Dr. Jack DiTullio and Dr. Lou Burnett Comment on Oil Spill

When will the oil make it to South Carolina’s coast?  Nobody knows.  Dr. Jack DiTullio, College of Charleston professor and oceanographer, communicated the difficulty of predicting which way the oil may travel.  He explains how the physics of the ocean’s currents are erratic and quite complicated.  Numerous scientists are working around the clock in order to predict different scenarios of oil travel.  Dr. DiTullio believes that the winds would have to shift and come from the north in order for the oil to make it to South Carolina’s coast.

Dr. Louis Burnett, director of Grice Marine Laboratory and College of Charleston professor, has been named one of the College’s leading experts on the oil spill crisis.  On May 18, 2010 he attended the Senate Commerce Committee in Washington, DC regarding this environmental catastrophe.  Dr. Burnett expressed his concern for Charleston’s fragile marsh ecosystem, if the oil makes it further north.

Bermuda Research Voyage

Marine Biology Professor Dr. Gorka Sancho along with two geology professors, Dr Leslie Sautter and Dr. Scott Harris left for Bemuda on May 21, 2010. During this cruise, they will guide 16 college students through an indiviudal research project to investigate the southeast continental shelf or Gulf Stream. The voyage aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, a 134-foot sailing vessel, will take 5 weeks. In addition to their research projects, the students will learn how to sail this amazing ship. You may view the video below for a glimse of the ship and the adventures to come.

Congratulations 2010 GPMB Graduates!

On Friday May 7, 2010 the College of Charleston held its Graduate School Commencement Ceremony.  Jared Ragland was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate for this spring’s graduating class.  GPMB graduate Joe Pollock was featured in the CofC Graduate Class of 2010: Spotlight section for his accomplishments.  The following GPMB graduates received awards for their achievements:

Jonathan Craft (marine biology) was awarded the Link Foundation/Smithsonian Institution Graduate Fellowship and the Lerner-Gray Grant for Marine Science. He also received the Student Presentation Award at the 2010 Benthic Ecology Meeting.
Jason Ferrante (marine biology) received the Slocum-Lunz Foundation Award and the Graduate School Research Presentation Grant.
Megan Kent (marine biology) received a second-place Best Poster Award at the 2009 World Aquaculture Society Conference and the first-place Student Oral Presentation Award at the triennial Aquaculture 2010. She also received the National Science Foundation’s East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Fellowship and will study in Taiwan during summer 2010.
Jared Ragland (marine biology) received first place for his poster presentation at the Carolinas Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He was also awarded the SETAC Student Travel Award.

Congratulations to the GPMB spring graduate class of 2010: Jennifer Fountain Baltzegar, Joy Gerhard, Kevin Huther, Megan Kent, Allison Kreutzer, Amanda McLenon, Lindsey Parent, Joe Pollock and Jared Ragland!