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Dr. Chris FinelliAssociate Professor and Chair

Department of Biology and Marine BiologyDobo 102

finellic@uncw.edu910-962-3487

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology @ UNCW

• BA, BS, MS – Biology• BS, MS, PhD – Marine Biology• ~800 majors

– 60/40 Biology to Marine Biology• 74 graduate students• 38 Full time, tenure-track faculty, 6

Lecturers, 11 Researchers (Faculty or Non-Faculty)

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On Campus Facilities• Cell and Molecular Biology

– PCR– Gel documentation– Biochemical assays

• Seawater and flume• Collections

– Mammals (15000 specimens)– Birds (2000 specimens)– Fish and Herps (26000 specimens)– David J. Sieren Herbarium (25000 specimens)

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Microscopy Facility

• SEM • TEM• Confocal• Light• Imaging

Burevitch Field Support Facility

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Kresge Greenhouse

Campus Natural Areas

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Ev-Henwood

NE Cape Fear Ecological Site

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Broadfoot Property @ Pages Creek

Hewletts Creek Research Lease

UNCW Research Lease

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Center for Marine Science• Gene Sequencing• Nutrients and water quality• Isotope Ratio Mass Spec• Aquaculture

– (Finfish and shellfish)

• Boats and SCUBA• Machine Shop• Instrumentation• Seawater facilities

How can you get involved?

• www.uncw.edu/bio• Directed Independent Study• Honors Projects• Volunteer• Be active and persistent

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What do these organisms have in common?

Chris Finelli (UNCW, Associate Professor)John Carroll (UNCW, Postdoctoral Associate)Steven McMurray (UNCW, Graduate Student)Inga Conti-Jerpe (UNCW, Graduate Student)Heather Stoker (UNCW, Graduate Student)

Tammy Bleier (UNCW, Undergraduate Student)John Marion (UNCW, Undergraduate Student)

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Marine Biofluiddynamics and Ecology Lab

• How do water currents influence biological systems?– Field and lab approaches– Funding from NSF, Sea Grant, NURP (~$1M since 1999)– Graduate and undergraduate participation

Predator effects on Periwinkle Snails

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Oyster Reefs & Coral Reefs: Critical Habitats in Coastal Ecosystems

http://www.mcatoolkit.org/images/1_3_Conservation_Oyster.jpg

• Focal points of production and biodiversity.

• Fisheries hot spots.• Provide critical ecosystem

services.

Both are severely degraded.

Coral Reef Research• Among the most diverse

and productive ecosystems, but also among the most threatened.

• Research:– Filtration rates of Caribbean

sponges– Effects of water flow on

feeding by coral reef fishes• International student

opportunities: Bahamas, Belize.

• Ties with NURC Key Largo

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Filtration Rates of the Giant Barrel Sponge, Xestospongia muta

S. McMurray

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Methods

Cyclic Bleaching

Susanna Lopez-Legentil

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Sponge Orange Band (Fatal Bleaching)

Cowart et al. (2006) Coral Reefs 25: 513

Bleaching Effects

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Aquarius and Shipboard

Glovers Reef

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A. spinosaSpinyhead

A. asperaRoughhead

R. ClarkeR. Clarke

A spinataA. tonsa

E. Buskey

Pre

dato

rsP

rey

EpibenthicHarpacticoid copepods

Xhttp://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/sscletocam3_250sm.gif

Blenny Feeding

High Speed Video:Recorded at 1000 fpsPlayback at 30 fps

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Oyster Reef Research• Locally and nationally oyster

populations are in decline.– Decreased fisheries– Loss of critical ecosystem services

• Sea Grant funded projects to aid oyster reef restoration by increasing juvenile oyster settlement and survival on artificial reef substrates.

• Local focus facilitates student participation

Year

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

NC

Oys

ter L

andi

ngs

(met

ric to

ns)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

US

Oyster Landings (m

etric tons)

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000NC LandingsUS Landings

Interactions between oysters, boring sponges, and nudibranchs

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Oyster Recruitment

• Zimmer and colleagues identified a functional mimic for the adult settlement cue, the tripeptide Glycil-Glycil-L-Arginine (GGR).

Adult oysters shed gametes into the water throughout spring and

summer

Plankotrophic larvae develop in the water column for ~3 weeks before becoming

competent to settle.

Competent veligers respond to cues released

from adult oysters by swimming downward.

Larvae and spat are susceptible to predation by a

suite of benthic fauna.

Created Reefs

3: Seeded

5: Seeded

4: Unseeded

6: Unseeded

2: Unseeded

1: Seeded

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Thanks for listening!!