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Spring 2002

Spring 2002NSU Oceanographic Center

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NSUWorks CitationNSU Oceanographic Center, "Spring 2002" (2002). Currents. Book 34.http://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_currents/34

Spring 2002 • Volume XVI, Number 2

Seasonal to Interannual Heat Advection Patternsacross the Tropical Pacific Ocean

Figure 1. Schematic of the global Lagrangian drifter,showing the surface float, subsurface buoy, holey sockdrogue, and various sensors. All such holey sockdrifters are equipped with SST sensors and are trackedvia the ARGOS satellite system.

Nova Southeastern UniversityOceanographic Center

By Sean Kennan

Only four decades ago, El Niño and theSouthern Oscillation were known andresearched as separate phenomena—theformer impacting weather and fisheriesalong the Peruvian coast, the latter relatingto ideas of global teleconnections. Todaythey are known jointly as the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO)—consid-ered the single largest interannual climatesignal in the tropical Pacific, and possiblyeven around the world. Waxings and wan-ings of ENSO are monitored by the TAOarray—the first basin-wide ocean tempera-ture observing system—and a system ofsatellite sensors measuring sea surfaceheight, winds, and sea surface temperature(SST). Equatorial wave and circulationtheories explain the response of the tropicalPacific Ocean to changing winds, whilecoupled numerical models can predict thepeak of ENSO up to six months in advance.

Yet, despite all the progress in observ-ing and modeling climate fluctuations inthe tropical Pacific, further advances areneeded before the timing, magnitude, andspatial patterns of ENSO can be predictedin advance of its onset. A crucial aspect ofthe dynamics that needs attention is themovement of heat by the ocean currents.Competing paradigms for ENSO dynamicsdiffer in the importance they attribute to oceanic heat advection, while the tropical ocean outside the equatorial band,or wave guide, has been largely ignored to date. Our eventual understanding of interannual climate variations will dependon what we can learn now about thedynamics of the atmospheric heat engine—the tropical ocean.

Figure 2. A Lagrangian drifterdeployed in calm seas—the upperpart of the surface float with abarometer is visible.

The National Oceanographic andAtmospheric Administration (NOAA)has awarded Sean Kennan, Ph.D.,$244,218 for a three-year period to exam-ine the patterns of heat advection acrossthe tropical Pacific. This project is part ofthe United States contribution to theInternational Research Programme onClimate Variability and Predictability(CLIVAR) of the World Climate ResearchProgramme (WCRP). The study will com-bine decades of data obtained from satellitetracked drifting buoys in the tropicalPacific to understand how heat is trans-ported by the ocean currents and the rela-tionships to climate signals such as El Niño.

The drifting buoys are typicallydeployed from research vessels. They con-sist of a surface float with a temperaturesensor and a drogue, or holey sock, attachedby a cable 15 meters deep so that it will

Figure 2. A Lagrangian drifterdeployed in calm seas—the upperpart of the surface float with abarometer is visible.

(Continued on page 2)

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Figure 3. Steady state heat advection [D(SST)/Dt = u .V_

(SST)] (W/m3) with mean current vectors superimposed, estimated from all available drifters.

People on the Move

Bart Baca, Ph.D., and David Z.McMahon, Ph.D. candidate, presentedfive papers on various aspects of inlandmarine shrimp culture at the WorldAquaculture Conference held in BeijingChina, from April 22–28. Baca also metwith Chinese aquaculturists to discuss usingwetlands for the treatment of aquaculturewastewater, a big environmental problemin China.

Charles Messing, Ph.D., presented aninvited talk, “Ancient Gardens of theDeep: Crinoids in Science and History” atthe annual meeting of the Florida Marine

move with the ocean currents (Figures oneand two). The drifters telemeter their datato NOAA satellites, which determine thepositions of the buoys. By tracking the posi-tions of these buoys oceanographers candetermine the velocity of the currents. Formore than 50 years, such drifters have beentracking the currents in the tropical PacificOcean, giving oceanographers data onchanges in sea surface temperature andvelocity. From these data, the effects ofocean dynamics on heat transport by theocean can be estimated.

The seasonal to interannual patterns ofheat advection across the tropical Pacificwill be studied using data from the 1,500Lagrangian drifting buoys that weredeployed across the basin during the pastdecade. These drifters provide the onlyobservations of SST change following theocean mixed layer currents, and can beanalyzed to yield the advection of heat,

which is essential to understanding ENSO.Figure three shows an estimate of the steadystate horizontal heat advection across thetropical Pacific from the buoys. With theexception of a narrow band of coolingwater in the cold tonue, almost the entiretropical Pacific from 10° south latitude to5° north latitude exhibits heating of theocean currents (D(SST)/Dt > 0). As asteady state it means that the currents causelocal cooling, since ∂(SST)/∂t ≈ - u . V

_

(SST). The likely interpretation is thatlocal radiative heating is balanced byupwelled water from the equator spreadingpoleward and westward in the cold tongue.

Understanding the impact of the oceanon heat transport is important. It is the heatgiven off by the ocean that drives both theatmospheric circulation (winds and storms)and large scale climate changes such as theEl Niño ocean warming, which appearsevery few years. Oceanographers and cli-

matologists have made a lot of progress inunderstanding El Niño, but are still unableto predict its appearance more than sixmonths in advance. It is believed that bybetter understanding the role of the oceancurrents in this process, the ability to pre-dict El Niño can be improved.

A primary goal of CLIVAR is toimprove our understanding and predictionsof El Niño for global climate. Furtherprogress depends on quantifying the role ofthe ocean currents in controlling the distri-bution of heat. Kennan’s project will providethe first description of heat advection pat-terns derived from observations across theentire tropical Pacific. The results will helpoceanographers to better understand andpredict climate changes. For more informa-tion on the global CLIVAR effort andKennan’s research at NSUOC, see the Webpages on the Internet at www.clivar.org andwww.nova.edu/~skennan.

(Continued from page 1)

Science Educators Association in FortPierce, Florida, April 25–28.

Veliko Dragojlovic, Ph.D., attendedthe 23rd American Chemical SocietyNational Meeting and Exposition inOrlando, Florida, April 7–11, 2002. Hemade two oral presentations at the confer-ence, “Oxidation of an UnknownCycloalkene, Cycloalkanol, or Cycloalka-none to a Dicarboxylic Acid: Discovery-Oriented Experiment for OrganicChemistry Students” coauthored byJanne T. Nielsen, and “Synthesis ofChemiluminescent Esters—A Discovery-

Based Experiment for Organic ChemistryStudents” coauthored by Robert Duarte.Dragojlovic also presented a poster,“Ruthenium Tetroxide Oxidation ofIodoalkanes” coauthored by Leyda Su Hamand Wen Chi Chou. He organized andchaired the symposium (Discovery-BasedExperiments in Chemistry) at the sameconference.

Andrew Rogerson, Ph.D.; DonMcCorquodale, Ph.D.; Tonya Davidian;Aaron Hartz; and Melissa Green attendedthe American Society for Microbiology102nd general meeting in Salt Lake City,

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Utah, on May 19–23. The students pre-sented posters of their work.

Ph.D. candidate, Tina Gwaltneyattended the American Society ofProtozoology meeting in Salt Lake City,Utah, on May 19–23, where she presenteda talk titled, “Do amoebae have a uniquetrophic role in aquatic ecosystems?”

Edward O. Keith and severalFarquhar Center undergraduates attendedthe 223rd Annual Meeting of theAmerican Chemical Society, held April7–11, 2002, in Orlando, Florida. They pre-sented three posters describing the resultsof experiments conducted as part of aPresident’s Faculty Scholarship Awardgranted in 2000 to Keith and his collabora-tor, Lester E. Janoff, O.D., of the NSUCollege of Optometry. The posters’ topicwas “Adhesion of lysozyme to FDA group Icontact lenses and vials,” coauthored by M.Zama, S. Patel, M. Pirzad, and Janoff.

Keith also attended the first FloridaMarine Mammal Health Conference, heldApril 4–7, in Gainesville, Florida.

Keith and master’s students JamieHilliard, Amy Paine, Susan Zaretsky,Marcy Henning, and Amber Hesterattended the second annual Southeast andMid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposiumheld April 12–14 in Conway, SouthCarolina. Two posters were presenteddescribing the results of their thesisresearch. Hilliard presented a postertitled “Seasonal occurrence of Floridamanatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) inPort Everglades, Florida.” The poster was

coauthored by Keith and master’s students,Zaretsky, Henning, and Hester. Painepresented a talk titled, “Investigating thefeasibility of thermal infrared imaging tech-nology for passive marine mammal detec-tion,” coauthored by W. E. Baxley and Keith.

Sasha Yankovsky, Ph.D., visited theArizona State University in Tempe on May1–3. The purpose was to initiate the NSF-funded project (of which Yankovsky is oneof the co-PIs) titled “Coupled physicalnumerical models of the nonlinear interac-tion between coastal-trapped waves, meancurrent, and complex topography.” Twoother co-PIs are Don Boyer (ASU) and

Pat and Bart Baca climbing the Great Wall of China, during a side trip for the World AquacultureConference in Beijing.

Master’s students, Amy Paine, Jennifer Scharnitz, and Rebekah Walker in front of a poster presentation at theSoutheast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium.

Publications

Moyer, R. P.; Riegl, B.; Dodge R.E.; Walker, B. K.; and Gilliam, D.(2002). Acoustic remote-sensing ofreef benthos in Broward County,Florida, in Proceedings of the SeventhInternational Conference on RemoteSensing for Marine and CoastalEnvironments. Miami, Florida. May20–22, 2002.

Riegl, B.; Andrefouet, S.; Moyer,R. P.; Walker, B. K.(2002). Integrationof satellite remote sensing of subtidalhabitats with vessel-based video sur-vey (dubai, UAE, and Arabian Gulf),in Proceedings of the SeventhInternational Conference on RemoteSensing for Marine and CoastalEnvironments. Miami, Florida. May20–22, 2002.

Hauer, G.; Rogerson, A.; andAnderson, R. W. (2001). “Platyamoebapseudovanrellida N.Sp., a naked amoe-ba with wide salt tolerance isolatedfrom the Salton Sea, California.” in J.Euk. Microbiol., 48: 663–69. (correc-tion from previous issue)

Peter Baines (CSIRO, Australia). As a partof his visit, Yankovsky gave a seminartitled, “Mesoscale eddies on the shelftrapped by topographic features.”

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Fiber Optic Cable Impacts

In the late 1990s, many fiber opticcables were laid across South Florida’s coralreef lines. A number of consulting firmswere hired to record damage done to stonycorals during the installation of these cablesand produce reports for the Department ofEnvironmental Protection. Following thesereports, many overturned and abradedcorals were restored and reef modules put inplace for mitigation according to habitatequivalence analysis results. The contro-versial question is, “Are these cables stilldoing damage to the corals, or are the coralsrecovering?”

Master’s student Heather Halter isworking with a local environmental group,PEER, to produce a jury report that aims toconvince lawmakers to engage strict per-mitting laws for deploying cables of thissort. Halter’s chapter in the report will bethe result of a study comparing the healthand size of communities along the cables tocontrol communities in adjacent areas.There is no baseline data, since consultant

Fiber optic cable shading and abrading Montastrea cavernosa.

Steffen Schmidt broadcasting an episode of his radio program from the NSU Oceanographic Center.

reports mostly concentrated on a damagerating scale, but Halter and PEER aretesting to see if there will be significantdifferences in cable areas vs. the control

areas. If this is true, it will suggest that thesecables are indeed continuing to degrade thereef community.

Live From theOceanographic Center

Steffen Schmidt, Ph.D., also knownas Dr. Politics, broadcast his one-hournational public radio program live from thecenter on May 13. Schmidt is a professor ofpolitical science at Iowa State Universityand an adjunct professor of theOceanographic Center, for which he teach-es several popular distance learning courses.Known for his insights and wit on nationaland international political issues, Schmidtis a frequent media source. He’s been doinghis weekly radio show for 15 years on WOIAM, a National Public Radio affiliate onthe Iowa State campus. The May 13 broad-cast focused on U.S. coastal areas and envi-ronmental issues, security at container andcruise ship ports in the aftermath ofSeptember 11, and any related topics lis-teners chose to discuss. Listeners can catchhis weekly radio show live and on theInternet at www.doctorpolitics.com.

Andrew Rogerson, Ph.D., director ofthe Institute of Marine and CoastalStudies at the Oceanographic Center, alsoparticipated in the broadcast, commentingon issues related to ballast water and fecalcontamination.

Later that day, Schmidt gave a publiclecture at the Anne Kolb Nature Centeron “Exploding Counties: The Challengesof Smart and Sustainable CoastalDevelopment.” Schmidt is an avid scuba

diver and ocean sailor. He has developedseveral online courses on coastal policy,which are delivered on the World WideWeb at www.woi.org/stream/.

5

NSU President Ray Ferrero, Jr., accepts a check from Charles Forman, Jr., attorney and business partner inGuy Harvey Inc., while Dean Richard Dodge looks on.

Ph.D. candidate Peggy VanArmanhas been nominated for Who’s Who ofAmerican Teachers. VanArman, whorecently passed her Doctoral Comprehen-sives, has also become a member of theInternational Association of Astacologists.

Ph.D. candidate Tina Gwaltneyrecently attended a five-day workshop inNew York funded by NASA and GSUSA(Girl Scouts) titled “Exploring the SolarSystem.” She was one of 30 Girl Scouttrainers nationwide selected to participatein the training. The workshop provides theattendees with information and activities

Other News

The Guy Harvey Research Institutereceived a $79,600 donation from GuyHarvey, Inc. for a research project titled“Stingray Ecology and Conservation.”

Charles Messing, Ph.D., andMahmood Shivji, Ph.D., are recipients ofa President’s Faculty Scholarship Award(2002–2003) for a research project titled“Recognition of Species in the Crinoidea:Comparing Genetics with TraditionalTaxonomy, including a Lecture Series andLaboratory on Crinoids in Science andHistory.” The lecture series and laboratorywill be given to advanced placementbiology and marine biology classes atUniversity School.

NCRI Research Director JamesDarwin Thomas, Ph.D., has been nomi-nated as a fellow in the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement ofScience (AAAS). Election as a fellow ofAAAS is an honor bestowed on membersby their peers. Fellows are recognized formeritorious efforts to advance science or itsapplications.

On May 1, 2002, Edward O. Keith,Ph.D., assumed the duties of chair of theFaculty Council of the Farquhar Center forUndergraduate Studies.

Ph.D. applicant Catherine Mattisonhas been appointed project manager of thenew shrimp aquaculture facility located onthe Oceanographic Center grounds. Theproject, which will run for a minimum ofthree years, is being funded by a generousgrant from Hamilton Forman. Mattisonalso is in charge of the mangrove pond,overseeing the care of over 500,000 man-grove seedlings.

to bring back to the scouts and the GirlScout council leadership to encourage theirinterest and confidence in science. BothNASA and GSUSA strongly encourageand support involvement of girls in sci-ence-related fields. The trainers includedmembers of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab andfaculty from Arizona State University.Gwaltney will now provide training to theGirl Scout trainers and leaders in BrowardCounty, as well as facilitate workshops andcamp programs for girls dealing withearth/space science.

Welcome

The Oceanographic Center welcomes a new employee,Peggy Oellrich, who has replaced Abby Renegar. Oellrichbegan her duties as administrative assistant in May.

Abby Renegar (right) showing Peggy Oellrich the ropes.

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MASTERCURRENTSINSTITUTE OF MARINE AND COASTAL STUDIES

M.S. degree specialties are marine biology, coastal zone management, and marineenvironmental science. Each course carries three credit hours or may be audited.Tuition is $499 per credit hour (50 percent less for audit). Classes meet once a weekfrom 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Oceanographic Center (unless otherwise specified.)The summer term runs from July 8–September 20 (unless otherwise specified).Registration ($25 nonrefundable fee) begins two weeks prior to the start of classes.For further information, call Andrew Rogerson, Ph.D., Melissa Dore at (954) 262-3610or 800-396-2326, or email imcs@nova.edu. More information can be found at theWeb site: www.nova.edu/ocean/.

Summer Term, July8–September 20, 2002

MARINE CHEMISTRY(OCOR-5605) This course is one of the five core coursesrequired for all master’s specialties. Theclass will review the properties and compo-sition of seawater and the importance,distribution, relationships, and cycling ofmajor nutrients, dissolved gasses, tracemetals, and organic compounds. A self-paced laboratory is included in the courseactivities. Problem solving is supplementedwith interactive microcomputer work.Instructor: Curtis Burney. Meets Mondaysstarting July 8, 6:30–9:30 p.m., in classroom#1 Lab fee: $50

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY(OCMB-6190/MEVS-5350)The course deals with contemporary envi-ronmental issues including green houseeffect and global warming, chemistry of theozone layer, toxic organic chemicals, andchemistry of natural waters, along withsome aspects of green chemistry. This courseis complementary to the Marine Chemistrycourse. The part of the course on the role ofenvironmental chemistry in regulatorylaws—compliance and enforcement andanalytical methods for metal analyses, willbe taught by Donald McCorquodale.Prerequisite: Marine Chemistry. Instructor:Veljko Dragojlovic. Meets Tuesdays startingJuly 9, 6:30–9:30 p.m., in classroom #1.

LAW AND THE SEA(CZMT-0603/MEVS-5150)Many aspects of the coastal zone are man-aged by legal strategies. The scope of thesestrategies is outlined, then described anddiscussed with the class by faculty from theShepard Broad Law Center. Topics includecomprehensive planning and zoning, regu-latory controls of permit systems, the historyof the special controls of the Florida Keys,international treaties affecting fisheries andmarine mammals, legal aspects of water

Field Courses

TAXONOMY OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES(OCMB-6085)This course will cover the taxonomy and ecology of marine invertebrates (emphasizingshallow tropical, western Atlantic species) and train students in their identification.Fieldwork and a self-paced laboratory are integral to the course. Class includesa week-long field trip to the Keys. Limited to 15 Students. Instructor: CharlesMessing. Field Trip Dates: August 18–August 24, 2002, two meetings prior to trip.Lab fee: $300

TROPICAL MARINE FISH ECOLOGY(OCMB-6120/CZMT-0690)This course will cover the ecology of tropical fish, including coastal, estuarine, man-grove, and pelagic fish. Emphasis is on identification and natural history of localspecies. Current theories on distribution and abundance will be discussed in additionto ecological theory. Fieldwork will take place at the Keys Marine Laboratory in LongKey, Florida. On return to the Oceanographic Center, self-directed and self-scheduledlaboratory study will be required. Limited to 20 Students. Instructor: Richard Spieler.Field Trip Dates: August 11–August 17, 2002. Lab fee: $350

management in the Everglades system,coastal construction controls and post-dis-aster redevelopment, erosion and sea levelrise, pollution from land, and laws concern-ing oil spills. Grades are based on a shortpaper, a short answer exam, and participa-tion in the discussions. Instructors: BrionBlackwelder and Richard Grosso. MeetsWednesdays starting July 10, 6:30–9:30p.m., classroom #1. Lab fee: $25

WETLANDS ECOLOGY(CZMT-0791/ MEVS-5011/ OCMB-6321)This course is the basic ecology of coastal

(marine and fresh water) wetlands, fol-lowed by intensive fieldwork in the identi-fication, delineation, and evaluation ofthese wetlands. Students learn to identifywetland indicator species and visit areawetlands to learn agency delineation tech-niques based on vegetation, soils, andhydrology. Evaluation of the functions ofthe wetlands is taught using the Corps ofEngineers and other methods. Some field-work is required. Instructor: Bart Baca.Meets Thursdays and some Saturdays start-ing July 11, 6:30–9:30 p.m., classroom #1.Lab fee: $100

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Belize Barrier Reef

The Ecology of the Belize Barrier Reef course took place March 30–April 6, with 13graduate students; instructor, James Thomas, Ph.D.; and course assistant, StefanieOuellette. The weather was great and students dived, attended lectures, carried out proj-ects, and worked well together. Late-night discussions on the veranda of the dining hallproved productive and the veranda was also a gathering spot for sunset watching. Twoincidents of “flying squid” (Sepia toothis) were observed. These involved reef squid goingairborne and flying alongside, or over, the moving boat. Shades of Captain Nemo!

Fall Term 2002

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS(OCOR-5602)Instructor: Curtis Burney

MARINE BIODIVERISTY(OCMB-TBA/CZMT-TBA/MEVS-TBA)Instructor: Jim Thomas

CORAL REEF GEOLOGYAND EVOLUTION(OCMB-7015)Instructor: Bernhard Reigl

SCIENTIFIC DIVING ANDCORAL REEF ASSESSMENT(OCMB –9700)Instructor: David Gilliam

AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS(CMB-6205/CZMT-0810/MEVS-5010)Instructor: Bart Baca

LIFE ON A WATER PLANET(CZMT-0630/MEVS-5130/OCMB-6335)Instructor: Jane Dougan

PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY(OCOR-TBA)Instructor: Sean Kennan

Group picture of students in Belize.

world around us—to put our world into a“language” that we can comprehend andshare with others. We interpret the worldaround us—the relationships, the ecologicalsignificance, and the “human meanings”—through a filter of our past experiences andour accumulated knowledge. Interpretationis not simply knowing and sharing informa-tion. It is not the “what” (the identity of anorganism or the description of its behavior).Interpretation is about the “so what” of theorganism and its behavior. Interpretation isthe revelation of meanings and relationshipsof nature through first-hand experience.

This is a Web-based course that offersan exploration of communication andexperiential learning theories and theirapplication to the interpretation of coastalzone environments. This course providesthe student with learning opportunitiesthat will require them to, “go outside andsniff around,” exploring the coastal zoneand thereby being engaged in hands-oninterpretive experiences.These will includethe design and writing of an interpretiveguide for a coastal or underwater trail; thedesign and writing of interpretive signagefor a coastal site; and the planning,research, and presentation of an interpre-tive program.

Students will investigate the widerange of media available, including video,interactive Web sites, written media, andverbal communication as they implementtheir interpretive activities.

These experiential learning opportuni-ties will form the basis for reflective obser-vation, self-evaluation, and participantfeedback. In addition to gaining a solidunderstanding of interpretive theory,students will also develop their own inter-pretive concepts and theories appropriateto their particular location and needs. Asthe course progresses the students’ on-going

Distance Education

MARINE MAMMALMANAGEMENT

(OCMB-6330)The course is designed to provide an intro-ductory awareness of a diversity of issuesincluding the morphology, physiology,adaptation, and behavior of these speciesand their interaction with humans andother predatory mammals. A secondaryobjective is how marine mammal speciesare interconnected to the rest of the natu-ral environment. The third objective is tohelp the student to begin to consider thelinkages between the ways in which weregard marine mammals and our actionstowards them. Two papers are required.Instructor: Keith Ronald, email:kronald@nova.edu.

COASTAL ZONEINTERPRETATION

(CZMT-0667)“But sometimes the knowledge of thescholar is a bit harder to understandbecause it doesn’t seem to match up withour own experience of things. In otherwords, Knowledge and Experience do notnecessarily speak the same language . . . Itseems fairly obvious to some of us that a lotof scholars need to go outside and sniffaround. . . That sort of thing.”The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff. p. 28.

Interpretation of nature is an experience-based communication process. The per-spective, or interpretation, that we mayhave of a particular natural phenomenon isbased on our past experiences with thatphenomenon in particular and with naturein general. What we experience is mademore understandable through what wehave already learned. Together, experienceand knowledge lead us to interpret the

knowledge of coastal zone interpretationwill be applied specifically to the in-courseinterpretive program that they will beplanning, researching, and presenting.Instructor: Alan Watson, email: awatson@uoguelph.ca.

Marine Geology Students Study Paleoindicators

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Ph.D. Degree Offered

The Oceanographic Center offersthe Ph.D. degree in Oceanography.The program requires a minimum of66 credits beyond the baccalaureate,42 of which may be applied from themaster’s program. The remaining cred-its are made up of at least 24 disserta-tion research credits and six creditsfrom upper-level course work, usuallytaught in the tutorial mode. Tuition is$3,413 per quarter.

Lauren Shuman and Ray Wolcott extracting sediment from a core. Jim Schiffbauer and Lisa Abernathy preparing to stain their sample.

Congratulations

Tonya Davidian was elected Studentof the Year 2001 for the OceanographicCenter. She received her award at theStudent Life Achievement Awards at theRose and Alfred Miniaci Performing ArtsCenter at NSU’s Library, Research, andInformation Technology Center. Davidianrecently attended the American Society forMicrobiology 102nd general meeting inSalt Lake City, Utah, where she presentedtwo posters on microbes and beach sand aspart of an EPA grant titled, “Prevalenceand Survival of Microorganism inShoreline Interstitial Waters: A Search forIndicators of Health Risks.”

Tonya Davidian and Richard Dodge, dean of theOceanographic Center, at the awards ceremony.

Professor Pat Blackwelder’s MarineGeology students participated in four field trips during the month of April. The main goal of these trips was to acquire sediment samples that will be used for theirresearch papers on paleoenvironmentalanalysis using foraminifera and ostracods.

Traditional trips to Whitewater and FloridaBays were taken, as well as two newlystudied sites: Whiskey Creek and BrowardCounty reefs. Some students elected to gosnorkeling at Whiskey Creek, while otherscollected representative samples on a divetrip at first, second, and third reefs. They

hope to decipher differences in foram andostracod assemblages in those areas. Theirresearch papers will tell us, for the firsttime, what assemblages of these microfaunaexist at the new sites and how they can beindicative of the environment in whichthey live.

UNDERCURRENTSJames Thomas, Ph.D. left on May 7 to teach his Great Barrier Reef Course at

Orpheus Island, Australia. On this remote and pristine island, nine NSU students,(eight undergrads and one graduate) will live and work at the edge of the GBR forthree weeks. A course Web site (www.nova.edu/~thomasjd/ozreef02) is available forthose who wish to see in more detail the activities of this course.

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Indicators in Marine Waters.” Committeemembers: Don McCorquodale andAndrew Rogerson. April 19.

Catrina Nelson, “Chlorination and chlo-rination by-products: The fate and effecton marine systems.” Committee members:Curtis Burney and Don McCorquodale.June 14.

Sean M. Ahern, “An overview of biolog-ical indicators—from protozoa to fish.”Committee members: Andrew Rogersonand Don McCorquodale. June 21.

SEMINAR

Philip Smith, Ph.D., visiting professorfrom the University Marine BiologicalStation, University of London, presented aseminar titled, “Habitat use in space andtime by European lobsters,” on April 26.Smith will be in charge of the new degreeprogram whereby students will spend thefirst seven months at the UMBSM (locatedon an island in Scotland, close to the main-land and 40 miles from the city ofGlasgow). There, between September andMarch, students will take five electivecourses and complete their capstoneresearch paper under the supervision ofUniversity of London faculty. The M.S.degree is a capstone degree encompassingfive core courses, eight elective courses anda six-credit capstone paper. The capstone isa comprehensive review paper based onlibrary research on a topic relevant to the

Seminars and Defenses

THESIS

Christine Hudak, “Habitat Utilization byBottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inBiscayne Bay, Florida.” Committee mem-bers: Edward O. Keith, Keith Ronald, andSteven Swartz (NOAA—FisheriesSoutheast Fisheries Science Center.) May 2.

Brian K. Walker, “Biological assessmentof three artificial reef materials: tire-concrete aggregate, gravel-concrete aggre-gate, and limestone boulder.” Committeemembers: Richard Spieler, David Gilliam,and Robin Sherman. May 3.

Ray Wolcott, “A comparison of aerationmethods and diets for larval culture of theedible sea urchin, Tripneustes ventricosus(Echinodermata: echoinoidae).” Committeemembers: Charles Messing, Bart Baca, andMark Farber. May 21.

Eduard Koenig, “A review on the biolog-ical role and the economic importance ofwood deteriorating organisms in the marineenvironment.” Committee members: ScottSchatz and Andrew Rogerson. May 31.

CAPSTONE REVIEW

Jody Sisk, “Beach Nourishment and ItsEffects on the Coastal Zone.” CommitteeMembers: Stacy Myers and Bart Baca.March 27.

Laura A. Bauman, “Comparison andDetermination of Microbial Fecal

interests of the student and the degree.Students will complete their degree inFlorida, spending about 12 months at theOceanographic Center taking theirremaining core classes and electives.

Although this is a shared NSU/Universityof London degree, the M.S. will be conferredby Nova Southeastern University.

Philip Smith at his seminar

05-186/02 DBB

Published quarterly byNova Southeastern University3301 College AvenueFort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796

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, Spring 2002

Jane Dougan, Coordinator of Distance Learning, welcomes “Dr. Politics,”Steffen Schmidt, to the Oceanographic Center for his radio broadcast.

Edible sea urchin? Image of Lytechinus variegatus, which is the basis of studentsRay Wolcott and Richard Hubbard’s research (photo omitted from previous issue ofCurrents)