Tag: Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

Pregnant Shark Migration Tracked from Space

This spring, Forbes Magazine published an article on an amazing international collaboration.

For the first time, researchers have been able to record in near real-time the migration of a pregnant scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador to Isla del Coco in Costa Rica, located over 435 miles (700 kilometers) away.

This collaboration: the Charles Darwin Foundation’s shark ecology project, the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center, and Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University (USA) have teamed up to study the migrations and population genetics of the world’s largest scalloped hammerhead shark aggregation.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are a globally endangered species. It inhabits different habitats throughout its life cycle, making information about their movement and use of habitat disjointed at best. Enter a special hammerhead shark: Cassiopeia. Measuring about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long, this pregnant female was tagged in February of this year during an expedition to Darwin Island.

Satellite tracking data revealed that after swimming north of Darwin Island for about 10 days, Cassiopeia started swimming eat until she reached Isla del Coco. The trek Cassiopeia made between the two islands means she covered around 390 nautical miles (700 km) in just under 14 days, travelling an approximate of 28 nm (50 km) per day. While previous studies have documented inter-island movements of hammerheads using passive acoustic tags, the tags weren’t able to capture the precise pathways the sharks would take. With satellite tags, scientists were able to see exactly the route she went.

HCAS biology faculty member Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center stated, “The data being collected in this study will be key for establishing a flexible management system that provides this protection at precisely the right places and times.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2021/05/04/migration-of-a-pregnant-hammerhead-shark-documented-from-space/?sh=1b7e8fba5256

 

Halmos College Student Wins Prestigious National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fellowship

Rose Leeger

This spring, Halmos College Marine Biology, Environmental Science, and Biology Major Rose Leeger was awarded the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions Undergraduate Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship is only awarded to eight undergraduates per year.

Ms. Leeger is a member of the Farquhar Honors College and is currently conducting research with HCAS faculty member J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. on mosquitofish population dynamics in the everglades.

The EPP MSI Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and students complete an 11 week paid ($700/week) summer internship and training at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, between May and July of the first summer. During the second summer, students complete a 10 week paid internships at NOAA facilities across the country. The internships provide the scholars with hands-on, practical experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities. Students are paid a stipend and receive a housing allowance during summer internships. Student scholarship recipients attend a two-week orientation at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, and begin their first summer internship in early June. At the end of both summer internships, students present the results of their projects at the annual Education and Science Symposium, scientific conferences where students present their research, in Silver Spring, MD (travel expenses paid).

EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov)

 

Families Dive Deep Into Germs at Alvin Sherman Library

This winter term, HCAS biology faculty member Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D. gave a presentation for the Alvin Sherman Library entitled, “Germs: Good Guys or Bad Guys” as part of their Family Deep Dives series. She taught kids and their families about different types of germs, where they can be found, how to protect themselves from bad germs and the benefits of good germs.

The Deep Dive Series allows families learn and explore together. They can get the inside story and Q&A time with experts in science, history, community services, and more. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

University School Alumni shares Danny Lewin Best Student Paper Award 2021

Danny Lewin

This year, University School alumni won the Danny Lewin Best Student Paper Award 2021 from SIGACT (Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory). SIGACT is an international organization which promotes the discovery and dissemination of high quality research in theoretical computer science.

While he was a student at the University School that took a number of mathematics courses with us as a high school student.  Afterwards he went to Cal Tech.  Zachary is now a D. Phil. student in Mathematics at Oxford working in the area of additive combinatorics where he has been quite productive.

Two of the department’s faculty were especially remembered by Zachary.  “Having the opportunity to take NSU courses while a U-School student was crucial to my development as a mathematician. Beyond elementary number theory and differential equations increasing my passion for mathematics, I was introduced to proof writing, which made the transition to undergraduate courses significantly easier. The encouragement of Professors Ricardo Carrera and Evan Haskell was especially helpful to my career.”

 

 

Halmos Faculty Reappointed as Federal Fisheries Advisor

In January 2021, Halmos faculty member David Kerstetter, Ph.D. was reappointed as Technical Advisor to the U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee (IAC). The IAC meets twice per year, usually in the Washington, D.C. region. Kerstetter has been serving on the committee as a Member or Technical Advisor since 2007.

This is a federally appointed position that helps set U.S. international management and

David Kerstetter, Ph.D.

policy positions in the Atlantic. ICCAT is the international fishery management organization for all Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS), including tunas, billfish, swordfish, and open-ocean sharks like our mascot’s shortfin mako.  The U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee is charged with helping formulate our international policy towards the management of these species, and only 20 member appointments are made over two-year terms to represent the various U.S. HMS commercial, recreational, environmental, and scientific constituencies.  As you know, my lab works primarily with HMS fishes and the commercial HMS fisheries, including being one of the founding members of the Pelagic Ecosystem Research Consortium funded by NOAA Sea Grant.

HCAS Marine Science Faculty Receive NSF Support to Create an International Coral Reef Learning Experience in Australia

Two of the newest members of the NSU Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences faculty have just received funding from the National Science Foundation. Assistant Professors Lauren Nadler, Ph.D. and Tyler Cyronak, Ph.D. received funding to create an international research experience for graduate students in Australia.

These Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) are funded by the NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program and will entail annual international trips between 2022-2025, with a cohort of 10 diverse coral reef graduate students each year. The ASIs will foster a holistic, transdisciplinary understanding of coral reef research and the future impacts of local and global anthropogenic change. The 3-week field portion of the course will take place in Far North Queensland at iconic field stations in the Atherton Tablelands and on the Great Barrier Reef. This unique setting where the ‘rainforest meets the reef’ is the only place where two world UNESCO World Heritage sites meet: the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. Potential students should look forward to more information about how to apply for a competitive spot in the near future.

HCAS Students Research Recognized at Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting

Last month, HCAS marine science graduate students Brittany Savercool and Sean Wilms were honored with the “Best Student Poster-Runner Up” and the annual meeting of the Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. The poster was entitled, “Preliminary Trials to Assess Bycatch Reduction Potential for Deep-Set Pelagic Longline Gear in the U.S. Atlantic Fishery”. Their advisor is Marine and Environmental Science faculty member David Kerstetter, Ph.D.

The Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society was established in 1980 as the result of a number of dedicated Florida fisheries scientists, who were active members of the parent society, deciding that networking with each other would strengthen fisheries management and research in the sunshine state.

Most Chapter members come from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, various universities (including UF, FSU, UM, UCF, USF, UNF, FIT, FAU, and NSU among others), and the Federal Government (for example, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Forest Service). However, we welcome individuals from commercial aquaculture, commercial fisheries, fishing guides, tournament fishermen, outdoor writers, manufacturers/retailers of fisheries products and anyone else interested in enhancing and sustaining Florida fisheries.

Chapter Meeting

Air Show Camera Crew May Have Damaged Sea Oat Sanctuary

Air show camera crew

Sea oats

Two years ago, Fort Lauderdale used a $5,000 dune grant from Broward County to plant 6,500 sea oats along a five-block section of State Road A1A in front of Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. The weekend of May 8-9, this protected area was trampled by several TV cameramen and reporters covering the Fort Lauderdale Air Show.

Halmos College of Arts and Sciences environmental faculty member J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. was interviewed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about the potential damage to the sea oats.

“Even if the stems are not damaged, you can still damage the root network,” he said. “I think a lot of people do ignorantly walk on them and think they are not going to do any harm. Maybe the [camera crews] thought that getting a shot from a certain angle outweighed protecting the sea oats.”

An onlooker took pictures all day on Saturday of camera crews standing on the roped-off sand dunes potentially damaging the protected plants. Sea oats are protected under regulations of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Their seeds cannot be collected without a permit and the plants cannot be cut back or removed. It was unknown if the air show incident damaged the sea oats. If it did, the damage might not be visible.

A Fort Lauderdale official said the city plans to send an expert out to check on whether the sea oats were damaged. Hoch stated that, “New sea oats can be planted but it takes them about two years to get back to where they can do what they need to do with shoreline protection.”

Alumna Thanks NSU for Helping Her Find the Right Career Path

Safiyah Muhammad

This May, Safiyah Muhammad graduated with her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Graduating from NSU’s Halmos Colleges of Arts and Sciences in 2016 with a chemistry major, Muhammad’s Ph.D. thesis was entitled, “Cobalt Catalyst for Parahydrogen Induced Hyperpolarization of Olefins.” She has accepted a job at Dow.

Safiyah says her time here at NSU was foundational.

“I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to attend Nova Southeastern University; the Trustee Scholarship that I received allowed me to complete my coursework without any financial stress. It was during my time at NSU that I attended my first chemistry course and fell in love with it. The structure of the classes at NSU really allowed me to fully immerse myself in the material I was studying and to get to know the faculty,” she said. “Without the amazing mentoring of the faculty members, I never would have switched my major from marine biology to chemistry, nor would I have known about the opportunities that are available to chemists after completion of their degree. I owe a great deal of my success to my time at NSU and will forever be proud to call NSU my Alma Mater. Fins up!”

Alumnae Projects Put Marine Bacteria Under the Microscope

We are familiar with the catch phrases “Light my fire” and “Fins up.”  They now fit very well with two new NSU publications in the scientific journal Frontiers of Marine Science and Frontiers of Microbiology, respectively.

The papers were written by two HCAS alumni: Rachael Storo (formerly Karns) and Alexis Berger. The papers focus on their master’s theses and are published in peer reviewed journals with the guidance of their mentor, HCAS biology Professor Jose (Joe) Lopez, Ph.D.

The two projects share a commonality with their focus on marine microbial symbionts, which represent the beneficial or neutral bacteria that live with or on most eukaryotes (multicellular organisms).  For example, some bacterial symbionts help digest food in the guts many animals, or procure nitrogen for plants.

Using the latest molecular genetics and statistical tools, Storo investigated the composition of bacteria at four different anatomical locales (gills, teeth, skin, cloaca) from five different shark species found in South Florida waters (nurse, lemon, sandbar, Caribbean reef, and tiger). Her findings showed that the teeth microbiota may have been the most distinct communities across the different locales. The data can provide useful bacterial identification for shark bites (as well as bytes) in the future.

In a completely different animal system but no less charismatic, Berger aimed to test the hypothesis that bacterial symbionts generated light for the pelagic (floating) invertebrate called “pyrosomes”. These tunicate animals were aptly named because they can light up the oceans with their self-generated bioluminescence. This phenomenon of glowing can be a fairly common trait among organisms living at depth. The recently completed DEEPEND project assisted in the collection of pyrosomes in blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

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