Fall 2002 • Volume XVI, Number 4

Nova Southeastern UniversityOceanographic Center

Coral reefs are under stress all over theworld, especially in Florida. Without reefs,there would not be the beautiful fish, col-orful sponges, or soft corals that wave backand forth. Additionally, there would not beany sand for beaches. Nova SoutheasternUniversity Oceanographic Center(NSUOC) researchers are trying to dosomething about this. Researchers are col-lecting corals of opportunity (i.e., over-turned, loose, or dislodged coral colonies),which might perish due to being detachedfrom the reef, as part of the Nurseries forReef Fisheries Habitat Project (or CoralNursery Project).

Established in 2001 as a cooperativeeffort among scientists from NSUOC’sNational Coral Reef Institute (NCRI),marine resource managers from BrowardCounty Department of Planning andEnvironmental Protection (DPEP), andcommunity members from Ocean WatchFoundation Dive Club (OWF), the projecthas three goals. It aims to create a nurseryfor corals of opportunity that may be usedto help restore damaged reefs in the future,provide reef managers with coral-species-specific and colony-size-specific successinformation, and recruit volunteers fromthe community with interest in diving andthe marine environment to assist with theproject and learn about coral identifica-tion, data collection, and transplantationprocedures.

The project generally involves onefield day per month (on a weekend) with ateam of 10 people. This team consists oftwo scientists from NSUOC/NCRI, two

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managers from DPEP, and six volunteersfrom OWF. They make two dives each dayusing the NCRI research vessel, Researcherand the DPEP research vessel, Monitor.During the first dive, the team locates andcollects the corals of opportunity andtransports them to an artificial reef thatserves as the substrate for the nursery.During the second dive, the corals aretagged, transplanted to the substrate, andmonitored for growth and survivorship.Each coral colony is photographed the dayit is transplanted and photographed andmonitored quarterly. The team discussescoral reef ecology, coral identification, datacollection, and transplantation procedures.

More than 220 coral colonies have

been transplanted to the nursery so far.The success rate for the transplants hasbeen very good with more than 95 percentof the colonies surviving the transplanta-tion process. Corals from this nursery canserve as a source of transplant donors forfuture restoration of coral reef habitats.The data from the Coral Nursery Projectwill be used to compare the growth andcondition of different transplanted coralspecies and colony sizes as well as the con-trol corals that are growing naturally onthe reefs.

An additional project benefit has beenincreased local public awareness and edu-cation about marine conservation. Thisproject has received extensive coverage in

Saving the Rainforests of the SeasBy Dave Gilliam and Kathy Maxson

Collecting coral of opportunity (photo by Dave Gilliam)

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major local newspapers such as the Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald as well as theTampa Tribune. It even evoked an editorialendorsement by the Miami Herald for continued funding of this project.

Those involved from NSUOC areresearchers David Gilliam, Ph.D.; RichardDodge, Ph.D.; and M.S. student JamieVernacchio. Funding is provided by theNational Fish and Wildlife Foundation(NFWF) and its federal partner, theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) FisheriesCommunity-Based Restoration Program.Matching funds and support come fromBroward County Department of Planningand Environmental Protection and OceanWatch Foundation.

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Transplanting coral of opportunity

(photo by Dave Gilliam)

Brian Walker and Bernhard Riegl aboard the Playmate, performing acoustic seafloor discrimination surveyin the Dry Tortugas.

The year 2002 has proven to be a verysuccessful one for NCRI. Staff membershave participated in conferences andworkshops in Hawaii; Miami, Florida;Cambridge, England; Denver, Colorado;University Park, Pennsylvania; St.Petersburg, Florida; Cuba; San Juan,Puerto Rico; and Malaysia. The NCRI hasalso started collaborating on successfulnational and international scientific proj-ects that have given NCRI good exposureand strong partners. This has helped inrealizing several grant opportunities; theprogram is well-funded and is looking optimistically into the future.

Ryan Moyer went to Panama in Junefor a coral reef assessment project. InOctober, he visited several islands in thelesser Antilles for coral reef assessment andcore drilling. He also presented at a conference in Cuba in September (seepages 3 and 4 for these stories).

Gregory McIntosh and BernhardRiegl worked in Kodiak, Alaska, in Julywith the Alaska Department of Game andFisheries to investigate acoustic bottomdiscrimination tools. Just prior to the trip,Riegl visited Quester TangentCorporation—the supplier of some ofNCRI’s equipment, in Sidney, British

Columbia, Canada—to learn more aboutthe technology. (This story was in the lastissue of Currents.)

In August, Ryan Moyer, Brian Walker,and Bernhard Riegl, together with a teamof scientists from NASA’s Goddard SpaceCenter (PI Wayne Wright); the USGS’sSt. Petersburg office (PI John Brock);Florida Atlantic University’s SEATEC (PI

NCRI Spans the Globe

Edgar An); and the University of Maine(Emanuel Boss), worked in Biscayne BayNational Park. NASA acquired data withtheir new EAARL LIDAR; and USGScharacterized the optical qualities of thewater column over the reefs in order to cal-ibrate satellite imagery, while NCRIacquired acoustic bathymetry and grounddiscrimination data.

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U.K. Coral ReefSymposium

The ninth International Society forReef Studies (ISRS) meeting was held thisyear in Cambridge, England (September 4–7). The Cambridge Coastal ResearchUnit at the University of Cambridge host-ed the meeting. NSUOC attendees wereRichard E. Dodge, James D. Thomas,Joshua S. Feingold, David S. Gilliam,Bernhard M. Riegl, Bernardo Vargas-Ángel, Kevin Kohler; Ph.D. candidatesKevin P. Helmle and Brian K. Walker;and M.S. students Elizabeth A. Glynn,Heather A. Halter, and Jamie A.Vernacchio.

Oral and poster presentations were made asfollows:

■ Feingold J. S. “Facultative corallivory bythe cushion starfish Pentaceraster cumin-gi, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.”

■ Gilliam D. S., Thornton S. L., Fisher L.E., and Banks K. “Higher latitude coralreef communities off densely populatedSoutheast Florida, USA.”

■ Riegl B. “Extreme climatic events andhigh-latitude reef-building: what conse-quences from global climatic change?”

■ Thomas J. D. “Predicting biodiversityhotspots in coral reefs: combiningamphipod phylogenies and geotectonicsas a proxy to identify areas of compositeevolutionary diversity.”

■ Vargas-Ángel B. and Thomas J. D.“Acropora cervicornis assessment in a highlatitude environment off the coast ofFort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.”

■ Vernacchio J. A. and Gilliam D. S. “Theuse of coral nurseries as a coral reef man-agement tool off the coast of SoutheastFlorida, USA.”

■ Glynn E. A., Quinn T. P., Fahy D. P.,Spieler R. E. “Growth and survivorship ofscleractinian coral transplants and effec-tiveness of plugging core hole sites.”

■ Halter H. A. and Riegl B. “A short-termspatial comparison of net carbonatechange and percent cover of small-scalebioaccreters and bioeroders on Holocenetiles placed on the reefs off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.”

■ Hoke S. M., Colley S. B., and Feingold J. S., “Sexual reproduction in the

elliptical star coral, Dichocoenia sotkesi,Milne-Edwards & Haime, (Cnidaria:Scleractinia).”

■ Moyer R. P. and Riegl B. “Determinationof different benthic reef communities inBroward County, Florida, USA, usingacoustic remote-sensing and in situ tech-niques.”

■ Walker B. K. and Dodge R. E.“Correlating Quaternary sea-level riseto probably ancient Holocene reefmorphology using remote sensingtechniques.”

■ Helmle K. P., Kohler K. E., and Dodge R.E. “Relative optical densitometry andthe Coral X-radiograph DensitometrySystem (CoralXDS).”

Eighth Meeting of the U.S.Coral Reef Task Force

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force heldits eighth meeting in San Juan, PuertoRico, on October 2 and 3, 2002. Thoseattending from the NSUOC were RichardE. Dodge, dean of the OceanographicCenter and executive director of theNational Coral Reef Institute (NCRI);Gregory S. McIntosh, NCRI director ofCaribbean and Latin American region;and Carol R. Fretwell, NCRI coordinatorfor administrative operations. McIntoshalso participated in the two-day Caribbeanregional workshop on Coral FisheriesManagement that preceded the task forcemeeting. While there, the NCRI displayedinformation and handouts for the two daysof the meeting. During the meeting, sevennew resolutions were adopted by generalconsensus regarding such topics asimprovement of Coral Reef Task Forceprocedures, assessment of coral reef mitiga-tion measures, and coral reefs and climatechange. The resolution of improvement totask force procedures is of much interest tothose at NCRI, because it marks the begin-ning of inclusion of academia into theactivities of the task force as opposed toonly federal or state agencies. The changeswere made in order to move along with theprocess of implementing the NationalAction Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs(NAP). To see a complete listing of theprogress made at this meeting, visithttp://coralreef.gov/dec2002.cfm.

Cuban Coral ReefSymposium

M.S. candidate Ryan Moyer recentlytraveled to Cuba on behalf of the NationalCoral Reef Institute (NCRI) in order toattend the Symposium on Coral Reefs:Together for Their Conservation. Theinternational conference was heldSeptember 16–20 at the Hotel Tryp deCayo Coco located on the northern coastof the Ciego de Avila province in Cuba.The event was sponsored by the UnitedNations Development Program, theGlobal Environmental Facility/Sabana-Camaguey Project, EnvironmentalDefense, and Cubanacan Nautica. Whileat the conference, Moyer gave a talk onbehalf of David Gilliam, Ph.D., and M.S.candidate Jamie Vernacchio entitled “TheCoral Nursery Project: An IntegratedApproach to Coral Reef Restoration Offthe Coast of Southeast Florida, USA.”

The conference served as a uniqueforum where representatives from scien-tific, legal, and recreational dive communities from around the world coulddiscuss information; develop strategies; andidentify priorities critical to coral reef man-agement, conservation, and protectionboth within Cuba and around the world.

As exciting as it was to be a part of aninternational dual-language conferencewith each phrase translated to eitherEnglish or Spanish as needed, the excite-ment level increased as Hurricane Isidorebore down on Cuba. Airports were shutdown for a period of time, but soon alterna-tive transportation by bus was found. Thisenabled conference participants to explorethe Cuban countryside while safely makingit back to Havana. Flights resumed after theworst of the storm had passed.

The Museo de Revolucion, one of the many historic buildings in old Havana, Cuba. (Photo by Ryan Moyer)

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Panama AGRRA SurveyM.S. candidates Ryan Moyer and

Heather Halter participated in an AGRRA(Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment)survey of the Caribbean waters of Panamathis summer in conjunction with a groupfrom the University of Miami’s RosenstielSchool of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences(RSMAS) led by Robert N. Ginsburg, Ph.D.Moyer conducted benthic surveys of theislands of Bocas del Toro from June 8 to June14, 2002, staying at the Smithsonian TropicalResearch Institute (STRI).

Halter cruised to the Archipelago de SanBlas aboard the Smithsonian’s research vessel,Urraca and conducted benthic surveys fromJune 15 to July 3, 2002.

NSU Part of United Arab EmiratesCoral Reef Study

National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI)scientist, Bernhard Riegl, Ph.D., andMohammed Abdul Rahman Hassan, headof the Marine Environment andSanctuaries Unit at the EnvironmentDepartment of the Dubai Municipality areleading an international team of marinescientists to conduct a series of ground-breaking studies on coral reefs at the JebelAli Marine Sanctuary. The two project lead-ers have been working jointly in the areasince 1995 and have maintained a coral-monitoring program. The new project is anextension of their mutual cooperation in thisfield. The studies would prove useful whileobtaining data on coral reefs that could bebeneficial locally as well as worldwide.

The reefs at Jebel Ali are of high scientific value. They have suffered severelyduring the 1996 and 1998 positive sea-surface temperature events, but are recovering now due to the management ofthe Dubai Municipality. The scientists areusing these reefs to analyze how they willreact worldwide to global climatic change.Ray Wolcott, recent graduate of NSUOC,will be studying sea urchin dynamics in arelated study.

The Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary islocated in the coastal lowland betweenJebel Ali and Ras Ghantoot, spread overan area of 80 square kilometers. The coast-line is relatively straight without majorheadlands. Corals are found over most ofthe area in variable density, diversity, andsurface cover.

The commercial value of coral reefs fortourism, as a collector’s item, or as a sourceof seafood is enormous. About 392 totalspecies of wild fauna and flora have beenreported to exist in the sanctuary so far.These include 34 species of coral, 52species of marine mollusks, 91 species offish, and 37 species of birds.

The project in the United ArabEmirates (UAE) and Oman in Septemberwas a collaborative remote-sensing andreef assessment project with The FreeUniversity of Amsterdam (Jeron Kenterand Sam Purkis), Karl-Franzens-UniversityGraz (Werner Piller), Dubai Municipality(Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hassan,Hamdan Khalifa al-Shaer, and ShahedMustafa), and the UAE EnvironmentalResearch and Wildlife DevelopmentAgency (Nasser Shadoor al-Shaiba).While on site, the team witnessed the mas-sive 2002 Arabian Gulf coral bleachingevent, which resulted in them posting a

Web alert. Interestingly, their work inMusandam, Oman, showed an absence ofbleaching in the northernmost ArabianSea, while the central Arabian Sea showedbleaching at the same time. First evidencefor genotypic adaptation to high-frequencybleaching events was collected on Sir AbuNuair Island (Sharjah Emirate, ArabianGulf) and the work will be followed up infuture trips. Other work in the UAE con-sisted of acoustic ground discrimination andoptical water column measurements by SamPurkis and Jeroen Kenter (VU Amsterdam)for the ground-truthing of satellite imagery,which had been obtained by NCRI in col-laboration with Serge Andrefouet of theUniversity of South Florida.

(Some of the above information was taken froman article titled “Global Experts to study DubaiCoral Reefs” published in the Khaleej Times,September 5, 2002.)

ICRI Workshop in Mexico

Bernardo Vargas-Ángel, Ph.D.,recently presented a poster coauthored byJames D. Thomas, Ph.D., entitled“Population Ecology and PropagationDynamics of Acropora cervicornis off FortLauderdale, Florida, USA” to the

Ryan Moyer at the STRI dock in Bocas del Toro,Panama. (Photo by Marilyn Brandt)

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International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)Regional Workshop for the TropicalAmericas and the Caribbean in Cancun,Mexico (June 12–14). This event was hostedby the Mexican government throughComision Nacional de Areas NaturalesProtegidas (CONANP), the United NationsEnvironment Program Caribbean RegionalCoordinating Unit (UNEP-RCU), and theICRI Secretariat. While at the workshop, healso had the opportunity to display a copy ofthe NCRI exhibit poster. This generatedmuch interest, which may lead to furtheropportunities for NCRI.

Capital Hill Oceans WeekMembers of NCRI were invited to

attend Capitol Hill Oceans Week 2002,sponsored in part by the National MarineSanctuary Foundation. The gathering washeld on June 5 and 6 in Washington, D.C.,as a two-day meeting for distinguished coralreef scientists and resource managers to discuss with lawmakers and their staffmembers information concerning the pres-ent coral reef crisis and the possibility offinding solutions to end this crisis. Theemphasis for the June 5, 2002, symposiumin the Hart Senate Office Building wasfocused on bringing information to thepublic so that they will be more educatedon the issues surrounding oceanic prob-lems. Scheduled for the symposium were aseries of keynote speakers and panel discus-sions regarding both formal and informaleducational opportunities. The next day,events emanated from the House ofRepresentatives side of the capitol, with“Coral Reefs at Risk: Challenges andSolutions” headlining the conference atthe Sam Rayburn House Office Building.Those attending from NSUOC wereRichard E. Dodge, dean of theOceanographic Center and executivedirector of the National Coral ReefInstitute (NCRI); Gregory S. McIntosh,NCRI director of Caribbean and LatinAmerican Region; and Carol R. Fretwell,NCRI coordinator for administrative oper-ations. During the second day, NCRIexhibited its usual display of scientificposters and other material in the foyer of

the Sam Rayburn Building. In addition,NCRI unveiled a sample of its virtual ben-thic mapping capabilities by displaying avirtual “fly–by” video created by Ph.D. can-didate Brian K. Walker.

Pew Oceans CommissionOn June 9, 2002, the Pew Oceans

Commission came to South Florida to meetwith the public at the International GameFish Association (IGFA) Hall of Fame andMuseum in Dania Beach. Founded andfunded by the Pew Trust in early 2001, thePew Ocean Commission is an independentgroup of eighteen nationally known scien-tists, business leaders, elected officials, fish-ermen, and environmentalists who meetwith the public and their counterparts todiscuss current issues concerning today’socean fish and wildlife. The goal of thesemeetings is to present a dialogue on thepolicies needed in order to protect marineresources in U.S. waters. A report on thisdialogue is to be presented to the public andto Congress by the year 2003.

Three of the committee membersrecently arrived in South Florida to hold apanel with concerned citizens of the area.One of the presenters was Richard E.Dodge, Ph.D. His presentation was titled“Coral Reefs, A National Treasure.” Thepresentation focused on the ecological andeconomical value of coral reefs, the degra-dation of coral reef systems, what is beingdone to protect them, and what needs to bedone to protect them in the future. Thispresentation can be viewed on the PewOceans Commission Web site atwww.pewoceans.org/activities/2002/07/12/activities_28977.asp.

World Bank MeetingWorld Bank is developing a targeted

research project “Effects of LocalizedAnthropogenic Stress and CompoundingImpacts of Climate Change on theSustainability of Coral Reef Ecosystemsand the Implications for Management.”One of the six working groups within thisinitiative is focusing on reef remediation/restoration. Richard Dodge, Ph.D., wasinvited to participate—as one of only 10

scientists from the United States, theUnited Kingdom, Israel, Australia, thePhilippines, and Singapore—and attendedan October meeting in Singapore. The roleof this working group is to review and eval-uate the state of remediation/restorationand to develop a research proposal thatwill address the more important questionsarising from the review. The scope of theworking group includes an examination ofthe scientific protocols necessary to designand implement restoration strategies, base-line data for developing effective criteria,and the efficacy of restoration/remediationtechniques. The proposal developmentprocess is managed for the World Bank byan international NGO known asICLARM, the International Center forLiving Aquatic Resource Management.

This World Bank project is the resultof a series of meetings and consultationsheld around the world including an April1999 meeting in Fort Lauderdale, hostedby the National Coral Reef Institute.

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Oceanographic Center graduate student Jennifer Magnussen has beenawarded the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarshipby NOAA. This is a highly competitiveaward, which provides up to four years ofstipend and cost-of-education allowance($32,000 per year) to students in oceanog-raphy, marine biology, or maritime archaeology. There were only four recipi-ents of this award nationally this year. Asan indication of the notice and prestigeassociated with this scholarship,Magnussen first heard of her award from acongratulatory telephone call from U.S.Senator Bob Graham’s office. Since then,she has also received a congratulatory letterfrom U.S. Congressman Peter Deutsch.

Magnussen came to NSU with a bach-elor’s degree from the University of NorthCarolina and is a member of the GuyHarvey Research Institute. She is conduct-ing her graduate research with MahmoodShivji, Ph.D., in the area of conservationgenetics as applied to understanding theglobal shark fin trade. In addition toexcelling in academics, Magnussen alsoholds the title of master certification spe-

Scholarship Awardedcialist in the fitness industry (there are only16 such specialists in the world) and is anaccomplished flute player—performingwith the Broward and Deerfield BeachSymphonies and Florida Gold CoastOpera. A brief description of the Dr. NancyFoster Scholarship is provided below.

Jennifer Magnussen in her laboratory.Congratulations to Jennifer Magnussen for thiswell-deserved scholarship!

The National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration’s Dr. NancyFoster Scholarship Program recognizesoutstanding scholarship and encouragesindependent graduate level research—particularly by female and minority stu-dents—in oceanography, marine biology,and maritime archaeology. Congressauthorized the program—as described inthe National Marine SanctuariesAmendments Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-513)—soon after Foster’s death in June2000 as a means of honoring her life’swork and contribution to the nation. Theprogram is administered through NOAA’sNational Ocean Service and fundedannually with one percent of the amountappropriated each fiscal year to carry outthe National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

Shark-fin soup and theresulting impact on sharks

worldwide has prompted a studyscientists hope will offer a quick and cheapgenetic test that will enable them to recognize individual shark species. Thepurpose of such a test would be to facilitategood fisheries management and helpenforce fishery closures, quotas, and minimum-size requirements. Commercialfisheries that hunt sharks for meat, gut thesharks and remove their tails, fins, andheads, leaving little for enforcement offi-cials to identify for reporting purposes.Research on shark conservation geneticsconducted by Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., andhis students in the Guy Harvey ResearchInstitute have produced a genetic test forsix species of shark: blue, dusky, porbeagle,silky, and long- and shortfin mako. Thetests can be done using dried or fresh sharkbody parts.

The research has been reported widelyin the national and international press. A recent scientific paper from Shivji’s lab-oratory published in the journalConservation Biology (see below for refer-ence) has received wide media coverage,including in Science, Nature, The NewScientist, Science News, the New York Times,the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC), National Geographic, Discovery, theEnvironmental News Network, WiredNews, and the South China Morning Post.This research has also been cited by theConvention on International Trade inEndangered Species (CITES) Secretariatto support their case for uplisting baskingsharks from Appendix III to II.

Reference: M. Shivji et al. 2002. GeneticIdentification of Pelagic Shark Body Parts forConservation and Trade Monitoring.Conservation Biology 16(4): 1036–1047.

Guy Harvey Research Institute NewsOceanographic Center shark genetics research receives international recognition.

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Other NewsJames D. Thomas, Ph.D., was elected

to the rank of AAAS fellow by theAmerican Association for theAdvancement of Science (AAAS) “foroutstanding research contributions to thesystematics, biogeography, and evolutionof the pericarid Crustacea, for innovativeideas in advancing critical research direc-tions and collaborations on biodiversity,and for innovative teaching in exposingundergraduate and graduate students tocoral reef and mangrove forest biology inBelize and other sites.” Each year thecouncil elects members whose “efforts onbehalf of the advancement of science orits applications are scientifically orsocially distinguished.”

Thomas was also selected by theNational Academy of Science to act aschair of the marine and geosciencespanel. Thomas and 24 scientists met inWashington D.C. October 23–24 tomake funding recommendations to NASpersonnel. As panel chair, Thomas ledthe panel in discussing, ranking, and pri-

oritizing a series of scientific proposalsthat had been submitted for funding con-sideration. The results of the panelreviews are submitted to the NAS forfunding consideration.

Veljko Dragojlovic, Ph.D., received asummer fellowship in the amount of$7,000 from the Petroleum Research Fund(administered by the American ChemicalSociety) for the project “Manganese η2-Bond as a Solid-Phase Traceless Linkerfor the Expedited Synthesis of Olefins.”

He made three presentations at the223rd American Chemical SocietyNational Meeting and Exposition,Orlando, Florida, April 7–11, 2002.

■ Janne T. Nielsen and VeljkoDragojlovic, Oxidation of anUnknown Cycloalkene, Cycloal-kanol, or Cycloalkanone to aDicarboxylic Acid: Discovery OrientedExperiment for Organic ChemistryStudents (oral presentation). (JanneNielsen is an M.S. candidate.)

■ Robert Duarte and Veljko Dragojlovic,Synthesis of Chemi-luminescentEsters—A Discovery Based Experi-ment for Organic Chemistry Students(oral presentation).

■ Leyda Su Ham, Wen Chi Chou, andVeljko Dragojlovic, RutheniumTetroxide Oxidation of Iodoalkanes(poster)

Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., wasawarded an Office of Naval Research(ONR) one-year continuation grant inthe amount of $100,000 for his projecttitled, “Environmental Array and DataAnalysis” (Year 4).

Bernhard Riegl, Ph.D., andRichard Dodge, Ph.D., were awarded$400,000 in two grants from NOAAand the St. John’s River WaterManagement District for acoustic map-ping of sea floor biota.

People on the MoveCharles Messing, Ph.D., presented the

following paper, coauthored with DavidMeyer (University of Cincinnati) andGreg Rouse (South Australian Museum,Adelaide), at the Annual Meeting of theGeological Society of America in Denver,Colorado (October 26–30): “Modern,Soft-bottom, Shallow-water, TropicalCrinoid Fauna, with a Comparisonbetween Living Comatula rotalaria andFossil Uintacrinus socialis (Echinodermata:Crinoidea).”

Edward O. Keith, Ph.D., participatedin the National Day of the Manatee cele-brations in Mexico, September 6–7. Hespoke on the status and conservation of theAntillean manatee (Manataus trichechustrichechus) during a workshop in theVeracruz Institute of Culture (September6) as well as at the festival of the manateein the fishing village of Alvarado, Mexico(September 7). This activity was describedin the online periodical from theUniversity of Veracruz www.uv.mx/universo/75/centrales/centrales2.htm.

Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., gave a lec-ture at the Geophysical Fluid DynamicsSummer School, at Woods HoleOceanographic Institution in July titled,“Sharp frontal interfaces in the near-surface layer of the ocean.”

Soloviev also presented two seminarsin October. One, “Energetic supertidalbaroclinic oscillations on the shelf offsoutheast Florida” was given at theUniversity of Miami’s RSMAS CoastalOceanography Seminar Series. The other,“Observation of wave-enhanced turbu-lence in the near-surface layer of theocean” was presented at Scripps Institutionof Oceanography, Physical OceanographyResearch Division, La Jolla, California.

In October, Bernhard Riegl, Ph.D., leftto undergo some serious schooling at PennState’s short course program and sat in on“Underwater acoustics and signal process-ing,” a graduate- and professional-level program that reviewed the key elements ofunderwater acoustics. Although NCRI has

no plans or need to detect submarines, thecourse helped spawn new ideas forimproved acoustic ground discriminationtechniques and a possible future passiveacoustic reef-monitoring program.

Riegl also recently returned fromGSA’s “Science at the Highest Level”Symposium held in Denver, Colorado.There he presented a paper titled,“Biogeotech: Multi-platform investiga-tions into the historical, geological, andbiological consequences of early Holocenereef building in Broward County (FL),”which he presented at the joint researchprogram with FAU, University Graz, theLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory atColumbia University, and the BrowardCounty DPEP. He, Richard Dodge, andGreg McIntosh were coauthors on theUSGS’s Tonya Clayton talk “Remote sens-ing for coral reefs studies: testing the watersat Biscayne National Park.”

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PublicationsA. V. Soloviev, R. Lukas, and H.

Matsuura, 2002. Sharp frontal interfacesin the near-surface layer of the tropicalocean. Journal of Marine Science—Special Issue on Ocean Fronts (in press).

B. Vargas-Ángel and J. D. Thomas.2002. Sexual reproduction of Acroporacervicornis in nearshore waters off FortLauderdale, Florida, USA. Coral Reefs,21(1), pp. 25–26.

D. D. Turgeon, R. G. Asch, B. D.Causey, R. E. Dodge, W. Jaap, K. Banks,J. Delaney, B. D. Keller, R. Spieler, C. A.Matos, J. R. Garcia, E. Diaz, D.

Cantanzaro, C. S. Rogers, Z. Hillis-Starr,R. Nemeth, M. Taylor, G. P. Schmahl, M.W. Miller, D. A. Gulko, J. E. Maragos, A.M. Friedlander, C. L. Hunter, R. S.Brainard, P. Craig, R. H. Richmond, G.Davis, J. Starmer, M. Trianni, P. Houk, C.E. Birkeland, A. Edward, Y. Golbuu, J.Guitierrez, N. Idechong, G. Paulay, A.Tafileichig, and N. Vander Velde. 2002.The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of theUnited States and Pacific Freely AssociatedStates: 2002. National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration/NationalOcean Service/National Centers forCoastal Ocean Science, Silver Spring,Maryland. 265 pp.

Annual Chili Cook-off Heats UpEleven different types of chili were enteredin the Third Annual Chili Cook Off heldon October 11 by students and faculty andstaff members of the center. Capt. LanceRobinson started the cook off, and eversince, he and Bart Baca have been in aheated battle for the best chili each year.

The winners were

First place—Capt. Lance Robinson, har-bormaster and dive program director, for hisTexas chili.

Second place—Bart Baca, director, aqua-culture, for his shrimp chili.

Third place—Kathy Maxson, librarian, forher two-meat, two-bean, four-pepper chili.

Honorable mention—Capt. Bob Franks ofSeaTech for his traditional chili.

Needless to say, the event was a “hot” success!

N. W. Rasser and B. Riegl. 2002.Holocene coral reef rubble and its bind-ing agents. Coral Reefs, 21(1), pp. 57–72.

B. Riegl, 2002. Effects of the 1996and 1998 positive sea-surface temperatureanomalies on corals, coral diseases, andfish in the Arabian Gulf (Dubai, UAE).Marine Biology, 140(1), pp. 29–40.

B. Hubmann, W.E. Piller, and B.Riegl, 2002. Functional morphology ofcoral shape and passive hydrodynamicself-righting in recent Manicinia areolata.Senckenbergiona Lethaea, 82(1), pp.125–130.

The winners!! (L-R) Bart Baca, Kathy Maxson,Bob Franks, and Lance Robinson.

Entrants in the chili cookoffFront: Abe Smith, Cathy Mattison, Bob Franks, Kathy Maxson, Lance Robinson, and Mike Hourihan.Back: Bart Baca, Christi Foster, Sean Gill, Dan Fahy, Jack Seubert, Amy Hall, and Arlo Hemphill.

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MASTERCURRENTSINSTITUTE OF MARINE AND COASTAL STUDIES

M.S. Degree specialties are marine biology, coastal zone management, andmarine environmental science. Each course carries three credit hours or may beaudited. Tuition is $499 per credit hour (50 percent less for audit). Classes meetonce a week from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Oceanographic Center (unless otherwisespecified.) The winter term runs from January 6–March 28, 2003. Registration($25 nonrefundable fee) is December 2, 2002–January 10, 2003. Teachers maytake courses for recertification credits for $800 (non-degree-seeking status). For further information, call Andrew Rogerson, Ph.D., or Melissa Dore at (954) 262-3610 or 800-396-2326, or email imcs@nova.edu. More information canbe found at the Web site www.nova.edu/ocean.

Winter Term ClassesJanuary 6–March 28, 2003

Aspects of Marine Pollution, CZMT-0790/MEVS-5100Deals with various forms of environmentalpollution as they affect both the land andmaritime environment. Focus on the roleof microorganisms as causes and indicatorsof toxicity. Sources, measurement, andcontrol of pollution in marine and coastalenvironments are discussed. Lab Fee: $25.Meets Wednesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m.Instructor: Don McCorquodale

Concepts of Physical Oceanography,OCOR-5601This course deals with the basic physicalproperties of seawater, the temperature andsalinity structure of the oceans; major cur-rent patterns; and the influences of waves,tides, and winds. Lab Fee: $25. MeetsMondays, 6:30–9:30 p.m., Instructor:Alexander Yankovsky

Plankton Ecology, OCMB-5606Traditionally, plankton have been dealtwith under two broad headings: phyto-plankton and zooplankton. While this cat-egorization is useful, it does not reflect cur-rent research emphasis of the smallermembers of the plankton community; bac-teria (picoplankton) and the grazing proto-zoa (nanoplankton). This course will dealwith these smaller members of the plank-ton community. Plankton Ecology willbegin with a summarization of the plank-ton environment in lakes, oceans, andestuaries. It will continue with the essen-tial aspects of the biology and physiology ofbacteria and protozoa. It will finish withthe exploration of the functional role ofthese organisms within aquatic ecosystems.Lab Fee: $25. Meets Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30p.m., Instructor: Andrew Rogerson

GIS and Remote Sensing, CZMT-0639/MEVS-5023/OCMB-6100This course provides hands on trainingwith the latest techniques in geographicinformation systems (GIS) and remotesensing. Course work includes lecture and

hands-on computer training. Areas cov-ered (using both ERDAS Imagine 8.3 andESRI Arcview 3.0) include GIS/remotesensing theory, image georeferencing andmosaicking, image enhancement and clas-sification procedures, accuracy assessmentprocedures, importing GPS polygons,establishing database and multimedia hotlinks, importing tables, joining, buildingqueries, charting, and map creation.Instruction of class will be centered onapplication of these techniques to actualenvironmental case studies. This course isstrongly recommended to students. Themajority of all job openings currently require atleast a passable knowledge of GIS/remotesensing. Lab Fee $125, limit 20 students.Meets Mondays, 7:00–10:00 p.m. on themain campus. Instructor: Stacy Myers

Scientific Writing, CZMT-0800/MEVS-5300/OCMB-8500

What makes a good proposal? Take thiscourse and find out. A good proposalstems from a good concept.

This course is designed to provide tools,resources, and approaches to improve astudent’s ability to write in a scientificallyprecise and accurate manner and to inter-relate complex conceptual issues in acoherent manner. The skills acquiredwhile learning to write a grant proposal arevery similar to the skills needed to write aproject plan or scientific paper. Thus, bybuilding grant-writing skills, general scien-tific writing skills are improved in equalmeasure. This course is an intensive intro-duction of how to prepare, write, edit, andreview a standard grant proposal.

Participants in this course will be expectedto write a grant proposal in their field ofinterest as a class project. The followingtopic areas will be presented and developed

■ how to identify viable research topics ■ how to assemble relevant information

and data into an outline identifyingfunding sources

■ writing abstracts and summaries■ different writing styles for various

audiences■ targeting proposals to specific funding

agencies■ editing and reviewing for scientific

content■ improving both oral and written presen-

tations of research projects ■ understanding the peer review process,

role-playing

Proposal writing is essential in the compet-itive scientific job market, but it can beintimidating for the novice. There is nothing worse than staring at a blank pieceof paper or computer screen with the sinking feeling that so much is riding onthe prose you must create. This course willprovide the tools and procedures to writeand submit a competitive grant proposal.Participants in this course will be expectedto be motivated and willing to improvetheir written and verbal communicationskills. There will be an abundant writingload and outside class assignments. LabFee: $50. Meets Thursdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m.Instructor: Jim Thomas (Class enrollment islimited to 12 to allow for adequate interactionbetween students and instructor.)

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Aquaculture Systems, CZMT-0810/MEVS-5010/OCMB-6205 This course covers the engineering andmechanics of both freshwater and marineaquaculture systems. Students will studythe major aquaculture methods for foodspecies and aquarium hobby culture,including system design and construction.Students will learn to use aquaculturematerials such as fiberglass, PVC, and con-crete. Systems studied will include indoor;recirculating; outdoor; high intensity; tankculture and pond culture; and the aeration,water treatment, and filtration compo-nents of these systems. Course lectures willbe supplemented by field trips to represen-tative facilities. Lab Fee: $100. MeetsThursdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m., Instructor: Bart Baca

Marine Mammal Management, OCMB-6330 (33972) The course is designed toserve as a source of information and ideasproviding an introductory awareness of adiversity of issues including the morpholo-gy, physiology, adaptation, and behavior ofthese species and their interaction withhumans and other predatory mammals. Asecondary objective is how marine mam-mal species are interconnected to the restof the natural environment. A third objective is to help the student to begin toconsider the linkages between the ways inwhich we regard marine mammals and ouractions towards them. Two papers arerequired. This Course is CD-ROM-Based. Instructor: Keith Ronald

International Integrated Coastal ZoneManagement, CZMT-0614 (33991)This Web-based distance education coursefocuses on the international dimensions ofintegrated coastal zone management.Students will first examine the major bigpicture issues affecting the world’s coastalareas and oceans, examining seven casestudies that will help to bring alive thegrave problems of mismanaging coastaland economic resources: the Black Sea,the Grand Banks and Newfoundland, theLouisiana Region, the Mississippi Riverand the Gulf of Mexico, Belize, theMarshall Islands, and Antarctica. The sec-ond part of the course will provide studentswith the opportunity to study major inter-national conferences, treaties, and policyprinciples (including the Law of the Sea).In the final third of the course, studentswill examine regional and selected countrycoastal-zone policies. Students completingthis course will be familiar with the mostimportant aspects of Integrated CoastalZone Management globally and will have abasis for comparison of these policies.Students will also be in a position to assessthe costs and benefits of different coastalzone management strategies around theworld. Instructor: Steffen Schmidt

Internship in Coastal Policy (available yearround with approval of supervising professor) CZMT-0664Students enrolled in this course are expected to invest the equivalent of threehours per week for 14 weeks (i.e., at least42 hours) in their internship. This can be

done at a research organization; privatecompany or consulting firm; local, county,state, or federal agency; or other approvedvenue that is related to coastal zone activ-ities. In addition to hands-on work, eachintern will also keep an academic journalof internship activities. The journal will besubmitted for review for the final grade.The student’s supervisor at the internshipvenue will also evaluate the student.Permission and approval of supervisingprofessor is required before you enroll inthis class. Instructor: Steffen Schmidt

Coastal Zone Interpretation, CZMT-0667Throughout our lives we often find our-selves in situations where we interpretnature to others. Think of the number oftimes a parent interprets aspects of natureto a child, or you interpret the area inwhich you live to a visitor. While we maythink of nature interpretation as really taking place in the context of a job—suchas a park naturalist—there are many othertimes when skills in nature interpretationare put to the test. Indeed, commenting ona beautiful coastal sunset is an interpreta-tion of nature. Just what is the definition ofnature interpretation? What theories support nature interpretation? Is interpre-tation a science or an art? How can wedevelop our skills as interpreters? How canwe apply interpretive techniques in ourdaily lives and careers? This Web-basedcourse aims at providing opportunities foryou to find answers to these and otherquestions. Instructor: Alan Watson

Resolving Environmental and PublicDisputes (Introduced in winter 2003),CZMT-0675A Web-based course focusing on the theo-retical bases, practical applications, processorientations, and actual intervention intocomplex multiparty, multi-issue public dis-putes regarding management of the coastalzone. The emphasis is on social/environ-mental interactions and sources of politicaland economic conflict over human healthenvironmental protection and naturalresource scarcity. Instructor: Jean MariePinto

Winter Term Distance Education Courses

Winter Term DistanceEducation CoursesThe mission of the OceanographicCenter is to carry out innovative,basic, and applied research and to provide high-quality graduate andundergraduate education in a broadrange of marine science and relateddisciplines. The center also serves as acommunity resource for information,research, and education on oceano-graphic and environmental issues.Towards this end, the OceanographicCenter has offered flexible, accessible,and learner-centered distance learningcourses since 1993. NSU online dis-tance students enjoy access to DistanceLibrary Services (DLS), a departmentof the Nova Southeastern Universitylibrary system that provides off-campusstudents with most of the library services available on campus.

Our distance courses may be takenindividually for general interest, forundergraduate or graduate credit(M.S.), or as part of our GraduateCertificate in Coastal Studies Program.For more information, please see ourWeb site at www.nova.edu/oceanor contact Jane Dougan at douganj@ nova.edu or (954) 262-3621.

(Winter Term, continued)

11

Spring TermApril 7–June 27, 2003

Marine Geology, OCOR-5601

Biostatistics, OCOR-5606

Molecular Marine Biology

Belize Field Course (trip dates:

March 29–April 5, 2003)

Plankton Ecology

Conservation Biology

Seminars and DefensesSeminarsArthur Mariano, Ph.D., from theUniversity of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences(RSMAS), gave a seminar titled,“Predictability of Lagrangian Motion inthe Ocean,” on October 28.

Pierre Flament, Ph.D., from the Dept. ofOceanography, University of Hawaii, gavea seminar titled, “Tropical InstabilityWaves: from Physics to EcosystemModulation” on September 9.

ThesesJennifer M. Hartwig, “Effects of BeachRenourishment on Loggerhead Sea Turtle(Caretta caretta) Nesting and HatchingParameters.” Committee Members: CurtisBurney, Edward Keith, and Stephen Blair(Miami-Dade Department of Environ-mental Resources Management). October 25.

Ph.D. Degree Offered

The Oceanographic Center offersthe Ph.D. degree in oceanography. Theprogram requires a minimum of 66 credits beyond the baccalaureate, 42 ofwhich may be applied from the master’sdegree program. The remaining creditsare made up of at least 24 dissertationresearch credits and 6 credits fromupper-level course work, usually taughtin the tutorial mode. Tuition is $3,413per quarter.

Michelle Lajti, “MacroinvertebrateCommunity Structure in MDOSMesocosms: The Role of Vegetation andResponse to Marsh Dry-Out.” Committeemembers: Jana Majer Newman (SouthFlorida Water Management District),Andrew Rogerson, and Curtis Burney.October 4.

Capstone ReviewsAmanda Burgos, “A Review of MarineProtected Areas: Their Objectives, Design,and Success.” Committee Members: CurtisBurney and Stacy Myers. September 27.

Karen Walby, “The Effects of NestRelocation on Hatching Success withAnalysis of Unsuccessful Eggs (1999–2001)of Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)Nests in Broward County, Florida.”Committee Members: Curtis Burney andEdward Keith. September 25.

Fall Student PartyTwenty-five new students for the fall term were welcomed at the OC’s annual fall term party. Approximately 100 old and newstudents and faculty and staff members attended the chicken and shrimp barbeque on September 25. A new student orienta-tion preceded the party.

Barbara Dodge, Dean Richard Dodge, and faculty member Sasha Yankovskienjoying the party.

New students sampling the fare at their first student picnic.

11-087/02 DBB

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Editor: Kathy Maxson

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATIONNova Southeastern University admits students of any race, color, sex, age, nondisqualifying disability, religion or creed, or national or ethnicorigin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school, and does notdiscriminate in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.Nova Southeastern University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees.

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Currents, Fall 2002

NASA plane used for flying EAARL Lidar with GPS ground station in foreground. Lots of people and lots of food at the annual fall term party.