P. M. Cupit, A. Tanguy, X. Guo, D. Moraga, I. Boutet, A. Huvet, S. D. Guise, J. S. Almeida, G. W. Warr. A cDNA microarray for Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas. Marine Biotechnology, 9, 577–591.
• Quilang, J., S. Wang, P. Li, J. Abernathy, E. Peatman, Y. Wang, L. Wang, Y. Shi, R. Wallace, X. Guo, and Z. Liu. 2007. Generation and analysis of ESTs from the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica Gmelin and identification of microsatellite and SNP markers. BMC Genomics, 8:157.
• Qin, Y., X. Liu, H. Zhang, G., Zhang, X. Guo. 2007. Identification and mapping of AFLP markers linked to shell color in bay scallop, Argopecten irradians (Lamarck, 1819). Marine Biotechnology , 9:66-73.
• Shi, T., Sun, Y., Falkowski, P. G. 2007. Effects of iron limitation on the expression of metabolic genes in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum IMS101. Environmental Microbiology 9(12): 2945-2956.
• Wang, L., L. Song, H. Zhang, Q. Gao and X. Guo. 2007. Genetic linkage map of bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck 1819). Aquaculture Research 38 (4):409-419.
• Wang, Y. and X. Guo. 2007. Chromosomal mapping of major ribosomal rRNA genes in the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Marine Biology, 150:1183-1189.
• Wang, Y. and X. Guo. Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Marine Biotechnology, 9, 500–511.

Student News

• On October 18th, Grant Law successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation, “The impacts of spatial and temporal variability of larval transport on the distribution and population dynamics of the sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus).” Congratulations Grant!
• Donglai Gong and Brian Gaas, students from our Graduate Program in Oceanography, were kind enough to volunteer their time and efforts on October 13th to host a large group of parents as part of SEBS parents weekend. Thanks to Donglai and Brian the parents were not only able to tour IMCS, they were also given insight on what it was actually like to be a student here.
• Ms. Hong Yu and Mr. Haiyang Yu has joined Ximing Guo’s group at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory as visiting students in October. They are both Ph.D. students at Ocean University of China and recipients of oversea scholarships from China’s Scholarship Council.
• Jacklyn Taylor, a graduate student at Haskins Shellfish Research Laboratory working under the guidance of David Bushek, was selected as a 2008 Knauss Fellowship Finalist. Jacklyn is currently working on her thesis entitled "Secondary Ecological Benefits of Oyster Fishery Enhancement in Delaware Bay." The Knauss fellowship will give Jaclyn the opportunity to experience working in Washington DC with mentors in legislative or executive branches of government in policy making and management roles. Congratulations Jacklyn!

  Graduate students working in any marine and aquatic-related fields are eligible to apply for the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship 2009, a New Jersey Sea Grant Program. Application details can be found at: www.seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss/ The application deadline is February 29, 2008. Please contact Ms. Jenny McCormick Laiso, NJ Sea Grant Program (jlaiso@njmsc.org 732-872-1300, ext. 24) with any questions you may have.

  Fellowship Highlights
  • One Year PAID Fellowship in Washington D.C.
  • Unique Experience in Coastal Resources & National Policy
  • Work in the Legislative or Executive Branch of Government

Let's Welcome

Yan Wang from Hainan University is visiting the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, working with Ximing Guo on marker development and comparative genome mapping.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Gordon Zhang and his wife Jing Chen, proud parents of baby boy Ray Yanrui Zhang! Ray was born on October 10, 2007 at 8:29am, 7 pounds 19.5 inches.