Graduate Student Poster Award

During the Seventh Annual Graduate Student Research Poster Session, Leslie Wickes received an award for her poster, “Growth and Distribution of Lophelia pertusa Under ‘Acidified’ Conditions in the Southern California Bight.” Wickes was one of three presenters that received honors from the four judges. At least 250 people turned out to view the 22 projects in the session. Read more at the Graduate School blog.

Art to Teach and Inspire

Amanda McLennonGrad Program in Marine Biology alum, Amanda McLenon (2010), was named the Griffith/Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year and will receive a $5,000 grant to produce 20 new pieces. McLenon’s paintings highlight marine life images on glass window sashes and antique picture frames. You can view images of her art at her website Circle the Stream.  “My hope is that my artwork will bring a greater appreciation for both the history and natural beauty of the Lowcountry, as well as inspire active participation in their preservation.” In addition to art, McLenon works part-time for the DiTullio Lab. She will be assisting in the research cruise to Antarctica this spring. Read more…

2011 Colloquium

The 15th annual Marine Biology Student Research Colloquium was held on September 23 and 24, 2011. The colloquium featured keynote speaker Dr. John Bruno, a marine ecologist and Associate Professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Bruno’s research focuses on marine biodiversity, coral reef ecology and conservation, and the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Thirteen marine biology and environmental studies students gave oral presentations of their research at the colloquium. Kristin Stover received the best oral presentation award for her talk “Performance changes when exposed to varying oxygen levels in the Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun.”  Additionally, seventeen students presented posters of their thesis research this year. Timothy O’Donnell received the best poster presentation award for his research “Characterizing the genetic population structure and genetic influences of winter-kill events in spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) in South Carolina.” The colloquium concluded with a cookout and Lowcountry Boil for students, professors, and attendees at the SCDNR outdoor classroom.

New Grice Signs

grice-sign

Click to view more photos

Thanks to the efforts of Mike Haskins and Meredith English of the Department of Marketing and Communications, Grice has a new sign to identify our building. Modifications have also been made to the logos included on the signs of Hollings Marine Laboratory and the Marine Resources Research Institute

Green Teaching Garden

Many different groups at the College will be able to take part in the different stages of the project including: Master of Environmental Studies Student Association (MESSA), Urban Agriculture (UA), GML Community Outreach Research and Learning (CORAL) Program, CofC Grounds Department, Clemson Extension and Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium. The composter provided by this grant will be supplied with organic material from the on-site kitchen and grounds maintenance. The first crop will consist of native plants, vegetables and herbs. The produce collected from the garden will be donated to a food shelter to benefit the local community. The garden will serve as an educational tool for the public and students and as a potential research resource for lab-based instruction or research projects.

Planting the Green Teaching Garden at Grice will serve to strengthen the ties between the marine lab’s remote location and the downtown campus. It will provide unique opportunities to expand existing educational and outreach efforts. In addition to GML hosting hundreds of visitors annually, the Grice CORAL program works to educate more than 2400 people about marine biology each year. Multiple student groups have expressed interest in helping with GTG construction, upkeep, and outreach efforts. Faculty members of the School of Science and Mathematics have expressed interest in incorporating the GTG into their teaching curriculum.

GML and the MBSGA have a history of using interdisciplinary approaches to science education. During the recent SEWE event, we partnered with a local gallery to provide an aquarium exhibit featuring both live animals from local estuaries as well as the artwork of select Lowcountry wildlife artists. This innovative platform offers many possible collaborative opportunities with other schools at the College including Art, Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.

 

Turtle Tracks

The Owen’s Lab and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (Dr. Al Segars and GPMB alumni Jeff Schwenter) recently resumed long term collaboration with researchers from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. They captured and did ultrasound as well as laparoscopic evaluations on approximately 20 adult size sea turtles. Only four of the sea turtles were sexually mature and ready for reproduction out of the 20 turtles examined. These turtles were fitted with new generation GPS enhanced satellite transmitters. Their migrations can be checked daily at this website.

“The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival”

Dr. Stephen Palumbi , keynote speaker at the 2010 College of Charleston’s Graduate Program in Marine Biology Colloquium, has recently published a book with Carolyn Sotka in November 2010.  “The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival” co-authored by Steve and Carolyn is now widely available online for purchase.  Carolyn Sotka has also donated two copies of the book to theMarine Resources Library for anyone to check out.  For more information please visit this website. A brief summary of the book is listed below.

“The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival” (Summary)

palumbiAnyone who has ever stood on the shores of Monterey Bay, watching the rolling ocean waves and frolicking otters, knows it is a unique place.But even residents on this idyllic California coast may not realize its full history. Monterey began as a natural paradise, but became the poster child for industrial devastation in John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, and is now one of the most celebrated shorelines in the world.

It is a remarkable story of life, death, and revival told here for the first time in all its stunning color and bleak grays. The Death and Life of Monterey Bay begins in the eighteenth century when Spanish and French explorers encountered a rocky shoreline brimming with life, raucous sea birds, abundant sea otters, barking sea lions, halibut the size of wagon wheels, waters thick with whales. A century and a half later, many of the sea creatures had disappeared, replaced by sardine canneries that sickened residents with their stench but kept the money flowing. When the fish ran out and the climate turned, the factories emptied and the community crumbled. But today, both Monterey’s economy and wildlife are
resplendent. How did it happen?

The answer is deceptively simple: through the extraordinary acts of ordinary people. The Death and Life of Monterey Bay is the biography of a place, but also of the residents who reclaimed it. Monterey is thriving because of an eccentric mayor who wasn’t afraid to use pistols, axes, or the force of law to protect her coasts. It is because of fishermen who love their livelihood, scientists who are fascinated by the sea’s mysteries, and philanthropists and community leaders willing
to invest in a world-class aquarium. The shores of Monterey Bay revived because of human passion that enlivens every page of this hopeful book.