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. 

coral reef fish populations and potential mesophotic linkages

Rene Esteves Amador is from Lajas. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Biological Science from Ohio State University and an M.S. in Biological Oceanography from UPR Mayaguez. He is currently a doctoral student supervised by Dr. Jorge Garcia. 

His research interests include the connectivity of coral reef fish populations and the potential of mesophotic coral reefs as sources of fish larvae to shallower reef communities.  Spatial and temporal variability patterns in coral reef fish community structure and their response to the large disturbances.

Quantifying Variables that Trigger Increase in Chlorophyll Concentrations in the Sargasso Sea

Myrna J. Santiago Torres is from Guanica. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Biology from UPR Mayaguez. She is currently a masters student supervised by Dr. Roy Armstrong. 

Her research interests include:

Examine and quantify the physical variables that can trigger an increase in chlorophyll concentration signal due to the passage of hurricanes in the oligotrophic waters of the Sargasso Sea. Find out more by clicking here.

Phylogeny of the Shrimp Genus Lysmata based on Nuclear Genes.

Mariel Cruz is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Life Sciences with Minors in Biology, Sociology and International Science from Pennsylvania State University. She is currently a masters student supervised by Dr. Nick Schizas. 

Her research interests include determining the phylogeny of the shrimp genus Lysmata based on nuclear genes.

Coral Reef Ecology and Restoration

Mariana C. León-Pérez is from Guaynabo. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Environmental Science from Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan. She is currently a masters student under the supervision of Dr. Jorge García-Sais . 

Her research interests are as she describes:

My research interest is focus on coral reef ecology applied to restoration and management. As my thesis research, I am directed to examine the feasibility of using artificial structures simulating the three-dimensional complexity of Acropora palmata as a restoration alternative. The main research hypothesis is that artificial Elkhorn coral structures provide a recruitment and protective habitat for the reef community similar to that provided by standing dead coral structures.  Considering that according to Lirman (1999), reef topography provided by both live and dead coral colonies is the main factor regulating fish distribution and abundance on A. palmata reefs. 

Puerto Rico Trench Discoveries

Linda Rae Roehrborn is from Marshfield, Wisconsin. Her previous education includes an A.S. in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force, a B.S. in Biology from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. She is currently a doctoral student supervised by Dr. Wilford Schmidt. 

She is working to deploy instrument like the acoustic-Doppler current meter via un-tethered free-descent/ascent vehicles, specimen collection accessories, sediment sampler and CTDs. She will use these instruments to study the Puerto Rico trench and potentially collect un-described marine species. She will then compare these species to others in similar and contrasting locations. 
 

Depositional and Environmental History of Coastal Salt Ponds in PR

Joel Fernandez Ramos is from Ponce. His previous education includes a B.S. in Geology from UPR Mayaguez. He is currently a masters student under the supervision of Dr. Clark Sherman.

His research interests include the depositional and environmental history of the coastal salt ponds of southwest Puerto Rico.

Dormancy regulation in space – Genetic evidence from copepod diapause embryos

Daphne Pagán Rodríguez is from Ponce. Her previous education includes a B.S. in Biology from UPR Rio Piedras. She is currently a masters student under the supervision of Dr. Nick Schizas. 

Diapause is a strategy in which the organism reduces it metabolic activity to survive under extreme environmental 

conditions. This proposal aims particularly to study the molecular processes associated with diapause in one of the most abundant marine metazoans, the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana, 1849.  

The proposed research will be accomplished by generating

Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) at difference phases of diapause and use of next generation sequencing to maximize the number of sequences extracted from the A. tonsa genome.

You can find out more about her work by visiting the lab's website here: http://cima.uprm.edu/~n_schizas/ 

Marine Biotechnology and Bioengineering in Puerto Rico

Edna Justiniano is originally from San German. Her previous education includes a B.S. in  Biology from Gordon College, an M.A. in Biological and Environmental Sciences from University of Bridgeport and an M.S. in Education from Western Connecticut State University .

She is currently a doctoral student at UPR Mayaguez and is interested in Marine Biotechnology/Bioengineering. Her work is described below:

Debaryomyces hansenii, a heterogeneous species with the capacity to grow in extreme environments including hypersalinity and heavy metals, is also an opportunistic pathogenic yeast associated with immunosuppressed patients such as HIV patients and patients having undergone surgery. This organism has also been isolated from cystic lesions, subcutaneous abscess associated with malignant melanoma, human skin, foot wounds and inter digital mycosis.  Environmentally induced gene expression and signaling pathways have been associated with several disease conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation and neurological disorders. 

Our current research involves expression microarray-based analysis of salt induced genes, heterologous gene expression of specific promoters such as ENA-1, and whole genome comparison of D. hansenii strains showing different physiological responses after specific environmental stimuli. Whole genome sequencing allow for strain specific search of genes associated with the pathogenic response but it will also allow for the search of promoter differences. Some of the promoters will be isolated in order to develop varying heterologous expression systems.  Some of the responses governed by signaling pathways in D. hansenii include changes to the cell cycle, changes to polarized growth, and changes to the transcriptional profile of the cell. Since these types of changes often trigger cancer in mammalian cells, understanding how these genes function will provide insight into how pathways function. 

 Whole genome expression analysis will identify genes that are expressed differentially in response to stress while whole genome sequencing will provide results on how different strains vary in gene structure and hence function in response to different environmental conditions since previous studies in our laboratory have indicated that different natural strains of D. hansenii respond differently to environmental stimuli. Sequencing of some of the genes that are differentially expressed show sequence variability exists among natural isolates of this organism.

Determining dinoflagellate population fluctuations at the Bahía Fosforescente in La Parguera

Brenda María Soler Figueroa, originally from Caguas, is determining the dinoflagellate population fluctuations (i.e. days, seasons, stations) at Bahía Fosforescente, La Parguera in relation to environmental factors such as nutrients, wind speed and direction, rainfall, pH, OD and CDOM.  


Her previous education includes a B.S. in Coastal Marine Biology from UPR Humacao and a M.S. in  Biological Oceanography from UPR Mayaguez. She is currently a doctoral student, advised by Dr. Ernesto Otero.


 

Lionfish Monitoring in the Caribbean

By Chelsea Harms, Ph.D. Student, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico

The Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) is the most successful invasive marine fish species in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean oceans, currently found between northern South America and up the east coast of the United States. Lionfish occupy an extensive range of reef systems in their non-native habitat, competing with other large top predators for food resources – particularly members of the commercially important epinephelids and lutjanids. According to the NOAA’s Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR), lionfish occupy the same trophic level as these snappers and groupers and could hinder rebuilding efforts, as well as permanently impact native fish populations.

My interest targets the impacts of lionfish on marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean. The increasing abundance of lionfish within marine reserves may complicate our ability to assess the efficacy of closing marine reserves to fishing pressure. My proposed doctoral research will investigate the functional morphological, behavioral, movement and dietary variations among subpopulations of the invasive lionfish in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic regions. The unique component of this proposed research is the comparison of these characteristics of the invasive lionfish between marine reserves and fished coral reefs.


One aspect of study involves tracking and monitoring lionfish movements. I will utilize conventional tagging methods to track lionfish in the waters of Puerto Rico. I also plan to utilize acoustic tagging methods for tracking the movements of lionfish within larger marine reserves in key targeted areas of their range in the Caribbean.

My results have direct implications for MPA management throughout the Caribbean and Western Atlantic.

Chelsea's previous education includes a B.S. and M.S. in Marine Biology from Florida Institute of Technology. Her expertise is invasive fish species interactions with their nonnative environments.

Connectivity of Commercially Important Species between Mesophotic and Shalllow Coral Ecosystems

By Evan Tuohy M.S. Student Department of Marine Science University of Puerto Rico

Connectivity of Commercially Important Species between Mesophotic and Shalllow Coral Ecosystems

Through the use of mixed gas closed circuit rebreathers my research goals include the assessment of connectivity of commercially important species between mesophotic and shallow water coral ecosystems.  Research indicates that mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) may serve as critical habitat for economically important species that undergo ontogenetic shifts in habitat use throughout different life stages.  Using acoustic tagging, I plan to explore the spatial and temporal variability of these species within and between MCEs to better understand these shifts in mesophotic habitat utilization.

Dolphinfish stock structure, movements, and diving behavior around the Western North Atlantic

By Wessley Merten, Ph.D. Student, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico

My ultimate goal is to integrate information across several spatial and temporal scales and methods to investigate dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) stock structure, movements, and diving behavior around the western North Atlantic working with sport, recreational, and commercial fishermen.  My thesis proposal was approved in December of 2011 and funds from different sources are available to conduct this research.  Since my project began in 2009 I have successfully tagged and released over 100 dolphinfish with conventional streamer tags and deployed 3 pop-off satellite transmitters (PSATs).  I'm also working closely with Don Hammond, director of the Dolphinfish Research Program, who provided me with extensive databases on the conventional and vertical movements of dolphinfish that will form the first two chapters of my thesis.  In addition, I have enlisted the help of the sport and recreational fishermen from around Puerto Rico, the U.S. V.I's, and island nations of the Lesser Antilles, by providing them with tagging kits donated to my research by Sea Grant PR.  Over the next year I will be deploying 4 more PSATs, many more conventional streamer tags, and finalizing the genetic analysis of samples collected from around Puerto Rico and the western North Atlantic.  More information about the specifics of this research can be seen by visiting www.dolphintaggingpr.com or www.fish4cast.com.