AECiMa Introduces it's New Symbol of Marine Science Pride

AECiMa (Asociacion de Estudiantes de Ciencas Marinas / Department of Marine Sciences Student Association) is a consortium of 41 active masters and doctoral marine science graduate students enrolled in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. These graduate students are immersed in the interdisciplinary field of marine sciences and are trained in four core areas of oceanography: biological, chemical, geological, and physical oceanography. The students of AECiMa are researching issues and topics related to fisheries, invasive species, remote sensing, ocean modeling, coral reef ecosystems, habitat connectivity, marine spatial management, and much more. A student directory can be accessed by clicking here. Below are two visual representations of AECiMa that serve as symbols of  pride and dedication that these students possess in their quest to help research the issues and topics facing  our world's oceans and ecosystems.

Marine sciences is the interdisciplinary field of science (Art: Hector Martinez)

AECiMa will like to invite you to the

Second Department of Marine Sciences Reunion

The most important accomplishment of the Reunion 17-22 June 2012 in La Parguera will be forming an Alumni Association to support and advise the Department.  However, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, remembering fallen comrades, showing slides and movies of our old times, showing off our books, seeing our Magueyes Island Marine Laboratories, and reliving our wonderful times on Magueyes are also important. 

Sunday evening will be greetings, cash bar, snacks, and mini-slide shows around the Villa Parguera pool. 

Monday will begin with the Opening Ceremonies, Greetings, Introducing Prominent Alumni, Founder and Directors’ Presentations, Speakers’ Luncheon, Memorial Session (16 memorials, reading 65 names, casting flowers in the sea for them), film festival, and slide Show at the Villa. 

Tuesday at Magueyes Island for tours of Magueyes, “open house” in the laboratories (alumni meeting professors and current students and learning about their labs and their research), an Exhibition of Marine Paintings and an Exhibition of Underwater Photographs, a Book Signing, a presentation of Award-Winning Underwater Photographs, and Annual and Decadal Alumni Photographs.  That evening, there will be a Pot-Luck Dinner (with a live band) at an alumnus’ home in La Pargurea and later a Kayak fieldtrip to Phosphorescent Bay.  

Wednesday morning there will be separate Snorkel and Scuba Fieldtrips.  In the afternoon and evening, those alumni interested in forming our Alumni Association will meet.  Those not interested in this grand adventure into the politics of creation can attend the Que Pasa Discussion Forum.  

Thursday morning will be a general meeting of the brand new Department of Marine Sciences Alumni Association, including election of Officers, creation of Standing Committees, and appointing an Advisory Board.  In the afternoon, the Officers, Standing Committees, and Advisory Board meet.  Those others, not so honored by destiny, may attend the Slide Show.  That evening there will be a cash bar, Banquet, a delightful Bomba Presentation, Slide Show, and the Closing of the Second Reunion (painting presentation, summary, acknowledgments).  

A Painting Auction, Bookfair, Alumni Questionnaire, Mini-Slide Shows, and Skype Sessions (with alumni who could not attend) will go on throughout the week.  Film clips and movies taken at the Reunion will be made into “Reunion – The Movie” after the Reunion.  

Alumni can go to Magueyes Island to examine the painting and picture exhibitions any time during the week.  Newspaper articles about the Reunion will be published before and after the Reunion.

AECIMA Students help Marine Debris Removal Efforts in Rincon

Chelsea Harms and Evan Tuohy, graduate students in the Department of Marine Sciences at UPRM, helped the Surfrider Foundation remove 13 tires and copious amounts of other marine debris off of reef habitats in Rincon today.  Keep up the great work!!  This work is associated with a reef restoration program that SF Rincon is currently wrapping up.      

Evan tosses another tire onboard

Chelsea and Evan survey the deeper portion of the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve

Who says volunteering isn't fun?  Evan enjoys the ride and the view of the second reef at Tres Palmas.

Chelsea and Evan happy to help clean up Rincon's reef habitats

June 2 & 3 Events

 

 Sabado, 2 de junio 

La Escuela Graduada de Planificación y el proyecto San Juan Urban Long-Term Research Area (ULTRA) presenta: 

Feria Ambiental del río Piedras en el Antiguo Acueducto

La Feria Ambiental del río Piedras persigue visibilidad del río y educar a la comunidad sobre diversos aspectos ambientales, culturales y sociales de la cuenca.  El mismo está compuesto por diversos proyectos de investigación especializados en asuntos sociales y ambientales de la cuenca del río Piedras y la ciudad de San Juan como la calidad de agua, la vida acuática, el impacto de las comunidades y algunos proyectos de acción que trabajan con las escuelas, centros de envejecientes y grupos comunitarios de la cuenca.

Domingo, 3 de junio

Sierra Club Presenta

Terapia Verde en El Yunque Para Niño(a)s y sus Padres

En esta caminata al Río Fajardo, con el oncólogo Víctor A. Marcial Vega, niños de 5 a10 años tendrán la oportunidad de explorar y caminar por el Río Fajardo, escalar piedras pequeñas y nadar él rió. Almorzáremos comida natural y renovadora  Municipio: Naguabo. Encuentro: 10:00 a.m. Regreso: 3:00 p.m. Nivel: Extremo /muy difícil. Traer: Leer abajo. Adicional: Traje de baño, zapatos acuáticos, pantalones cortos, muda de ropa, toalla. Costo: Para reservar espacio, haz cheque o giro postal $20.00/persona a nombre de: Basilio Pérez y envíalo a Víctor Marcial Vega, 122 Eleonor Roosevelt, Interior, San Juan, PR. 00918. Contacto: Víctor Marcial Vega, M.D., marcialvegamd@aol.com. (Requiere reservación)

 

 

Domingo, 3 de junio

Sierra Club Presenta

Cañón Las Bocas: Cascada Grande

Saborea los pastelitos de arroz típico de la zona y camine hasta el valle del cañón guiado por un biólogo y/o guía interprete. Visita  la zona del karso y observe las cuevas desde un mirador natural. Visite la Ceiba Acostada. Bordeamos el río hasta la impresionante “Cascada Grande”, entre las más altas de Puerto Rico. Municipios: Barranquitas/Comerío. Encuentro: 9:00 a.m. Regreso: 3:00p.m. Nivel: Moderado/Difícil. Traer: botas o tenis con buen agarre, mucha agua o bebida hidratante, pantalón no ajustado y gorra. Costo: $40.00 p.p. ($30.00 p.p. para socios del Sierra Club) Niños 9-12 años $25.00. (Requiere depósito del 50%). Contacto: Carlos Collazo: excursionescanonlasbocas@yahoo.com / (939) 256-9912. Para dejar mensajes: (787) 857-2640. (Las tarifas incluyen los $3.00 dólares de donativo al Sierra Club). Actividad organizada por el Comité Pro Reserva Natural Cañón Las Bocas, Inc.

 

AECIMA to Help FSPR and FSR with Parguera Paddleboard Benefit

The Department of Marine Sciences Student Association (DMSSA) is excited to help provide assistance with event setup, management, and organization for the upcoming International Surfing Day Paddleboard Race in La Parguera, PR.  Known in spanish as Asociacion de Estudiantes de Ciencias Marinas (AECIMA), the student association consists of 41 master and doctoral students pursuing careers in marine sciences specializing in one of the following core branches of oceanography: chemical, geological, physical, or biological oceanography.  The students are excited to participate in this paddleboard race and support the event's goal of raising money to help protect Puerto Rico's oceans, waves, reefs, and beaches for generations to come. 

Carbonate Equilibria in Tropical Coastal Environments

Melissa Meléndez is a graduate student finishing her Master of Science degree in Chemical Oceanography at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Department  of Marine Sciences, under advisors Dr. Jorge E. Corredor (Committee Chairman), Prof. Julio Morell and Dr. Wilson Ramírez. She holds a  degree of Bachelor of Science from the UPR, Río Piedras Campus in Environmental Science.  Prior to entering the graduate program, she participated in NSF-Research Experience for Undergrads programs at both Pennsylvania State University and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). 

As a graduate student she collaborates with research groups at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, the PR Center for Environmental Neuroscience, the PR Climate Change Council, and the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS). She implements the CariCOOS Ocean Acidification field program, which provides carbonate chemistry data for La Parguera Marine Reserve online through the CariCOOS website  (www.caricoos.org). 

Her current research interests include: 

• Development of a method for the direct determination of Ca⁺² and Mg⁺² concentrations in seawater to investigate the non-conservative nature of these species and the consequence in deriving carbonate mineral saturation states. 

• Study of environmental dynamics and controls of carbonate chemistry and Ca⁺² and Mg⁺² carbonate equilibria in nearshore tropical waters.

Publications:

Nesterenko E P, Nesterenko P N, Paull B, Meléndez M and Corredor J (in press). Fast direct determination of strontium in seawater using high performance chelation ion chromatography. Microchemical Journal. 

Presentations:

Gledhill D, Langdon C, McGillis W, Corredor J, Loose B, Meléndez M, Manzello D, Piniak G, Moyer R, Viehman S, Enochs I, Venti A, Sabine C, Musielewicz S (2012) Time-series and Process Investigations at the Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed. 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, Cairns, Australia, July 9-13, 2012. ORAL PRESENTATION

Gledhill D, Corredor J, Meléndez M, Sabine C, and Musielewicz S and Hendee J (2012) Three year time-series of carbonate chemistry dynamics and biogeochemical processes within a tropical Atlantic coral reef environment. 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, February 20-24, 2012. POSTER


Meléndez M, Gledhill D, Langdon C, Loose B, McGillis W, Morell J and Corredor JE (2012) Estimates of sediment calcium carbonate dissolution rates in a coral reef environment. 2012 Ocean Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, February 20-24, 2012. POSTER

Meléndez M (2012) Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate Equilibria in Coastal Environments. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), February 3, 2012,Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ORAL PRESENTATION

Parasite Assessment on the Invasive Lionfish

Zullaylee Ramos Trabel is from Mayaguez. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Biology and Industrial Microbiology from UPR Mayaguez. She is currently a masters student supervised by Dr. Ernest Williams.

Her research interests include the assessment of parasites on the invasive species Pterois volitans (lionfish) and determine their origin, whether it is from local fish or brought from the Pacific Ocean.