University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
In the Eye of the Storm
Annual Report 2005
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/
© 2006 Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
University of Miami
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Fla. 33149.
Phone: 305-421-4000
Fax: 305-421-4711
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu
Design and Production: Ellsworth H. Augustus, MA ‘92
Editors: Ivy F. Kupec and Donna M. Shelley
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview........................................................................4
Hurricane Season 2005 . ................................................6
Climate Change . ..........................................................12
Coral Consequences ....................................................14
Paleoclimate Research..................................................16
Environmental Observation.............................................18
Earthquakes.................................................................20
Sustainable Fisheries ....................................................22
Research at Sea............................................................26
Faculty Excellence.........................................................28
People..........................................................................30
Alumni..........................................................................35
Outreach......................................................................36
Donor Listing................................................................38
Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships...........................40
Financials.....................................................................42
A Letter from
the Dean
Overview
2005
The School’s
faculty has a
remarkable record
of success in
winning peerreviewed, federally
sponsored
research awards
because their
research is sound
and relevant.
Rosenstiel School
has indeed been
in the eye of
the storm, as
attention to our
innovative brand
of research, our
well-known faculty,
our ambitious
students, and
our unfailing,
supportive staff,
continue to grow
and put us there.
In the Eye of the Storm
T
he year 2005 seemed like one where south Florida donned a bullseye of sorts
with multiple hurricanes swiping at us and testing our fortitude, our hurricane shutters, and the necessary infrastructure that we too often take for granted like roofs,
drinkable water, electricity, working phone lines and DSL, and traffic lights.
While the most notorious hurricane damage primarily skirted us, 2005 was still a stormy
year for many reasons, but I believe the Rosenstiel School found the high ground and
seized scientific opportunities…and data wherever it
could. The following annual report – our first in more than
30 years – gives a broad perspective of the research
highlights that put the University of Miami Rosenstiel
School in the spotlight, surmounting storms, both natural
and man-made as 2005 presented a year of stormy
funding for not only Rosenstiel School but all research
institutions. With that kind of gap between this and our
last annual report, I do feel a little catching up is in order.
The Rosenstiel School remains one of the outstanding
oceanographic research and education institutions in
the world, with notable improvements every year since
its founding in 1943. As the only subtropical institute of
its kind in the continental United States, its more than
110 faculty members, 190 graduate students, and
more than 250 research support staff comprise the
academic community. Through excellence in applied
and basic marine and atmospheric research and linking
these results to policy, the Rosenstiel School sheds light on today’s most pressing
environmental issues.
With six academic divisions, including applied marine physics, marine affairs and policy,
marine and atmospheric chemistry, marine biology and fisheries, marine geology and
geophysics, and meteorology and physical oceanography, we now view our research
in a cross-cutting fashion through interdisciplinary thematic groups and centers. Those
include: air-sea coupling, biogeochemistry, dynamics and variability, coastal ocean system
science and policy, modeling, oceans and human health, remote sensing, and sustainable
fisheries. Not surprisingly, Rosenstiel School researchers are among the leading voices
heard in many of these areas. 2005 proved a worthy year to help our scientists in
their research and allow them to shine through publications, presentations, and other
recognitions.
Rosenstiel’s meteorologists, physical oceanographers, and social scientists were rich in
data after the 2005 hurricane season. RAINEX, an extraordinary experiment supported by
the NSF, ONR and NOAA, orchestrated three planes flying simultaneously and parallel to
one another through multiple category-5 tropical cyclones to gather seemingly impossible
data about rainband physics within them. Its goal was to learn about how the rainbands
regenerate inside a tropical cyclone and influence intensity changes. The data collected
will literally take the next few years to sort out but will help fill in and clarify an impressive
high-resolution numerical model developed at the Rosenstiel School.
Additionally, you’ll read in this report how our staff and their technology went to New
Orleans’ aid after Hurricane Katrina with rapidly produced satellite imagery that could
follow the receding flood waters to help direct relief and recovery efforts while also
quickly providing important water analysis in Lake Pontchartrain. But hurricane research
milestones didn’t end there. Rosenstiel School has long had a reputation for working to
learn more about hurricane intensity, and the Loop Current’s role in intensity changes
was extremely important during last year’s season as three hurricanes demonstrated
rapid intensification in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of this current’s influence and its
deep warm eddies. The school’s creative policy researchers also made news when they
launched their Hurricane Futures Market in an effort to understand better how people get
and trust hurricane forecast information.
Climate change was in the spotlight, and so too were several of our climate change
researchers. From buoys that are observing the Atlantic temperature and currents
to zooplankton in the Arctic, the troposphere and corals impacted by acidification, Rosenstiel School researchers have gone far beyond just subtropic ocean and
atmospheric research. Rosenstiel School scientists travel the globe for their field
research – even opening a new field lab in the Bahamas to study some of the oldest living
organisms in the world: stromatolites. These reef builders may help answer paleoclimate
questions in much the same way we are finding that sort of information from our unique
Little Salt Spring outside North Port, Fla.
Earthquakes, too, set the tone for some unique research that looked at radon as
an earthquake precursor and another project that used data from our Center for
Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) to allay earthquake concerns
in a section of Nevada.
The oceans, too, were the focus for a significant sustainable fisheries paper published as
the cover article in the journal Science, and the annual bonefish census in south Florida
helped confirm that our process to study the numbers seems on the mark. Rosenstiel
School played host to an international deep-sea coral meeting, which included a forum for
public outreach. And, the open-ocean aquaculture researchers brought some brood stock
to campus to work with fingerlings in a new section of our hatchery.
Of course, these are just a few of our research milestones this year. Additionally, we hope
this report is able to convey the momentum on our campus that the faculty, students,
alumni, and donors help create to make this a truly dynamic educational institution. The
School’s faculty has a remarkable record of success in winning peer-reviewed, federally
sponsored research awards because their research is sound and relevant. Our challenge
is to maintain and improve this extraordinary record by continuing to recruit and retain
excellent faculty, staff, and students, and by providing the resources they need to
facilitate research excellence. It is also critical that the school focus on the topics that are
not only of interest today, but will be at the forefront of relevance in the future, as well.
But, again, these are stormy times. Federal funding, which has paid for a lion’s share of
our research, continues to become more competitive, causing us to look for new, creative
sources of support and write even stronger proposals to compete for limited federal
dollars.
Rosenstiel School has indeed been in the eye of the storm, as attention to our innovative
brand of research, our well-known faculty, our ambitious students, and our unfailing,
supportive staff, continue to grow and put us there. I hope that ultimately our collective
research will keep far more than those in the hurricane prone areas out of harm’s way.
Otis Brown, Dean
Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
University of Miami
Hurricane Season 2005
Remote Sensing and Hurricane Recovery
Q
CSTARS’ ability
to adjust for
cloud cover and
provide imagery
even after a
weather event
has helped
quickly assess
damage.
uietly clicking and
whirring through
the darkness of
outer space are
satellites that shed light on
some of nature’s greatest mysteries. Rosenstiel
School’s Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced
Remote Sensing (also
known as CSTARS) is here
to capture and analyze
those images, and in 2005
its staff was repeatedly
put to the test during such
a tempestuous year of
natural disasters.
CSTARS imagery of hurricanes via its unique partnerships with satellite operators SPOT
Image, CSA, and ESA has long helped distinguish it as the most advanced state-of-theart satellite reception and processing facility worldwide. In approximately 30 minutes,
CSTARS researchers, under the leadership of Co-Directors Dr. Hans Graber (opposite,
top) and Dr. Tim Dixon (opposite, bottom) are able to process data to provide useful
imagery for a variety of clients, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
One of CSTARS’ most obvious applications has always been assisting during hurricanes.
CSTARS’ ability to adjust for cloud cover and provide imagery even after a weather event
has helped quickly assess damage. CSTARS scientists have run a real-time forecasting
system for hurricane winds, waves, and surge that is slated for transition to the National
Hurricane Center and the U.S. Navy. Additionally, these same scientists compute potential
storm surge for given areas through a unique partnership with IBM. CSTARS can produce
high-resolution imagery of marine surface winds and ocean waves such that scientists
have a way to learn more about air-sea interactions during tropical storms.
Not surprisingly, following Hurricane Katrina, CSTARS played a vital role in damage assessment in New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast. SPOT and RADARSAT satellites
were able to capture high-resolution images and downlink these observations to CSTARS,
where they were rapidly processed and distributed to authorities at the state and local
levels. These images were then used extensively in rescue and recovery efforts, as well
as to assess local damage.
They were pivotal in local and state authorities’ understanding of flood extent and predict-
ing storm surge. The images were made available
to universities and disaster
relief authorities on the
Gulf Coast via a special
Web site that CSTARS
developed for just this effort. National news media
outlets, such as The New
York Times, also used the
images for informational
purposes.
The 2005 hurricane
season emphasized just how much more vulnerable people and societal infrastructure
concentrated along coastal areas have become to hurricanes. CSTARS demonstrated how
effectively it can monitor tropical cyclones and quickly respond to cooperate with federal,
state, and local organizations by providing rapid access to satellite imagery and products
that help protect life and property, promote public welfare, and recover from disaster.
Support for CSTARS provides efficient environmental monitoring that can build community
readiness that avoids the recovery costs of being ill-prepared for natural disasters.
March 31, 2006
Dr. Timothy H. Dixon
Co-Director
Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS)
University of Miami, Richmond Campus
11811 SW 168 St.
Miami, FL 33177
Dear Dr. Dixon,
I want to express my personal thanks and the deep gratitude of my agency and others in
Louisiana for the prompt and special help provided by the CSTARS Laboratory during the days
immediately following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Your prompt delivery of imagery showing
flooding assisted us in making rapid assessments of damage to vital infrastructure, particularly
the State’s road, rail, and shipping networks. These satellite images and derivative data were
passed to GIS professionals throughout the government and provided detailed information that
helped rescue and recovery efforts. In particular, your radar images helped the State’s oil spill
response team pinpoint where to look for damaged facilities and helped limit the environmental
damage.
Please express our heartfelt thanks to all who contributed. You made a real difference!
Sincerely,
James E. Mitchell, Ph.D.
GIS Manager
Hurricane Season 2005
Rainbands and Intensity
I
n a chatroom unlike any other on the Internet, some of the sharpest minds in hurricane
research communicated in an entirely unique hurricane experiment: to choreograph a
three-plane ballet inside hurricanes to understand the interaction of the hurricane eye,
eyewall, and rainbands as well as their impact on rapid hurricane intensity change.
For six weeks in one of the most notorious hurricane seasons, University of Miami
Rosenstiel School led the Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment (RAINEX),
a collaborative research team in one of the largest hurricane research projects ever
undertaken.
Much of what
scientists
currently know
about the
interaction
between the
outer rainbands
and the eyewall
of a hurricane
comes from
the state-of-theart numerical
models like the
University of
Miami’s.
RAINEX was the first experiment in which the
high resolution ELDORA radar was used in a
hurricane. These radar data were accompanied by more than 600 dropsondes tightly
coordinated with the dual-Doppler radar
observations. For the first time ever, RAINEX
captured a full eyewall replacement cycle in
Hurricane Rita with three tightly coordinated
aircraft missions over the course of five
days.
In addition to the Rosenstiel School, scientists from the University of Washington, the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Navy
embarked on RAINEX to study how the outer rainbands and inner eye and eyewall interact
to influence the storm’s structure and intensity. The National Science Foundation (NSF)
provided $3 million to fund this study that may shed light on how and why a storm can
change in strength in only a matter of hours.
RAINEX, led by Rosenstiel School’s Dr. Shuyi Chen (top left) and the University of Washington’s Dr. Robert A. Houze, Jr., collected an unprecedented data set that will require
careful analyses over the next several years as they assimilate the data into high-resolution hurricane prediction computer models to gain a better understanding of how the
storm circulation speeds up
or down as rainbands wrap
around a hurricane. Additionally, the researchers
will share this information
with the National Hurricane
Center and the operational
weather prediction centers
around the world.
Much of what scientists
currently know about the interaction between the outer
rainbands and the eyewall
of a hurricane comes from
the state-of-the-art numerical models like UM’s. These
are developed for hurricane
research and prediction and can provide very detailed information but may not be completely accurate. What researchers have needed is solid data to validate these models.
Disease Risks and Hurricane Katrina
T
he last thing you want to have happen when
you’ve just lost your house, everything in it, and
are unsure of where your next paycheck is coming from is to lose your health, too. So, when infectious
diseases that stem from microbes like cryptosporidium
and giardia were a possible threat due to contaminated water in New Orleans, public health officials and
researchers were quick to get involved and determine the extent of the problem.
At the University of Miami Rosenstiel School
– home to one of only four Oceans and
Human Health Centers in the country funded
through the National Science Foundation and
the National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences, its researchers were among
those first responders, assessing microbial
contamination. Shortly after Hurricane
Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast
region, widespread flooding in the New
Orleans area resulted in sewage overflows
and contamination of floodwaters. These
floodwaters were then pumped into Lake
Pontchartrain without treatment, potentially
spreading contaminants into the Lake and ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico into which Lake
Pontchartrain flows.
These results
will be invaluable
for better
understanding
the potential
for bacterial
contamination in
this area.
Rosenstiel School, through an emergency grant from the National Science Foundation and
communicating with scientists at Louisiana State University, University of Hawaii, Louisiana
state authorities, and the Centers for Disease Control, set up a lab in a recreational
vehicle in New Orleans about a month later to analyze the samples researchers were
collecting at two separate sites in Lake Pontchartrain: near the levee break around the
17th Street canal and near the industrial canal in the 9th ward, where another levee
broke.
Scientists, led by University of Miami’s Dr. Helena Solo-Gabriele (below), analyzed
for substances that indicate the possible presence of disease-causing sewage in
Lake Pontchartrain. What they learned
was that the lake was large enough that
microbial contaminants were diluted
essentially to what are normal levels of
Lake Pontchartrain. In fact, the volume of
water that flowed into the lake as a result
of Hurricane Katrina was estimated at
approximately 5 percent of the lake’s normal
volume, having minimal impacts at that
point, one month after the hurricane.
The microbes released by sewage can
potentially impact a large area, and there is
little known about how microbial pollution
contributes to the resultant growth of other harmful organisms in natural disasters like
this one. These results will be invaluable to better understand the potential for bacterial
contamination in this area and possibly in establishing policy for those who remain within a
disaster zone during recovery efforts.
Hurricane Season 2005
The Loop Current - The Energizer
Y
ear-round residents who live along the Gulf
of Mexico learned from this past hurricane
season, that “just another day in Paradise”
can sometimes be a part-time boast. Every
newcomer since 1962 learned that the region
was capable of serving up two Category 5 hurricanes in the same season. Not since 1961, with
hurricanes Carla and Hattie, have two category
5 hurricanes assailed the same basin in the way
that Katrina and Rita made their mark, demonstrating once again, the power of the Gulf of
Mexico Loop Current system.
The increased
activity of the
2005 hurricane
season provided
scientists the
opportunity
to collect a
significant
amount of data
that will help
them learn more
about the Loop
Current...
A team of researchers that included Dr.
Lynn “Nick” Shay (left), Rosenstiel School
professor, quickly became rich in data as
he and his colleagues monitored ocean heat
circulation on the surface and at greater
depths in the Gulf of Mexico to understand
why tropical storms can gain intensity so
quickly and ultimately to improve forecasting
of these intense land-falling storms.
The increased activity of the 2005 hurricane
season provided scientists the opportunity to
collect a significant amount of data that will help them learn more about the Loop Current
and associated warm eddies, which are basically a hurricane intensity engine. The new
study gives insight into the storm’s journey to landfall and will help to better predict their
intensity during their critical final hours over open water.
The Loop Current is a horseshoe-shaped feature flowing clockwise, transferring warm
subtropical waters from the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Straits into the Gulf of
Mexico and then back out of the Florida Straits as the Florida Current that forms the core
of the Gulf Stream along the eastern seaboard. This year, the Loop Current extended
deeply into the Gulf of Mexico. The unsteady, seasonal
currents pinched off deep, warm eddies, making the
warm water ideal for hurricanes to increase in strength
as they passed over the ribbon-like Loop Current or its
eddies.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Dr. Shay, Dr. Peter
Black of NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Hurricane Research Division,
and Dr. Eric Uhlhorn for the UM/NOAA Cooperative
Institute for Marine and Atmosphere Studies, scientists
have detailed data sets that are part of a comprehensive ocean sampling program. This will be critical to
develop and evaluate the new NOAA coupled hurricane modeling system (HWRF) being developed at
the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and
to evaluate algorithms for intensity prediction at the
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Prediction Center.
10
A Different Look at Hurricane Futures
I
n 2005, the University of Miami Rosenstiel
School and School of Business in collaboration with the University of Iowa’s Henry B. Tippie College of Business and its Iowa Electronic
Market (IEM) officially opened the first-of-its-kind
Hurricane Futures Market (HFM). Approximately
40 meteorologists and other experts received
seeded accounts worth $100 each to invest
in futures contracts whose payoff depends on
where a given hurricane makes its first landfall. The researchers are investigating why the
public’s expectations for hurricane landfalls sometimes differ from the National Hurricane
Center’s forecasts. They hope to be able to spot trends that indirectly reveal sources of,
and trust in, hurricane information, such as following hurricane tracking updates from the
National Hurricane Center.
The HFM research team of University of Miami economists and meteorologists designed
their project because of the ability of markets to reveal information about future events.
The futures price of oil, for example, is considered to be the best predictor around for
future availability of this essential commodity and is widely used by economic and political forecasters. When new information appears, it is reflected immediately in the futures
price from the actions of buyers and sellers who are
able to act first. Beginning in 1988, members of the
University of Iowa’s IEM project used that idea to develop the concept of “prediction markets,” markets
whose sole purpose is to provide forecasts of the
outcomes of uncertain events. Prediction markets
have since proven themselves to be very effective in
forecasting outcomes of events, such as presidential
elections, Federal Reserve interest rate policy decisions, movie box office receipts, and Nobel prizes.
They hope
to be able to
spot trends
that indirectly
reveal sources
of hurricane
information,
such as
following
hurricane
tracking
updates from
the National
Hurricane
Center.
In launching HFM, Drs.David Kelly, David Letson,
and David Nolan (above, from left to right) posed the question of whether a hurricane futures market might teach us something about what information meteorologists and others
with a vested interest in hurricane outcomes trust and use, and how well they understand
it.
While limiting participants to experts through seeded accounts this
first year, the scientists obviously
limited how much they could learn
about the general public’s perceptions of hurricane information,
but they also represented a large
portion of the information being
circulated to the general public and
had clear expertise in the field.
11
Climate Change
Climate Change: Water Matters
F
rom the chilly Arctic perma-ice to the steamy troposphere and the undulating ocean
currents that transport ocean heat around the planet, University of Miami Rosenstiel
School researchers are assessing climate changes in myriad ways. While many
of its researchers’ work falls into this broad category of climate change, three notable
highlights from 2005 share another commonality: water.
Where the heat flows
In May 2005, aboard the R/V Knorr, a team of University of Miami Rosenstiel School and
NOAA scientists took to the seas to retrieve their first results from moorings they had
placed only a year before that had been continuously observing the way the ocean transports heat in the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.
While moorings
and monitoring
heat transport
may not sound
particularly
exciting at
first blush, the
undertaking is
an immense one
that has never
before been
done...
While moorings and monitoring heat transport may not sound particularly exciting at first
blush, the undertaking is an immense one that has never before been done—the closest
scientists have come to studying this seemingly basic process depended on “snapshots”
of the ocean circulation at widely spaced time intervals. Because the ocean is so vast,
the cost so great to pursue a comprehensive project like this, and the work so arduous,
scientists’ understanding of how heat traverses important currents has not been based on
a complete picture.
This team, led by Chief Scientist Dr. William Johns (above left, with clipboard), instead
developed a Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (MOCHA) that would
provide continual observation and set it in place in March 2004 thanks to a National
Science Foundation grant of $2.2 million over five years to observe heat transport in the
subtropical Atlantic, and document its variability and its relationship to observed climate
fluctuations. Ultimately, this information will improve climate change predictions. This year,
the MOCHA moorings were “turned around” during this joint cruise with partners from the
United Kingdom, which means that they recovered the moorings, downloaded data, made
necessary repairs or replacements, replaced batteries, and finally redeployed the moorings so the project could continue.
With a goal of collecting this data for a decade, the scientists hope to glean cyclical information and more information about indications of climate change.
Global warming alters Arctic food web
While the cold tundra of the Arctic Circle may seem like an inhospitable environment for
any life form, the Arctic’s oceanic ecosystem has very delicately balanced itself within the
natural cycles of freezing and thawing so well known in this area.
This oceanic food web is supported by a
complicated interplay of biology and physics that links the life cycle of marine organisms traveling between the surface and a
thousand meters or more below the surface
with the charismatic predators of the nearshore zone. The match of the physical forcing and the life cycles of marine organisms
is crucial; both need to be relatively predictable in time and space for this food web to
survive. Climate change (warming) is acting
to disrupt predictability.
12
From minute zooplankton that feed much larger arctic
animals, a University of Miami Rosenstiel School researcher
has been connecting the dots that indicate an oceanic ecosystem in transition. And that’s exactly what Marine Biologist Dr. Sharon Smith (right) discussed at the American
Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in 2005.
Present evidence suggests that as ice melts off the continental shelf and slope, upwelling of basin water containing highly nutritious petite zooplankton increases, and
will continue to do so as warming reduces ice thickness
and extent. These zooplankton sustain the baleen whales
(bowhead whale), birds, and fish that likewise sustain the
subsistent human populations of the high Arctic. Recent
increases in the bowhead whale population in the Beaufort
and Chukchi seas may indicate increased upwelling and
enhanced food supply. Any change that favors whales that
feed in the water column (bowhead whale) will act against
whales that feed on the benthos (grey whale).
Steamy science
The effects of steam heat, steam cleaning, and a steam bath are generally positive. But
too much water vapor in the wrong place can have disastrous consequences according to
findings published in Science this year. Rosenstiel School Associate Professor Dr. Brian
Soden (bottom, right) and his colleagues have confirmed what had been predicted in climate model simulations of the past. Moisture is increasing in the upper troposphere, and
this water vapor build up is exacerbating global warming.
From minute
zooplankton
that feed larger
Arctic animals,
a University of
Miami Rosenstiel
School
researcher has
been connecting
the dots that
indicate a
frightening trend
in the Arctic
food web that
stems from
global warming.
Water vapor is the dominant greenhouse gas, trapping more of the Earth’s heat than any
other gas. Its level of concentration depends strongly upon temperature. As the climate
warms from the burning of fossil fuels, the levels are expected to continue to increase.
And the moister the atmosphere becomes, the more heat will be absorbed, further raising
the temperature, thereby amplifying global warming.
Dr. Soden used satellite observations
from the High-Resolution Infrared Radiometer Sounder (HIRS) to document an
increase in atmospheric water vapor in
the upper troposphere — a region of the
atmosphere, which extends from roughly
5-12 km above the surface where the
greenhouse effect from water vapor is
particularly potent. The HIRS has been
providing global measurements at consistent time intervals and in the same vapor
absorption band within the troposphere
from 1979 to present. The scientists
determined that the concentration of water
vapor there has increased over the past 20 years in a manner consistent with climate
model simulations and could double by the end of the century due to projected increases
in other greenhouse gases.
13
Coral Consequences
Carbon Dioxide, Climate Change, and Corals
E
njoying the colorful splendors of a coral reef as viewed through a diving mask may
be a sight no longer available to us in about 50 years. The health of living coral
is being severely affected by increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the world’s
oceans.
Scientists
predict
global ocean
temperatures
to increase two
to five degrees
Celsius by the
year 2100. Any
warming for the
many species
of coral that are
already growing
very near
their thermal
threshold will
reduce their
growth.
14
Dr. Chris Langdon (left), Rosenstiel School
research associate professor, together with Marlin
Atkinson of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology,
co-authored an important study on the effect that
increased amounts of carbon dioxide has on coral. Publishing in the Journal of Geophysical ResearchOceans, they investigated the effects of doubling
carbon dioxide on two coral species that are
important reef builders in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
The study, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant Program, the David
and Lucille Packard Foundation, and with a generous gift from
Edward P. Bass, included manipulating seawater chemistry that
was carefully designed to mimic conditions that might happen
in the next 50 to 100 years due to increased absorption of
carbon dioxide by the world’s oceans. Carbon dioxide causes
measurable changes in seawater chemistry as it absorbs evergreater amounts of carbon dioxide. If this process continues
at the current rate, carbon dioxide levels, and consequently
the acidity of the ocean, will increase 200-300 percent in the
next 50-100 years. Drs. Langdon and Atkinson’s research
demonstrated that these changes had a profound impact on the health of the coral.
They observed a 50 percent decrease in skeletal growth at the same time that the
photosynthesis of the guest algae within the coral increased. The results indicated a
breakdown in the normally mutually beneficial relationship between this guest algae and
host coral. A similar breakdown has been widely reported when corals are exposed
to elevated nutrient concentrations. Dr. Langdon believes that competition for carbon
between the algae and the coral may be the explanation.
While this study did not examine the effects of elevated water temperature associated
with global warming, this is also known to result from increased carbon dioxide levels
in the atmosphere. Scientists predict global ocean temperatures to increase two to five
degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Any warming for the many species of coral that are
already growing very near their thermal
threshold will reduce their growth. The
combined effects of global warming and
ocean acidification on coral growth could
prove to be a catastrophe for the coral.
What remains to be determined is whether
corals possess the capacity to adapt or
acclimate to these environmental changes,
if the rate of change is not too fast.
Deep Sea Coral Issues Surface
T
here’s a special garden deep
within the sea. With its dazzling
array of fuchsia pinks, dandelion
yellows, tangerine oranges, and scarlet
reds, this garden is a living, swaying,
breathing underwater playground and
home for many creatures that live
miles below the ocean surface. These
undulating, craggy coral structures
affixed with seemingly countless bumpy
suction cups, that help them hear,
breathe, and survive appear indestructible, far from everything including the
sun’s light. But they are not out of
harm’s way.
Deep-sea corals, out of sight from most people, have increasingly become of interest to
scientists. And in 2005, as Rosenstiel School played host to the preeminent international
meeting on the subject, the focus was on how to improve the fate of these corals and to
better understand the treasures within this garden.
Organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the
George Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (GIBS), the Third International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals featured presentations on the unusual life in the most hidden
part of the sea and on the importance of conservation of
deep-sea corals to the general health of the oceans and possibly mankind.
...as the
Rosenstiel
School played
host to the
preeminent
international
meeting on
the subject,
the spotlight
was on how to
improve the fate
of these corals
and to better
understand the
treasures within
this garden.
While coral reefs occupy only 0.7 percent of the ocean floor,
they provide homes and vital nurseries for 25 percent of all
marine species on the planet. Deep-sea corals have long
been recognized as a valuable resource and habitat for sea
life, but these fragile ecosystems also serve as paleoclimate
archives and are viewed as promising sources of future
pharmaceuticals. However, much is still unknown about
these corals and their adaptability in oceans with changing
chemistries and ocean life.
The conference was sponsored by NOAA, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Mineral
Management Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Marine Conservation Biology Institute,
Smithsonian Institution, Pew Institute for Ocean Science (PIOS) at the Rosenstiel School,
Environmental Defense, and the International Council for Exploration of the
Seas (ICES). Organizers also featured
presentations from three prominent coral
reef experts, ranging from the potential
for pharmaceuticals found in the sea to a
profile of a prominent collector of sea life
specimens, to a film on the cold water
coral reefs off Florida’s Atlantic coast.
15
Paleoclimate Research
Prehistoric Florida
W
Little Salt Spring,
located in North
Port, Florida, is
one of America’s
most valuable
archeological
sites, where
extensive and
well-preserved
artifacts
and faunal
remains have
been carefully
unearthed by
scientists to reveal
the origin of man
in the hemisphere.
16
hen the man died they put the amulet in his
burial bundle and placed him under the shallow
water of the burial pond. Brought from a land far
away, the green stone had been his from childhood. After
centuries had passed, gravity loosened the amulet from
his bones and left it isolated on the slope of Little Salt
Spring, where it was destined to be found and admired
again, 7,000 years after it had first been fashioned into
a pendant. Here, at the University’s underwater archaeological site, Little Salt Spring, clues about some of the
first Floridians are being revealed.
Little Salt Spring located in North Port, Fla., is one of
America’s most valuable archeological sites, where
extensive and well-preserved artifacts and faunal remains
have been carefully unearthed by scientists to reveal the
origin of man in the hemisphere. Gifted to the University
of Miami in 1982, the 112-acre site includes an 80-meter deep hourglass-shaped sinkhole
fed by deep underground vents. The spring has yielded finds associated with the first
settlers in the New World that are significant for both their age, dating to early Paleoindian
times more than 12,000 years ago, and for their extraordinary condition. Well-preserved
wooden and other organic artifacts have survived remarkably intact in the oxygen-deprived
waters of the spring. The University of Miami has been excavating the site since 1992,
conducting an interdisciplinary field school for its undergraduate and graduate students.
Explorations this year disclosed compelling scientific
evidence of Archaic man’s presence at the spring and
his reasons for abandoning it. Funerary offerings that
washed away from ancient burials elsewhere on the
site were discovered in about nine meters of water by
divers working on the east side of the spring. Dr. John
Gifford (above left), associate professor and principal
investigator, assisted by volunteer divers from Tampa’s
Florida Aquarium, investigated this section of the spring
for the first time. The divers uncovered several middleArchaic period artifacts fashioned about 7,000 years
ago. Two noteworthy items include a green stone
pendant and an atlatl weight (part of a spear-throwing
device that increases the distance and speed of the spear). Both objects were made from
rock that is not found in Florida, indicating that they came to the region via long-distance
trade or exchange.
In his pursuit to document the scale of human occupation at Little Salt Spring, which
ranged from the Late Pleistocene Age until about 5,000 years ago, Dr. Gifford coauthored
a study published in Palaeo during 2005, linking prehistoric climate and sea level changes
at the site. The study of microscopic crustaceans known as ostracods provided evidence
that it was the water’s diminished quality that may have sent people in search of a better
source, rather than a diminished supply of water. Rosenstiel School scientists analyzed
ostracods to gain a complete, continuous record of the spring necessary to reconstruct
past climate conditions. Ostracods, common in aquatic environments, are beneficial
for understanding past climate conditions because they are well preserved in the fossil
record. The preservative qualities of the spring’s water are optimal for reconstructing
past climate conditions and have the potential to be used as a road map to understand
Florida’s future environmental challenges.
Living Fossils
W
ith strikingly clear azure waters, the island seems more like a page pulled from a
vacation catalog—the idyllic setting for romance and thoughtful strolls. However,
this Bahamian retreat is far more than just another pretty island—it’s home to
stromatolites—labeled as the earth’s oldest “living” fossils – and now the University of
Miami Rosenstiel School’s newest, one-of-a-kind lab. Opened this year on Highborne Cay,
a privately owned island, the lab’s principal investigator, Dr. Pam Reid (below in red hat),
believes we have a lot to learn from the stromatolites, quite possibly about the origins of
life.
Stromatolites are layered, fossilized deposits, mainly of
limestone and formed by photosynthesizing bacteria, known
as cyanobacteria, and other microbes. They date back
more than 3 billion years. The one-celled organisms that
build stromatolites thrived in warm aquatic environments
and built reefs much the same way as coral does today.
They were common in Precambrian time (i.e., more than
540 million years ago). Stromatolites are rare in today’s
oceans, but they grow in abundance in Shark Bay, Australia,
and the Exuma Cays, Bahamas.
Funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, the
Highborne Cay Research Station is enabling Rosenstiel
School researchers and collaborators to investigate Bahamian stromatolites on a daily
basis. The ability to chronicle adaptive processes of these living fossils daily will advance
the understanding of evolution of early life on earth and possibly other planets.
According to Dr. Reid, stromatolites are the main source of information about early life for
85 percent of the rock record. Stromatolites form a compact ecosystem that is elegant
in simplicity. As conditions change, the microorganisms on the surface react and adapt
very quickly. The continual observation that the new lab affords will allow the scientists to
learn more about the growth of these reefs under changing environmental conditions. The
results may ultimately translate into information on successful life strategies in larger life
forms.
Manuel J. Cutillas, former Bacardi Corporation chief executive officer and the
chairman of the UM International Advisory Board, is one of the island’s owners. Cutillas
enthusiastically supported the research and, together with the other owners, welcomed
the scientists on the island so they could pursue this project full-time.
Rosenstiel School has become a leader with its Research Initiative on Bahamian
Stromatolites (RIBS), which includes sedimentologists, microbiologists, geochemists
and biological oceanographers from several
worldwide research institutions. Dr. Peter
Visscher (shown above with Dr. Reid), a
professor with the University of Connecticut
and another principal investigator, has
described their research as akin to trying
to understand the complexities of another
planet.
The continual
observation
that the new
lab affords will
allow us to learn
more about
the growth of
these reefs
under changing
environmental
conditions.
The results
may ultimately
translate into
information on
successful life
strategies in
larger life forms.
17
Environmental Observation
Understanding the Everglades
W
ater courses through the Everglades
and sustains the diverse plants and
animals found in ponds, grass prairies, and hardwood hammocks. Man-made
changes in the past century have halved
the area of the natural Everglades, and
water has been drained away to allow for
agriculture and the needs of the perpetually
increasing human population. The plants and
animals that inhabit the Everglades marshes
are suffering and are not sustainable under
present conditions.
The area of the
Everglades has
been halved,
and water has
been drained
away to allow
for agriculture
and the needs of
the perpetually
increasing
population.
The Everglades’ ecosystem thrives on very wet summers and drought-like winters. Water
from the Florida Kissimmee River basin flows through and eventually empties out into the
Gulf of Mexico. Farms, golf courses, and homes that use fertilizers and other chemicals
to keep their lawns or gardens looking their best ultimately contaminate the runoff, which
also continues on through the Everglades. To protect against area flooding, water management controls were put in place, unfortunately, not always anticipating and mitigating
detrimental consequences.
Alligator nests built at the water’s edge are destroyed when water levels remain too high
in the summer. Conversely, endangered snail kites feed on a snail that could not exist
during prolonged droughts. An intricate balance exists between components of the Everglades ecosystems and their hydrologic characteristics such as water depths and flows.
At the Rosenstiel School, researchers are developing the science to describe the interactions of, and future changes in, the Everglades ecology and hydrology that are being
planned as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a partnership between Florida and the federal government to revitalize the Everglades and the coastal
bays.
Since 2004, through application of a coupled surface- and ground-water model Dr. John
Wang (above left), from the Rosenstiel School, and researchers from the U.S. Geological
Survey have developed a hydrological model of the flows through the Everglades on the
surface and in the ground. With this model
it was possible, for the first time, to estimate historic runoff from the Everglades to
coastal marine waters including Florida Bay.
This information, combined with application
of the model as a predictive tool, will be
used to determine the impact of planned
Everglades changes on the nearby marine
ecosystems.
Understanding the hydrologic connectivity of
the Everglades and surrounding ecosystems
will ultimately be the key to smart management of the precious and unique natural resources of south Florida.
18
Watching Your Coastline
I
t’s a day like many in Florida – one that starts out sunny, perhaps giving boaters a false
sense of confidence that they can certainly return home before the expected afternoon
showers. But, as the weather shifts more quickly than expected, fishermen find themselves in the middle of squalls that could ultimately
push them beyond their limits.
Summoned search and rescue teams scan the
waters from their helicopters, but they also
have a relatively new tool that can speed up this
process—it provides real-time information about
where the boat or overboard persons would drift
in these stormy waters. And that rapid response
could make all the difference.
The Rosenstiel School has played a large part in
developing that tool, as a member of the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System
(SEACOOS).
In 2005, Rosenstiel School researchers, led by Dr.
Christopher Mooers (above right), played a key
role with a real-time nowcast/ forecast numerical
ocean predictive modeling system known as the East Florida Shelf Information System.
This computer model has real-world impact as it brings together what we know about currents, tides, winds, and ocean bottom terrain.
SEACOOS, funded through the Office of Naval Research, aims to provide coastal ocean
forecasting that, for the first time, can meaningfully address a range of critical scientific
problems and societal issues – prediction of meandering ocean jets, thermal fronts, and
ocean eddies; public health related to harmful algal blooms and waste disposal; emergency response; shore erosion; and fisheries management.
In 2005, EFSIS and the NOAA submarine cable at 27°N were cross-validated for Florida
Current volume transport estimates and then used to describe the 30 percent transport
reduction events (due to powerful countercurrents along the coast of Florida) that occur
over several days in association with cold front passages in winter and tropical cyclone
passages in summer. Translation: Rosenstiel School scientists were incorporating better
and more information into the computer model to draw the clearest picture possible and
better understand our seas.
SEACOOS brings together the expertise from several universities in
the area, including the University of North Carolina System, University of South Carolina, University System of Georgia (Skidaway Institute of Oceanography), University of South Florida, and the SeaGrant
organizations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
SEACOOS has developed affiliations with several NOAA and DOD
entities and state agencies; it is also in communication with private
industry. By validating its continually operating model with information from coastal high-frequency radar stations that the scientists
established in South Florida, and other coastal ocean information
from NOAA, Rosenstiel School has made excellent, rapid progress in this area that will
pay off in safer, healthier, better understood seas.
In 2005,
Rosenstiel School
researchers
played a key
role with a realtime nowcast/
forecast numerical
ocean predictive
modeling system
known as the
East Florida
Shelf Information
System (EFSIS).
This model,
however, has realworld impact as
it brings together
what we know
about tides, wind,
waves, and ocean
bottom terrain.
19
earthquakes
Radon and Earthquakes
This is the first
experiment of
this sort and
gives insight
into measuring
radon to
anticipate more
significant
crustal strain
– earthquakes.
O
ne of the most frustrating and dangerous aspects about
earthquakes is our inability
to predict them. For years,
many chemists and geologists have suspected that
naturally occurring radon
in the soil and rocks near
fault lines increases prior
to earthquakes, but studies
of this phenomenon were
limited and could not be
considered conclusive.
After a three-year nearly
continuous record of radon
and crustal “strain” measurements from a geothermal borehole in Iceland, a Rosenstiel
School researcher, Dr. David Kadko (left), has been able to demonstrate that radon levels fluctuate even with minimal crustal strain variation. This is the first experiment of this
sort and gives insight into measuring radon to anticipate more significant crustal strain
changes that would result from earthquakes.
Most people first heard of radon a few decades ago when they learned the potential for
homes to retain carcinogenic levels of radon in their basements if not properly ventilated.
Radon occurs naturally in soil and rocks and its levels can be measured in the water
retained in wells and boreholes.
Because radon is generated in the soil and rocks, emanation of the gas has been thought
to be associated with earthquakes. Dr. Kadko developed a gamma spectrometer for continuous, remote radon measurement and deployed it in a geothermal borehole in Selfoss,
Iceland. This spectrometer automatically measured radon levels twice an hour, every day,
for three years, so that Dr. Kadko and colleagues could assess and understand radon
changes.
He presented his findings at
the 2005 American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San
Francisco. While the research
warrants further analysis, this
work is considered significant,
and may provide knowledge to
help those in earthquake-prone
areas.
20
Good News for Fallon, Nevada
F
allon, Nevada is the queen city of the
“Loneliest Road in America.” And for
40 years the region around Highway 50
held another distinction – the site of some
of the 20th century’s largest earthquakes
in North America. The highway may still be
just as lonely, but the long-term effects of
Nevada’s most notorious earthquakes are
finally subsiding. Good news for the economy
of central Nevada and even greater news
for those in the area who have lived with the
threat of earthquakes their entire lives.
Between 1915 and 1954, Nevada
experienced what are considered to be
among the largest earthquakes in North
America during the 20th century in its
“Central Nevada Seismic Belt” east of Fallon.
The resulting phenomenon of surprisingly
rapid movement and “deformation” of the
terrain has puzzled scientists for years. The
area where the earthquakes occurred is deforming at a rate of 3 mm a year, which is
unusually rapid and significant for Nevada. Prior to this period, seismic activity had been
quite low, so the question remained whether this dramatic seismic activity was permanent
or a passing phenomenon. What they found was the latter.
Published in Science, authors Noel Gourmelen (See brief profile, People section) and
Dr. Falk Amelung (right) of the Rosenstiel School used satellite imagery to explain the
40-year period when Nevada experienced five earthquakes – 7 to 7.5 on the Richter scale
and the resulting terrain deformation to learn
whether or not the dramatic seismic activity is
slowing down.
The scientists used interferometric synthetic
aperture radar (InSAR) data to observe
the ongoing crust deformation. These
observations along with GPS data records
allowed them to evaluate the rate of the postseismic deformation by studying horizontal
and vertical crustal displacement. Their
conclusion was that the ongoing rapid
deformation is unquestionably slowing down
and that is indicative for at least the next
100 years, based on these observations and
measurements.
The research, which is supported by the
National Earthquake Hazard Reduction
Program, NASA Solid Earth Natural Hazard research and applications program of NASA’s
Earth Science Enterprise (ESE), the NSF EarthScope program, and the Rosenstiel
School’s Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS), may well
indicate that the lonely highway will need a name change in the future.
These
observations
along with GPS
data records
allowed the
scientists to
evaluate the
rate of the
post-seismic
deformation
by studying
horizontal and
vertical crustal
displacement.
21
Sustainable Fisheries
Connecting the Fish
L
ooking for a needle in a haystack
may seem like a pointless exercise,
but looking for minute fish larvae in
1,063,000 square miles of the Caribbean
Sea has environmental rewards.
Knowing why fish settle where they do holds
the potential to help combat over-fishing and
control the spread of invasive species.
...researchers
reported on
a first-of-itskind model
that precisely
estimated how
larval biological
traits mediate
the role that
ocean currents
and circulation
patterns play
in the larval
dispersal
process for
multiple species
of reef fish in
the Caribbean.
In a study published as the cover story for
an issue of Science in 2005, Rosenstiel
School researchers reported on a first-ofits-kind model that precisely estimated how
larval biological traits mediate the role that
ocean currents and circulation patterns play
in the larval dispersal process for multiple species of reef fish in the Caribbean. Their
findings have the potential to aid in the design of effective marine protected areas.
Using a high resolution, hydrodynamic computer model, Drs. Robert Cowen (above left),
Claire Paris, and Ashwanth Srinivasan, estimated how ocean currents and circulation
patterns, coupled with various biological traits such as larval behavior, contribute to how
and where fish larvae disperse and settle on and around coral reefs. By tracking a total
of 40 trillion virtual larvae from 260 separate locations in the wider Caribbean coral reef
tract every 30 days over a five-year period, the researchers built a “connectivity matrix”
that can predict these dispersal patterns. The results of this study quantified the spatial
scale over which fish populations are connected and concluded that most larvae in the
study settle 10-100 km from the spawning site – a much shorter distance than previous
research indicated. These results revealed distinct regions of population isolation that
corresponded to genetic variations among marine organisms.
The complex landscape of the Caribbean
coral reef habitat and the degree to which
such a landscape aids or hinders movement
among reefs is mainly driven by oceanographic
regimes at various scales. Connectivity among
marine populations plays a fundamental role
in population dynamics, community structure,
genetic diversity, and the resiliency of fish
populations to human exploitation.
Research to date has focused on ocean
circulation processes and has not factored in
biological considerations to calculate larval
dispersal and settlement. By using bio-physical
modeling, the researchers have developed an
effective way to determine the typical dispersal
distances, pathways, and critical factors that
influence larval dispersal.
22
Taking Account of Florida’s Precious Bonefish
I
magine drifting in a boat on a perfect September day training your eyes on the grass
flats and white sandy bottom of the
shallow inshore waters, looking for
bonefish in Biscayne Bay, the Florida Keys,
or the Bahamas. Now imagine that this
relaxing pastime has a purpose that is
vital to science as a way to monitor the
health of the environment. Volunteers in
the University of Miami Rosenstiel School’s
third annual bonefish census did just that,
counting the prized sport fish to estimate
a population size of 329,000.
This year’s 3rd annual Florida Keys
bonefish population census reported a
slight upturn, certifying that the numbers have remained constant since the population
baseline was first established in 2003. The third annual bonefish census was overseen by
Dr. Jerry Ault (above and below), associate professor, with considerable assistance from
the conservation group, Bonefish & Tarpon
Unlimited.
Bonefish are great indicators of ecological
change and they are easier to assess
than the smaller creatures on which the
bonefish rely for food. The large, 4-12
pound sport fish inhabit shallow, clear
inshore waters, making them easy to spot
and ideal for the census.
Bonefish
contribute
approximately
$1 billion
annually to
the Florida
economy,
making sport
fishing more
valuable than
commercial
fishing in today’s
market.
In 2005, the one-day census was
conducted by 48 boats manned by
professional fishing guides, scientists,
and graduate students working in 19
zones that covered 1,575 square miles. They estimated the number to be 329,303, or
about 209 bonefish per square mile. The fact that the
census numbers have remained fairly constant since the
first survey demonstrates that the environment has not
experienced any major changes in three years.
In addition to being good indicators of an ecosystem’s
health, bonefish are a valuable asset to south Florida
for another reason. As a premier sport fish in a worldclass destination, bonefish bring in a significant amount
of tourism. Bonefish contribute approximately $1 billion
annually to the Florida economy, making sport fishing
more valuable than commercial fishing in today’s market.
Dr. Ault calculates that each bonefish represented in the
census is worth about $3,500 per year to the industry,
and about $75,000 over its lifetime, making the fishery
per fish one of the most valuable in the world.
23
Sustainable Fisheries
Open-Ocean Aquaculture Program Expands
I
n the aquamarine waters of the Florida Keys, a long,
slim fish with its white mouth and dramatic under-bite
performs its one-fish ballet among the sharks and
remoras. The fish known as cobia, while not well known
by most, is proving to be an open-ocean aquaculture
superstar.
Remarkably,
cobia growth
rates in the
offshore farms
are among
the fastest
ever recorded,
suggesting
its success in
producing a lot
of fish with low
environmental
impact.
Rosenstiel School’s aquaculture program has
spearheaded research and development in the
emerging fields of hatchery technology and offshore
aquaculture. The program focuses on sustainability
issues and is driven by the scientific and technological
needs of industry as well as governmental and
nongovernmental organizations and environmental and
regulatory concerns. Rosenstiel School researchers
have been successfully addressing controversial
issues throughout all stages of fish farming, from egg
to market. And in 2005, Dr. Daniel Benetti (above
left), associate professor, led the way in building a
state-of-the-art hatchery at the school for spawning and
raising cobia and other marine fish. The hatchery is
a modern, outstanding facility that supports research
and development projects, outreach, lab classes, and
training of college and graduate students.
Brood stock cobia captured off the Florida Keys were transported and acclimated to a
new maturation system at the Rosenstiel School hatchery. They began spawning in late
2005, producing millions of eggs and larvae for research purposes. The first “extensive”
larval rearing trial of cobia in the pond was successful, with about 20,000 fingerlings
of 1.5-inch size being produced. The project is funded by the Florida Sea Grant, NOAA
National Marine Aquaculture Initiative, and the Florida Department of Agriculture/
Aquaculture Research Council.
Rosenstiel School’s aquaculture program, with the University of Puerto Rico and in
partnership with the Bahamas and
private industry, has developed offshore
demonstration projects that are completely
submerged in the deep waters. Due to
greater depths and stronger currents, this
open-sea approach disperses the organic
and inorganic material typically associated
with aquaculture. Also, with this approach,
marine organisms consume the feed that
filters outside the submerged fish cages.
Remarkably, cobia growth rates in the
offshore farms are among the fastest ever
recorded, suggesting its success in producing a lot of fish with low environmental impact.
The research, however, is not complete. Environmental assessments continue, as do
ways to address new challenges that arise, such as predatory sharks or tropical storms.
Ultimately, researchers are working to develop and transfer this technology to industry to
produce organic fish in an environmentally sustainable fashion.
24
Pew Institute for Ocean Science
T
wo years ago, the Pew Charitable Trusts partnered with the Rosenstiel School to
provide a generous, multi-year grant to found the Pew Institute for Ocean Science,
which undertakes, sponsors, and promotes world-class scientific activity aimed at
protecting the world’s oceans and the species that inhabit them.
Led by Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch (right), Pew
Institute executive director, the institute
provides science-based solutions that are
urgently needed to guide policy makers
and the general public to make more
effective choices for ocean conservation.
The institute provides scientific support for
marine conservation efforts and manages
the Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation
program.
Counting 94 of the most accomplished
ocean conservationists representing 22
countries in its ranks since its inception
in 1990, the Pew Fellows program is the most prestigious marine fellows program in the
world. Each year, five outstanding scientists and conservationists are awarded a Pew Fellowship, to support pioneering projects tackling urgent marine conservation problems.
The Institute includes two Rosenstiel School faculty members and three research scientists, as well as affiliated researchers at the Rosenstiel School and other universities.
These scientists conduct research on ecosystem-based fisheries management, the role
of apex predators—such as sharks and billfish—in marine ecosystems, and endangered
and threatened species—such as sturgeon. They work on such diverse problems as how
corals can adapt to climate change, the impact of fisheries on genetic diversity of fish,
and methods to improve the sustainability of commercial fisheries.
The Institute is a partner in Caviar Emptor, a coalition focused on changing public policy
and consumer behavior to reduce consumption of caviar from endangered sturgeons. During 2005, Drs. Pikitch and Phaedra Doukakis published a worldwide census that found
local extinctions in 19 of 27 species, with beluga and other Caspian Sea sturgeon among
the most depleted. In late 2005, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service banned the import of beluga caviar,
and in early 2006, the United Nations Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species banned
international trade of wild sturgeon caviar.
...the Institute
provides
science-based
solutions that
are urgently
needed to guide
policy makers
and the general
public to make
more effective
choices
for ocean
conservation.
25
research at sea
....Explorer’s
repetitive cruise
track has
allowed ocean
and atmospheric
scientists
to collect
important
information
continuously
during weekly
cruises, thus
supplying a longrunning, detailed
data set never
before possible.
Cruising Science
T
hough the scientists
are not surrounded by
umbrella drinks and
lounge chairs, it may still
seem like an unlikely place
for science on the Royal
Caribbean Explorer of the
Seas. However, in one of
the most creative partnerships to come along, scientists are hard at work each week in an atmospheric lab and/or
ocean lab that Royal Caribbean carved away in a unique venture that started in 2000 with
Rosenstiel School, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and
the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Started in October 2000, the Explorer’s repetitive cruise track has allowed ocean and
atmospheric scientists to collect important
information continuously during weekly
cruises, thus supplying a long-running, detailed data set never before possible. With
such information regularly collected over a
long period of time, researchers hope not
just to observe a particular change but to
gain an understanding of how the ocean
behaves over time. UM students were among the scientists researching aboard the Explorer, including a unique cruise for atmospheric science majors during their spring break.
This past year was a good year for the labs on the Explorer. In addition to more science,
Rosenstiel School implemented its new agreement
with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Miami-Dade
County Public Schools, selecting and sailing with four
scientist/teachers for its mentoring program during
their summer break.
At the rate of at least one visiting scientist a week,
the ship’s labs attracted an assortment of scientists. ADA Technologies represented NOAA’s global
programs division to test a weather balloon launcher.
Boeing came aboard to study a prototype navigation system. A Mexican researcher utilized the lab
to study nutrients in the West Caribbean.
Rosenstiel School researchers were able
to validate satellite imagery, benefit from
the steady data flow for a real-time coastal
observing system, and collect literally hundreds of water samples from throughout the
ship’s Caribbean tracks.
26
In addition to the science, the Explorer also
provided outreach to cruise ship passengers. Visiting scientists provide tours and
lectures each week, and in 2005 alone, approximately 10,400 people partook in those
activities.
R/V F.G. Walton Smith: A Year in Review
T
he Rosenstiel School research vessel F.G. Walton Smith took to the high seas,
conducting a variety of oceanographic research in 2005. The crew spent 191 days
at sea via 30 cruises that were mostly conducting research in the Florida Straits,
Florida Bay, and the Keys. Seven cruises (60 days) were spent specifically doing research
in the Bahamas. Because the Walton Smith is known for its versatility in ocean-based
research, its days at sea were often spent assisting scientists supported by a number of
agencies: 114 days, National Science Foundation; 53 days, NOAA; 11 days, U.S. Navy;
and 13 days, other funding groups. University of Miami researchers took the Walton
Smith on 16 of its cruises.
Despite two shipyard periods in Panama City and the ship’s routine two-year inspection
that UNOLS conducts on vessel, the ship transported scientists to do a broad range of
resesarch from instrument testing to biocomplexity research and physical oceanography. Researchers continue to praise the ship, the crew (now led by Capt. Shawn Lake), and the
many opportunities they are able to avail themselves of, by going to sea on the Walton
Smith. Here are what some of the researchers are saying:
“I find the crew to be one of the most ‘can-do’ crews I have ever worked with. They always
find a solution to ensure that our sampling and research proceeds as planned. The ship’s
working area and A-frame allow us to utilize our combined net system and CTD with
minimal effort, and the ship’s stability allows us to work under a wide variety of sea conditions.” Dr. Robert Cowen, UM Rosenstiel School
“The Walton Smith is a dream research vessel. With a draft of only 5.5 feet, it is ideal for
my collaborative research on modern marine stromatolites in the Bahamas. Our large multidisciplinary science team has ample space for instrumentation and experiments in the
labs and aft deck, and the crew provides superb logistical support.” Dr. Pam R. Reid,
UM Rosenstiel School
“My research project focuses on the effects of harvesting the gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae on the recruitment of larvae back into the harvested populations. The
research has implications for the harvest of this gorgonian and to management and conservation strategies for a wide variety of reef organisms and is conducted along a stretch
of reefs distant from any marine laboratories. Using the Walton Smith allows me to bring
a team of up to 12 researchers to the reef twice a year for two weeks of intense work. With the boat directly over many of our dive sites we can almost roll out of bed and into
the water. Access to the reef along with a lab to work up our samples creates an incredibly productive setting for our work.” Dr. Howard R. Lasker, SUNY-Buffalo
27
Faculty Excellence
Climate Change Pioneer Earns Provost’s Award
... the Provost’s
Award for
Scholarly Activity
is considered
one of the
university’s most
prestigious
awards and
recognizes
University of
Miami faculty for
extraordinary
research and
scholarly
pursuits.
W
ith more than 30 years of research that included stints on oceanographic cruises in the
Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, analyzing ocean tracers and making great strides in better
understanding climate change, Dr. Rana A. Fine
(left) this year won the University of Miami Provost’s
Award for Scholarly Activity along with three other
recipients.
Dr. Fine’s research has been directed toward answering fundamental questions about the role of oceans
in climate change. Specifically, Dr. Fine has been a
pioneer in climate change research and the use of
trace chemicals in the ocean, including chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. Though CFCs have been blamed for atmospheric degradation, in the
oceans they are harmless and help Dr. Fine and other researchers better understand the
various ocean-climate relationships.
A faculty member at the Rosenstiel School since 1975, Dr. Fine is known for her extensive
national and international scientific activities and leadership roles in areas of geosciences
that are vital to our planet. Several governmental organizations have supported and
sponsored her research, including the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and the Office of Naval Research. Additionally, her
peers have long recognized her scholarly achievements, electing her as a fellow into three
professional societies: the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological
Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Created in 1996 by Executive Vice President and Provost Luis Glaser, the Provost’s Award
for Scholarly Activity is considered one of the university’s most prestigious awards and
recognizes University of Miami faculty for extraordinary research and scholarly pursuits.
Each recipient receives a $4,000 cash award and $2,000 toward continued research
support.
Map of vertically integrated CFC-11 in moles/km2. Highest values
are red, lowest are in blue. The + symbol shows station locations.
28
Scientist Earns University’s Top Faculty Award
S
everal hundred million tons of dust ride the trade winds out of North Africa each
year across the tropical Atlantic to the Caribbean and often to the southern United
States. Dust plays an important role in many Earth processes. It can affect climate,
ocean biogeochemistry, and even air quality and human health.
The global role of dust in atmosphere and ocean processes
has been at the heart of research conducted by Dr. Joseph
M. Prospero (left), professor in the Division of Marine and
Atmospheric Chemistry. Dr. Prospero, a pioneering scientist
in the field, began his studies 40 years ago and continues this
research to this day. This year Dr. Prospero was recognized
for his lifetime of scientific accomplishments with his selection as a University of Miami Distinguished Faculty Scholar,
a prestigious award made to one University faculty member
each year.
The iron in airborne African dust plays a critical role in the chemistry and biology of the
oceans. Iron is essential for all organisms. In plants, it is needed to produce enzymes
required for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the Earth’s
atmosphere-ocean carbon system and converts it to organic matter. The deposition of
dust into the ocean could have the effect of stimulating biological activity thereby enhancing the conversion of carbon dioxide to biological material. Plants and marine organisms
that die and sink to the deep ocean serve, in effect, to remove carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and carry it to the deep ocean where it could remain stored for hundreds of
years. Thus, by stimulating biological production, dust transport to the ocean could serve
to mitigate global warming due to the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The global dust cycle is extremely
complex and many variables factor into dust migration. Changes
in climate such as droughts and
increased wind speeds will increase
the transport of dust through the
atmosphere to the oceans. Human
activities in arid regions can lead to
increased wind erosion; inappropriate agriculture and overgrazing by
animals are especially destructive.
In 2003, Dr. Prospero published a
paper in the journal Science in which
he describes the 40-year record of
dust studies on Barbados and shows
that dust concentrations in the Caribbean and the southern United States
are strongly linked to climate change
in Africa. Dust levels have increased sharply over the past several decades due to widespread drought in Africa. Recent research suggests that the drought could be attributable
to global warming. If true, the increased dust is a man-made effect. Dr. Prospero’s work
shows that dust research is essential to understanding earth system processes and to
improving global models for realistic global climate predictions.
Dr. Prospero
has been
researching
aerosolized
African mineral
dust transport
for 40 years.
This year, Dr.
Prospero was
recognized
for his lifetime
of scientific
accomplishments with the
2005 University
of Miami
Faculty Senate
Distinguished
Faculty Scholar
award
29
PEOPLE
In Memoriam
Rosenstiel School lost two history-making faculty members in 2005. Arthur A. Myrberg Jr. (top, left)
Former professor in Marine Biology and Fisheries.
His shark research, especially involving acoustics, was internationally recognized.
Sam Snedaker (bottom, left)
Former chairman of both the Divisions of Marine Affairs and Policy and Marine Biology and
Fisheries.
His research projects reached across 45 different countries and touched many
environmental issues such as effect of sea level rise on marine fish populations, ecology
of mangroves, energy flow and estuarine pollution, and natural resource management.
Faculty, Staff, and Students--2005
Cristina Marie Abboud
Amir M Abdel Zaher
Debra Abercrombie
Michael Jeff Absten
Amarilis Acevedo-Cruz
Juan Jaime Agar
Laiyyan M Al Kharusi
Helen D Albertson
Bruce A Albrecht
Maria L. Aldana
Brenton K Alexander
Ramon Q Alfonso
Marcia CristM. Almeida
Sarah Alter
Carlos Andres Alvarez Zarikian
Julio D. Alzuri
Falk C Amelung
Sari Megan Andelson
Michael S. Anderson
Miriam S Andres
Natasha Anoka
Sandrine E Apelbaum
Panagiota Apostolaki
Lemnuel V Aragones
Rafael J Araujo
Patricia L Arena
Elliot L Atlas
Zachary D Atlas
Ellsworth H Augustus
Jerald Stephen Ault
Elizabeth A Babcock
Gregor T Baechle
Brittney Marie Baker
Tiffen P Baker
Andrew Bakun
Gloria Balmaseda-White
Rolando S Balotro
Inkweon Bang
Wendy Grace Banta
Ana T Bardales
John F Barimo
John W Baringer
Anya Adela Barranco
Ruben M Barreiro
Thomas F Barry
Cristo J. Basas
Hersy Grant Basham
Dieter E Bauer
30
Iliana Brigitta Baums
Lisa Beal
Keir Becker
Daniel Domingues Benetti
Mustapha Ben-Taout
George Assadour Berberian
Kelly L Bergman
Francisco J Beron-Vera
Dinah Berry
John Berry
Johann Ole Besserer
Daohua Bi
Gretchen K Bielmyer
Patricia L Blackwelder
Jonathan Harold Blanchard
Irwin J Blavatnik
Ronnie O Blue
Francine B Bobroff
Felix S Boecker
Dariusz Jerzy Bogucki
Lizett M. Bowen
Emily Michelle Bowlin
Albert E Boyd
Dawn M Boyer
Larry E. Brand
Marilyn E Brandt
Ruth E Brescher
Fernando Miguel Bretos
Norman E Breuer
Ayeisha Alba Brinson
Kenneth Broad
Grant Wesley Brooks
Alexandra Brown
James William Brown
John E Brown
Michael G. Brown
Stacy Diane Brown
Elizabeth Ann Bruce
Nicholas J Bryan
Alan Buck
Matthew Robert Buoniconti
Marina Faye Burgos
Hector Bustos-Serrano
Enrique Cabral
Victor Elias Cabrera
Ethel Cachot
Beatrice Cailleau
Maria E Calderin
Mariela Calderin
Ann C. Campbell
Pedro Campuzano-Jost
John Paul Cangialosi
Thomas R Capo
Felipe Cardenas
Annabelle C. Carney
Jean Carpenter
Guillermina E. Carrandi
Hector Nicholas Carrasco
Robert W. Carter
Glenford R Carty
Gustavo Carvalho
Tania Gil Duarte Casal
Guilherme P Castelao
Sigfrido Celestino
Peter Chaibongsai
Janet Nathaly Chaleff
Yeon Chang
Mareva Chanson
Bertrand Chapron
Noel Charles
Eric P. Chassignet
Shuyi S Chen
Wenhao Chen
Laurent Marcel Cherubin
Frank W Chidsey
Toshio Michael Chin
Scott D Chormanski
Angela C Clark
Terick B. Clark
Amy C Clement
Penny D Cohen
Brie A Cokos
Manuel Collazo
Susan Beth Colley Theodosiou
Emily Virginia Collins
James F Collins
Angela Compton
Thomas M. Cook
Wade T Cooper
Florence Marie Coquet
Brandi Michelle Cossairt
Sara Allison Cotton
Robert K Cowen
Douglas L Crawford
Elizabeth K. Crawford
Maria Mercedes Criales
Cecil A Crosby
Mark A Croxford
Donald Dwayne Cucchiara
Henry Nathaniel Curry
Lillian Custals
Patricia Custals
Marie-Laure Emilienne Cuvelier
Evan K D’Alessandro
Carl Anthony D’Amore
Vanessa Ann Damoulis
Erin Nicole Daniels
Abigail J Darrah
James Earl Davidson
Harry A. DeFerrari
Vallierre K. W. Deleveaux
Christina Lynn Delphus
Kelly L Denit
Melicie Desflots
Pedro N Di Nezio
Fernando A Diaz
Isabel Diaz
Mara R Diaz
Soraida Diaz
Celeste M Diaz Consul
Meghan Christine Dick
Cara Helene Dickman
Alexandra Victoria Didoha
David J Die
Daniel J DiResta
Jacqueline E Dixon
Timothy H Dixon
Yesim Dodanli
Josef Domagala
Roberto A Dominguez
Lissa K Donald-Minus
Anthony Mark Donelan
Deanna L Donohoue
Daniel Doolittle
Phyllis A Dorcely
Phaedra Doukakis
William Melville Drennan
Katherine A Drew
Eliseo Duarte
Chantal Marie Duignan
Leslie Ann Duncan
Jason Dunion
Mary E Durbin
Gregor Paul Eberli
Jennifer Lynette Edmonds
Nelson M. Ehrhardt
Tanos M. Elfouhaily
Ryan Timothy Ellis
Ian Carl Enochs
Somer Alane Erickson
Kelly Esslinger
Williams Esteve
Anna B Estrada
Margaret A. Evans
Mindy Evans
Robert H. Evans
Meredith A Everett
Andrew Exum
Megan Elizabeth Fairobent
Desiderio Fajardo
Melissa A Fardy
Charles T Farmer
Kyle Aric Farmer
Nicholas Farmer
Charles J Fasano
Craig H Faunce
Michael W Feeley
Jack W Fell
Sarah E. Ferguson-Brown
Carlos Ernesto Fernandez-Bango
Lynne A. Fieber
Jerome Fiechter
Tristan Johannes Fiedler
Richard J. Findley
Rana A. Fine
Pezhman Firoozfam
Edmund Fisher
Mary Katherine DraFisher
Mark D Fitchett
Mary K Fitts
Lora E Fleming
Elena Flores
Louis Florit
Michael J Folmer
Carlos A Fonseca
Roberto Fonseca
Rachel Eileen Fontana
William Joel Forsee
Elizabeth Forteza
Jeremy H Fowers
Mariana B Framinan
Erik C Franklin
Meaghan B Franks
Joy Rebecca Freibaum
Garin G Freitas
Melissa Friedman
Robert H. Fritts
Jennifer J Fritz
Abby Gambrel
Olimpia N Gamez
Daniel Jeffrey Gangeri
Alipio Garcia
Claudia E Garcia
Rigoberto F Garcia
Valerie Garnier
Zulema D Garraffo
Joaquin R Garza-Perez
Ana PatriciaLopes da SilvGaspar
Felimon C Gayanilo
Janet Elizabeth Genz
Robert M Gerdes
Virendra Ghate
Patrick D.L. Gibbs
Brian Michael Giebel
John A. Gifford
Laura Catherine Gillespie
Phillip Richard Gillette
Robert N. Ginsburg
Brooke Gintert
Andrew Robert Glassmer
Robert Glassmer
Arthur C.R. Gleason
David A Glenn
Peter W. Glynn
Sarah Elaine Goff-Tlemsani
Damon J Gomez
Rafael Gonzalez
Kenneth W Goodman
Kristen Ann Goodrich
Shauna Victoria Gore
Noel Gourmelen
Andreas Teddy Graber
Hans C Graber
Cynthia Ann Grace
Malcolm John Graham
Mark J. Graham
Taylor Browning Graham
Charlene Grall
Mark Grasmueck
Jill M Graygo
Steven Greasley
Rebecca L Greenberg
Marilyn E Greene
Jessica Dawn Greenwell
Mayda Rodriguez Greer
Silvia Gremes-Cordero
Annalisa C Griffa
Kirsten Ann Grorud Colvert
Henrike Margarete Groschel-Becker
Martin Grosell
Samuel H Gruber
Jose Humberto Guarin
Scott A Guhin
Cedric Tiarcel Guigand
Lisa Elizabeth Gundlach
Sara Ann Haddad
Andrew B Hagen
Lindsay Dawn Haglund
Thomas R Hahn
Jeremy D Hall
George Robert Halliwell
Vicki M Halliwell
Stephanie Erin Halpin
Neil Hammerschlag
Alexander S Han
Dennis A Hansell
James D Happell
Dawn Lee KehaulaniHarper
James W Harper
Christopher George Alick Harrison
Eugene Harschack
Sidney Hartley
Brian K Haus
Wendi Hayes
Angelique Catherine Haza
Amit Lee Hazra
Destiny Smith Hazra
Guoqing He
Genevieve Frances Healy
Sarah E Heberling
Daris Felix Hechevarria
James Joseph Herlan
Silvia R. Hernandez
William T Hiscock
Gary L Hitchcock
Gena S Hockensmith
Jennifer Renee Hodge
Daniel H Hodyss
Sharon Maureen Homer-Drummond
Jochen Horstmann
Fen Huang
Xiaolan Huang
Alice Mary Hudder
Klaus B Huebert
Lyle Edward Hufstetler
Anthony Joseph Hynes
Denis Ilias
Mehmet Ilicak
Gay A. Ingram
Mohamed Iskandarani
Nicole Iyescas
Miguel Angel Izaguirre
Alicia R Jackson
Kelly London Jackson
Jessica Anna Jacobs
Benjamin Jaimes de la Cruz
Karl V James
Michael L Jankulak
Da hai Jeong
Ieng Jo
William E Johns
Lyza Johnston
David Lee Jones
Robert Lawrence Jones
Robert W. Jones
Caitlin McKena Julian
Barbara Juncosa
Jacquel Junco-Valladares
David Charles Kadko
Heesook Kang
Lawrence Guy Kanitz
DNA to the rescue
When Associate Scientist Dr. Mara Diaz was a child growing up in Bayamón, Puerto Rico,
she avidly watched Jacques Cousteau each week, certain that her studies and hard work
would take her to a career in marine biology. These days, however, she finds herself looking
at ways to detect and identify clinically important fungal pathogens, which she runs through a
flow cytometer. Her ultimate goal is to develop a catalogue of DNA “microcodes” that will help
identify pathogens in the doctor’s office in the future. “I love working with this new technology
and seeing the potential for its different applications in the medical and environmental field,” the
molecular marine microbiologist said. Her days in the lab often keep her at the school into the evenings and weekends as she gets immersed in extracting and amplifying DNA that will make future medical diagnoses quicker and
more precise.
31
PEOPLE
Le cowboy
It was swimming with the fish off Wallis and Futuna islands near Fiji
that led doctoral candidate Noel Gourmelen to his interest in rocks
and all-things seismic. His first trip to Futuna stimulated his interest
in natural sciences, but his second trip was all business as he did
field work, studying landslides and faulting associated with seismic
activity. In 2005, he published his first Science article on Fallon,
Nevada’s seismic history with mentor and his primary reason for
attending Rosenstiel School, Dr. Falk Amelung. How does a scientist
from Brittany, France, end up studying earthquakes in the West? “Doesn’t every man want
to be a cowboy?” he laughs, but more seriously adds, “The part of the western United
States we study is still a Far West for us, geodesists – there is still a lot to be discovered.
Using state-of-the-art remote sensing allows us to observe things in clear and colorful
ways – it allows us to observe geological phenomenon unlike before.”
Amanda E Kasper
Benjamin J Kates
David A Katz
Ronald S Kaufmann
Edward Joseph Kearns
Christopher Richard Kelble
Erica Lenore Key
Katherine A Kilpatrick
Sang Wan Kim
Amy Lynn Kingery
Daniel Hunter Klein
Kristin M Kleisner
Nancy G Klimas
Nicole Margrit Knauer
Veronique M Koch
David E Kofron
Pavlos Kollias
Johnathan T Kool
Luke A Kosar
Steven H Koski
Vassiliki H. Kourafalou
Justin A Kovac
Peter J Kozich
Kay Krewson
Ajoy Kumar
Ivy Fleischer Kupec
Tammy L. Laberge MacDonald
Peter C LaFemina
Michael J LaGier
Marcelo Enrique Lago
Erica Marie Lake
Shawn K. Lake
Eliete Zanardi Lamardo
Kathryn A. Lamb-Wozniak
Stephanie A. Landis
Peter V Lane
Judith C Lang
Chris Langdon
Michael Lara
Monica R. Lara
Michael F Larkin
Roberto Jose Lazo
Kevin D. Leaman
Sang-Ki Lee
Thomas N Lee
Susanne H Lehner
David Letson
Adam Sean Levin
Roger M. Lhermitte
Angel Li
Qian Li
32
Eric C Lian
Sarah Melissa Lim
Diego Lirman
Jenny Alison Litz
Xiaoyu Liu
Leopoldo Llinas
Joel K Llopiz
Jennifer K Loftin
Marva P Loi
Manuel Lonfat
Robert B Loos
Jose Lorenzo
James M Lovin
Joseph S. Lucas
Noelle Marie Lucey
Adam Nathan Ludwig
Richard A Lueb
Heike Lueger
Claude F Lumpkin
Jiangang Luo
Yanxin Luo
Michelle R Lupei
Susan R MacMahon
Marcello Magaldi
Alun S. Mahon
Kevin A Maillet
Sharanya J Majumdar
Estrella Malca
Rocco Malservisi
Rosemary Menditto Mann
Derek Paul Manzello
Brian Earle Mapes
Gina L Maranto
Carolyn Margolin
Arthur J. Mariano
Hal B Maring
Jonathan Russell Mark
Kenneth W Marks
Lily Marr
Keith Martin
Theresa Susanna Martin
Eduardo L Martinez
Jorge Justo Martinez-Pedraja
Benjamin M Mason
Juan Mate
Jeremy Troy Mathis
Lisa Leilani Matragrano
Silvia Matt
Walter C. Maxwell
Patricia Ann May-Archuleta
Robert W Mayo
Helen Mary Mayoral
Luis I Mazuera
Michael P McCallister
Kristin Mary McClendon
Cyril McCormick
Jame McCray
Ashley McCrea
M Danielle McDonald
Melany A McFadden
Michael Gerald McGauley
Florizel McKenzie
Miguel O McKinney
Timothy I McLean
John W McManus
Liana Talaue Mcmanus
Mary E McMillan
Shannon E McNamara
Donald F McNeill
Juan Ruben Medina
Christopher S Meinen
Nelson Melo
Sarah K. Meltzoff
Ciani Mendez
Yudania Mendoza
Alberto M Mestas-Nunez
Avis C Miller
Kimberly J Miller
Frank J. Millero
Peter J. Milne
Edward Jonathan Minnett
Peter J Minnett
Christos Mitas
Amy Mariko Miyake
Anne Molcard
Jonathan R Molina
Helena Molina Urena
Maria Luisa Monsalve
Christopher N K Mooers
Cynthia A. Moore
Katherine M. Moore
Fernando Moreno
Anne B Morgan
Ingrid Morgan
Nirva Morisseauleroy
Alexis Morris
Stephen A Morris
Christopher Stanton Moses
Alison L Moulding
David R Mundine
Stewart Malcolm Munro
Doreen F Murray
RISING STAR AWARD
Martin Grosell from the Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries was awarded the 2005 Canadian
Society of Zoology (Bob Boutilier) Award. The CSZ New Investigator Award is presented annually to
encourage and honor society members within five years of receiving their first academic or professional appointment. The individual must have made significant contributions to zoology and be
considered a ‘rising star’ in their field.”
Katherine Janice ChiottMurray
Arthur A. Myrberg
Candace Andrea Nachman
David J Nathan
James H Natland
Jose Navarrete
Karen J. Neher
Stephen T Nerlick
Hien Ba Nguyen
Ilya O Nikanorov
Chadwick J Noel
David S Nolan
Lauren Courtney Norman
Fabrice Not
Barbara R Noziere
Olivier Nuissier
Maria J Olascoaga
Richard M. Oleson
Donald B Olson
Robyn West O’Reilly
M Refik Orhun
Derek L’Von Ortt
Travis K Ostrom
Alexander M Osuna
Sonia Otero
Robert Halsey Otto
Kimberly Cate Outerbridge
Daniel A Ovando
Jean B. Overton
Tamay M Ozgokmen
Michelle J Paddack
Nathan Paldor
Claire B Paris-Limouzy
James Parker
Alyssa Clark Parker-Geisman
Andrew B Parks
Jean Louis Paupe
Angeline G Pendergrass
Ge Peng
Marcos A Perez
Hartmut Peters
Larry C. Peterson
Jaros Phinchongsakuldit
Jessika B Picinich
Denis Pierre Pierrot
Ellen K Pikitch
Dora Raquel Pilz
Jesus Oswaldo Pinango
Deanna R Pinkard
Erik M. Pinto
Terry Michael Pitman
Guillermo Podesta
Lara Y Polansky
Learie K Pope
David Michael Powell
Joseph M. Prospero
Nuria Odinov Protopopescu
Sasha A Pryborowski
John F Purcell
Lisa M Pytka
John Adam Radich
Mary Kathryn Radlinski
Jennifer Joy Rahn
Rajee Ramamurthy
Rafael Juda Ramos Heredia
Maththondage Ranasingha
Roberta Yvette Rand
Eugene C Rankey
Tauna Leigh Rankin
Kristen Lani Rasmussen
Elizabeth M Rauer
Grant Tucker Rawson
Pallav Kumar Ray
Michael A Rebozo
Jessica Bree Redman
Jill A Reed
Stacy Lynn Reeder
Lisa Abbie Regensburg
Denair T Reid
Kenneth G Reid
R. Pamela Reid
Alexis L Renny
Patrick H Rice
David Earl Richardson
Daniel David Riemer
Eliseo R. Riera-Gomez
Liana V Roa
Jennifer L Roach
Jose M. Rodriguez
Nora I Rodriguez
Cecilia Roig
Christopher A Rokicki
Adrianne Rondon
Claes G Rooth
Juan Rosado
Brad Erik Rosenheim
Michele M Rowand
Laurette Roy
Edgar A Rudberg
Angel Ruiz
Edward H Ryan
Irina I Rypina
Alberto D. Sabater
Guillermina Sagasti
Amel Saied
Frances E. Sampedro
Yasser Samra
Geoffrey Samuels
Irmina Sanchez
Adrian Lius Vicente Santiago
Christine Santora
Christine Santora
Anjali Lara Sardeshmukh
Steven Eugene Saul
Ivan Borisovich Savelyev
Dennis L. Savoie
Bradley R Schaefer
Rafael Vergara Schiller
Michael C. Schmale
Gina Marie Schmalzle
Nikki Elizabeth Schopp
Cory J Schroeder
Sandra M. Schwartz
Gloria Scorzetti
Cinda P Scott
Kathryn Julie Sellwood
Christina D Senft
Efthymios Serpetzoglou
Jennifer Ann Serrano
Jason Robert Seuc
Monte Cresap Shalett
Lynn Keith Shay
Donna M Shelley
Zachary Alan Sherman
Dilip Shinde
Akihiro Shiroza
Manoj Parmanand Shivlani
Deborah Ruth Shoosmith
Laurie R Sindlinger
Laurence B. Smith
Linda T Smith
Sharon Louise Smith
Steven Glen Smith
Tyler B. Smith
Thomas H. Snowdon
Brian J Soden
Sarantis S. Sofianos
Helena M Solo-Gabriele
Hurricane Katrina gets personal
If scrutinizing ice cores in the Arctic wasn’t enough for Dr. Erica Key, Smith Prize recipient, a
physical oceanographer, and postdoctoral associate, 2005 presented her with a new interest
much more personal in nature. As she was heading out to Norway for a month of field research,
Hurricane Katrina was changing the lives of her sisters, parents, and other extended family who
reside in New Orleans. While colleagues at Rosenstiel School took to New Orleans for scientific
reasons, Erica was returning to her hometown to help them recover and restore the house that
has been in the family “since there was land there.” Her parents’ home, which is three feet above
sea level, survived the storm, but one sister and two cousins lost everything. “It’s getting better
now,” Erica said, noting that recovery is far from over for much of her family. “How do you rebuild
a home that was 12 feet under water?”
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PEOPLE
Walking role model
They say that the journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step. Never was that
more true than in Staff Associate Marilyn Greene’s case. Lauded by University of Miami
President Donna Shalala as a “role model” for her remarkable success in the university’s
Walkers Program, Marilyn has, through the discipline of counting her footsteps each day via
pedometer and Weight Watchers nutritional guidance, lost 56 pounds in one year. Marilyn’s
dedication doesn’t end there, however. Her 28-year contribution to Rosenstiel School’s Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries was recognized when she was named a school Employee
of the Year in 2005. “I was happy and surprised, said Marilyn. “Really surprised.”
Marlen Sotolongo
Carolyn Spinapolice
Joanie Splain
Susan C Sponaugle
Ashwanth Srinivasan
Elliott William Stark
Linda L Steel
Aubri D. Steele
Kelley L Steffen
Marissa S Steketee
Mark Patrick Stephens
Neil M. Stewart
Lesley W Stokes
Dustin L Stommes
Holly Michelle Stone
Nadiera Chandra Sukhraj
Kevin F. Sullivan
Daniel O Suman
Decho Surangsrirat
Donatto D Surratt
Naoya Suzuki
Dione Swanson
Greta Swart
Peter K Swart
Malgorzata D Szczodrak
Pietro Taballione
Adele S. Tallman
Cheryl Lynne Tatum
Barrie F. Taylor
Josi R Taylor
Paul B Teare
Veronica Tejeda
Joseph E Tenerelli
Gary L Thomas
Philip R Timm
Tina Ann Ting
Zafer Top
Bonnie J. Townsend
John M Trapp
Carlos Santiago Traveria
Stephen M Trbovich
Raphael Tremblay
Daniel D Trimarco
Steven William Truss
Janine A Turbe
Raymond Edward Turner
Douglas Tyrrell
Ilya Anatoly Udovydchenkov
Eric Walter Uhlhorn
Krystal Marie Valde
Erik Valdes
Monica Valle Esquivel
Gayl E Van De Bogart
Jacobus Van de Kreeke
John C. Van Leer
Jeffrey D VanWye
Shaunna L Vargas
Trujillo G Varona
Clemence Mathilde Veauvy
Debora S Vega Ruiz
Victorino Velas
Carmela Veneziani
Mark Ja Vermeij
Peter Steven Vertes
David A Viggiano
Teresita M. Villamor
Marialuisa E. Villanueva
Joseph Vitale
Brigitte Marie Vlaswinkel
Daniel R. Voss
Nancy A. Voss
Patrick Joseph Walsh
Susan E Walsh
Thomas R Walter
Dongxiao Wang
John D. Wang
Mei Wang
Weiqiang Wang
Adam Wanner
Daniell M Washington
Lynnette Karen Washington
Shimon Wdowinski
Ralf Josef Weger
Daniel A Wehking
Benjamin Michael West
Robert Donald Westcott
Robin J Wheatley
Samantha R Whitcraft
Andrew Whitehead
Jesse Alan Wicker
Karen Wilkening
Jorge F Willemsen
Debra A Willey
Dana E Williams
Elizabeth Jean Williams
Jerrod L Williams
Neil J Williams
Kathleen M Willis
Paul T. Willis
Megan Wilson
Deanna Marie Wilson-Diaz
Froma K Wlazlo
Robert D Wolfe
Wendy Leigh Wood
Sarah Faye Woods
Phoebe A Woodworth
Alexandra Z Worden
Catherine S Wright
Xinglong Wu
Lauren H Wyatt
Xiangdong Xia
Hua Xie
Xiaobiao Xu
Tokuo Yamamoto
Huiqin Yang
Fengchao Yao
Qi Yao
Alexandra O Yaya
Aletta T. Yniguez
Amir M Zaher
Julia Zaias
Eloise Zakevich
Javier Zavala-Garay
Chidong Zhang
Fei Zhang
Jun Zhang
Wei Zhao
Xiaorong Zhu
Rod G. Zika
Ian C Zink
Paquita Zuidema
Natalia Zurcher
Keeping things cool
When it comes to keeping things cool at the Rosenstiel School, everybody knows Florizel McKenzie’s name. As the man who keeps the air-conditioning system in top running order, Florizel, an
equipment maintenance technician, is an essential member of the Rosenstiel School facilities team.
Jamaican-born Florizel’s association with things cool extends to his love of singing and composing
music, such as Reggae and romantic ballads. His three sons reflect their father’s strict work ethic,
attending martial arts classes, participating in sports and excelling academically. Florizel looks
forward to coming to work each day with people who are like family, “It is a place where everybody
knows your name.”
34
Alumni
Alumni Golf Tournament Funds Graduate Fellowship
The opportunity to play a competitive round of golf in south Florida is a lure many cannot resist.
Sweeten the pot with the knowledge that funds from the game help to support a new Rosenstiel
School graduate student and the combination is unbeatable. This year’s successful third annual
Alumni Golf Classic at the Doral Country Club brought together School alumni and friends to
fundraise and network for the Alumni Fellowship. A full day, the event featured a golf clinic, silent
auction, dinner, and awards ceremony. Winners in first, second, and third place were the UM
School of Business, Marine Physical Chemistry Group, and Team UNICCO, respectively.
Corporate level sponsors who helped to make it all worthwhile
were: the Marine Physical Chemistry Group, South Florida
Water Management, Tower Quest Inc., UM School of Business
Administration, UNICCO, Tom & Nancy Van Coverden, and
Vera Cadillac. And thanks to the many sponsors, golfers, golf
clinic participants, silent auction bidders, the Rosenstiel School
Alumni Association Board members, the Rosenstiel School
Advancement Office, Dean Otis Brown, and the many tireless
volunteers.
Alums’ Lobster-Boat Loan Proves Priceless
They say that the two happiest days in boat owners’ lives are the day they buy the boat and the
day they sell it. Rosenstiel Alums Charlie Evans and his wife, Lisa L. Robbins, have added yet
another reason to celebrate boat ownership, donating the use of their lobster boat to help with
state-of-the art research in the Florida Keys. The two loaned their spare 28-foot lobster boat to the school, which spends its days
helping researchers to use more advanced techniques to map and inventory the underwater environment where lobsters and
other economically valuable sea life call home.
Scientists dock the boat in Key Largo, where it is accessible to important research sites. The vessel is an excellent platform for
dive-based operations and supports three independent projects that ultimately complement each other by working at different
scales within the broad area of coral reef mapping. Also, Rosenstiel School’s diving safety officer can use the boat to train
student divers while simultaneously assisting with deep acoustic mapping research.
“I like to give back to my alma mater however I can, and I had a boat that wasn’t being used,” said Evans, who graduated with a
Ph.D. in marine geology and geophysics from the Rosenstiel School in 1986. “I know all too well that graduate students cannot
always afford the cost of renting a boat to conduct their research. This is one of those deals that works out for everyone.”
Alumni Board Officers
President
Matthew Davis, ’95, Chief of the Wetland and Forest Resources Section at Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental
Resources Management. M.S., Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry
Vice President
Erica Rule, ’99, Outreach and Public Relations Coordinator for NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
M.A., Marine Affairs and Policy
Secretary
Jennifer Schull, ’00, Fishery Biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service working in the office of Science Planning and
Coordination. M.A., Marine Affairs and Policy
35
Outreach
T
he Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science boasts a tradition of outreach programs that help foster the pursuits of science, research, and public education. A variety of lectures, contests, and tournaments ranked among the School’s
notable achievements in 2005.
First Annual Underwater Photography Contest
Known for its pursuit of ocean science,
Rosenstiel School took the plunge into ocean
art by sponsoring its first amateur underwater
photography contest. Demonstrating the skill,
patience, and talent necessary to capture the
beauty and character of the denizens of the deep,
entrants submitted exquisite photographs that
earned them very attractive prizes. Judged by a
team of professional photographers and marine scientists, this year’s first place winners
were: Robert Darmanian, best overall (inset, above); (shown left from top to bottom)
Wayne MacWilliams, Florida category, Kasey Canton, wide-angle lens category; Miriam
MacWilliams, macro lens category; and Evan D’Alessandro, student category. Top
prizes included a trip on the Agressor Okeonos to the Coco Islands, Costa Rica; a trip on
Peter Hughes’ Wind Dancer to Tobago; a trip on the Aquacat from Nassau to the Exuma
Islands, Bahamas; and a one-week trip with Nekton Cruises. Photographic equipment and
monetary awards were given to second- and third-place winners.
Celebrating the Dry Tortugas’ Scientific History
Educators and students alike enjoyed a field trip to the
Carnegie Laboratory on the Dry Tortugas as participants
in the Symposium on the Past, Present, and Future of
Research in the Tortugas. Established 100 years ago,
the laboratory researched tropical marine science and
focused on coral reefs and associated habitats. The
centennial celebration informed and inspired participants
through a personal visit to the site of the Laboratory and
an interactive learning symposium in Key West.
National Ocean Science Bowl
With fewer and fewer people choosing science for a career path,
Rosenstiel School looks for opportunities to demonstrate the
excitement in science to high school students and is always involved in
the National Ocean Science Bowl. In 2005, Rosenstiel School hosted
the 8th Annual National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) Florida Regional
Competition in partnership with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institution. Approximately 85 students from 13 Florida schools took
part in the contest designed to further student interest in marine and
oceanographic studies. Developed during the United Nations’ International Year of the
Ocean in 1998, the NOSB is a fast-paced, game-show styled, question-and-answer, roundrobin tournament. The competition is a program of the Consortium for Oceanographic
Research & Education (CORE) and is funded through the National Oceanographic
Partnership Program (NOPP), a collaboration of 15 federal agencies. First, second, and
third place winners were: MAST Academy Team I, Miami Beach Senior High School, and
MAST Academy Team II, respectively. The first place winners went on to represent east
Florida in the national competition in Biloxi, Miss. Approximately 2,000 students from 375
high schools participated in 2005.
36
Future Women Scientists
In a special day of science career awareness, Rosenstiel
School collaborated in 2005 with the American
Association of University Women (AAUW) and Miami-Dade
County Public Schools, to host 6th and 7th grade female
students who participated in either the District Science
Fair or the Science, Engineering, Communication,
Mathematics Enhancement (SECME) program. This third
annual Exploring Marine Science event attracted a record
registration of 115 girls (although the event had to be capped at 50) who wanted to
learn about the increasing opportunities as marine and atmospheric scientists in industry,
academia, government, and society. Female students were invited to participate in this
day of hands-on learning. Drs. Jackie Dixon, Lynne Fieber, Rana Fine, and Paquita
Zuidema led interactive workshops on their respective fields of study and Maria Luisa
Villanueva gave a presentation on careers in marine science that made for an exciting
day on campus.
Key!Notes
It’s all about your neighbors, and in 2005, Rosenstiel School decided to thank its
neighbors by launching a new lecture series specifically for families on Key Biscayne.
Key!Notes is a new program designed to familiarize neighboring communities with the
Rosenstiel School through a series of family-friendly talks that featured issues of interest
for those on Key Biscayne and Virginia Key. The hour-long, free programs showcased the
school’s faculty who presented talks on such topics as red tide, the health of coral reefs,
and hurricanes. The “getting to know you” favor was returned with a special Key!Notes
presentation of life and times on the Keys as recounted by local legends Mabel Miller and
James “Jimbo” Luznar.
Lady of Lourdes Student Outreach
Devising educational and meaningful activities for teenagers can present a challenge.
Make that a competition with the opportunity to experience cutting-edge environmental
education presented by top-notch scientists and the recipe for success is assured.
Students from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy spent the day at the Rosenstiel School
participating in Environmental Immersion Day. Sponsored by the Fairchild Tropical Garden,
this year’s annual event awarded scholarships for students to participate as part of the
Fairchild Challenge for High Schools, an environmental outreach competition. This year,
approximately 20 environmental sites hosted the 13 students for a day of comprehensive,
hands-on learning.
Marine Conservation Night with the Rosenstiel School
Battling a large fish on the end of a line is an exhilarating pursuit worthy of Ernest
Hemingway’s pen. Nowadays, what has changed is the advent of catch-and-release
fishing and the hook by which the fish is caught. Dr. Eric Prince touted the virtues of the
circle hook over the traditional “J” hook at this year’s Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish
Tournament Marine Conservation Night held at the Rosenstiel School. The Yamaha
Contender Miami Billfish Tournament, the first fishing tournament in the United States
to go to an All-Circle-Hook format, awarded almost $450,000 to marine enhancement
programs in the south Florida area. The Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament has
hosted this event every year in conjunction with the Rosenstiel School and its Pew Institute
for Ocean Science to raise awareness of marine conservation issues.
37
Donor Listing
2005 Donor Honor Roll
The following lists the names of organizations and individuals who donated $100 or more to the Rosenstiel School of Marine and
Atmospheric Science from June 1, 2004 – May 31, 2005. We are deeply grateful for their partnership.
$100,000 - $249,999
Adele Bader† and Dr. Henri Bader†
Arthur B. Choate, Esq., AB ‘70, JD ‘74
Virginia P. Storer and Peter Storer, BBA ‘51
Parties by Pat, Inc.
Plant Spirit Images
Publix Super Markets, Inc.*
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Serge Renard Salon
Shell Lumber & Hardware Company
Southern Wine & Spirits of America
Sonesta Beach Resort Key Biscayne
TITANIC Brewing Company
Tower Quest, Inc.
Wyndham Miami Beach Resort
$25,000 - $49,999
Mara R. Diaz and Gregor Paul Eberli
$10,000 - $24,999
Colleen Ferris Fain and Richard D. Fain
Clare Attwell Glassell and Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.
Mark S. Palmer
Douglas Champe Roane, DDS, MS ‘54†
$5,000 - $9,999
Ellsworth H. Augustus, MA ‘92
Steven Lee Cavendish
Lisa L. Robbins, PHD ‘87 and Charles C. Evans, MS ‘83, PHD ‘87
Judith L. George and Dr. Phillip T. George, MD ‘65
$2,500 - $4,999
Sue Davidson and Scott E. Davidson, BBA ‘89
Marsha A. Forest and Jon D. Forest
Martha Helen Harrison and Christopher G. Harrison
Patricia Maxwell
Susan B. Medley
Kelly Duff Messier and Jeff Messier
Barbara Monroe and Archie Lee Monroe
Joy Morris and David Morris
Caroline H. Owre
$1,000 - $2,4999
Isabelle Amdur, AB ‘63
Clara J. Ferguson and Otis B. Brown, MS ‘68, PHD ‘73
Martin Cattoni
Michael W. Crews
Doris Drexel De Sylva, MED ‘69, and
Donald P. De Sylva, MS ‘53†
Richard W. Ellmer
Scott Featherston
Russell W. Fisher
Valerie Franklin
Julia Feil Nichols Gammon
Barbara H. Havenick, Esq., AB ‘72, and Fred Havenick
Florence R. Hecht
Jane Z. Iversen, AB ‘64
William Kershner
Marshall Payn
Alita Reed and Nathaniel P. Reed
Dr. Victor G. Springer, MS ‘54
David Stewart
Nancy Van Coverden and Tom Van Coverden
Joan M. Vernon
$100 - $999
Susan L. Alspector, Esq., BBA ‘88, JD ‘91,
and Robert J. Alspector, C.P.A., BBA ‘88
Kristine M. Kelly and Rafael J. Araujo, MA ‘98
Jerald Stephen Ault, PHD ‘88
Lixion A. Avila, MS ‘84, PHD ‘93
Elizabeth S. Baker and Dr. Edward K. Baker III
Frederick M. Bayer, BS ‘48
Michael John Beach, MA ‘01
Arietta Venizelos and Daniel D. Benetti, PHD ‘93
H. T. Bennett, Jr.
Ellen Paxton Blasi and Michael D. Blasi
Irwin J. Blavatnik
Kenneth Broad, MA ‘92
Florence I. Brook and Iver M. Brook, PHD ‘75
Jon Raymond Buck, MS ‘70
Diane W. Camber and Isaac Camber, PHD, MS ‘54
Elaine Ida Chan, MS ‘76 and Peter N. Hiebert
Joan Feil Clancey, MS ‘55
Jeanne Sherouse Corlett and Edward S. Corlett III
Andrew George Costello, MSCE ‘73
Susan Sponaugle and Robert K. Cowen
William C. Cummings, MS ‘60, PHD ‘68
Daniel B. Dalke, BS ‘90, MSED ‘95
James D. DeCocq, BS ‘95, MA ‘98
Robert E. Draudt, MA ‘98
Claudia Esker and Dominic Esker, PHD ‘98
Rana A. Fine, PHD ‘75 and James S. Mattson
Donna Merle Gannon and Patrick T. Gannon, Sr., PHD ‘77
Rolando R. Garcia, Jr., MS ‘74
Julio Garcia-Gomez, PHD ‘91
Nancy J. Gassman, PHD ‘92
William Richard Gehring, MS ‘69, PHD ‘73
Kimberlee Miskell-Gerhardt, MS ‘83,
and Daniel Joseph Gerhardt, MS ‘84
Rosalie J. Goldberg and Walter M. Goldberg, PHD ‘73
Robert J. Goral, DDS
James Matthew Gross, MS ‘69, PHD ‘79
Paula Hansell and Dennis A. Hansell
Jiann Gwo Jiing, PHD ‘84
Colby Martin Johnson, AB ‘98
David Charles Kadko
A † symbol after an individual’s name indicates that they are deceased, and an * after a corporation name denotes a Matching Gift Organization.
38
Joyce Ellen Kaiser and Gerard A. Kaiser
Barry Jay Katz, PHD ‘79
Suzanne B. Lepple and Dr. Frederick Karl Lepple, BS ‘67, MS ‘71
Tammy L. Laberge MacDonald and Glenn S. MacDonald
Meaghan G Maillet and Kevin Andrew Maillet, MS ‘91
Joan Randall Mason and Allen S. Mason, PHD ‘74
Lourdes F LaPaz and Donald F. McNeill, PHD ‘89
Charles G. Messing, MS ‘80, PHD ‘80
Christine A. Miller, MS ‘81 and Geoffrey J. Picard
Elizabeth E. Mooers and Christopher N. K. Mooers
Jan Carol Potdevin Munier and Robert S. C. Munier, MS ‘76
Lee Kofowitz Opresko, PHD ‘74,
and Dennis Michael Opresko, BS ‘66, MS ‘70, PHD ‘74
Craig Parker
Jeremy Tobias Pennington, BS ‘98, MS ‘03
Felicia Elena Ponzano, BFA ‘77
Verna P. Powell and David Michael Powell
Frances Louise Provenzano
and Anthony Provenzano, Jr., MS ‘58, PHD ‘62
John Dewitt Riege, MS ‘74
Mary Jane Rubley and Earl G. Rubley
Kathryn J. Rybovich
Alan Schneyer, MS ‘80, MS ‘84, PHD ‘84
Junko Kazumi and Dr. Steven Glen Smith
David George Smith, MS ‘67, PHD ‘71
Katherine S. Pillsbury, DVM, MS ‘84, and Dale R. Sogge, BSME ‘82
Carmen Spiegel and Howard Jerome Spiegel, Esq., LLM ‘81
Adele S. Tallman
James A. Vallee, MS ‘63, PHD ‘65
Susan Ellen Walsh and Patrick Joseph Walsh, PhD, BS ‘75
Carolyn Westman and Carl E. Westman, Esq., JD ‘69
Elizabeth Jean Williams, MS ‘83
Lois Willoughby and Hugh E. Willoughby, PHD ‘77
Wendy Leigh Wood, MA ‘04
Alain Wood-Prince
Myong Hee Choo Yang and Won Tack Yang, BS ‘55, MS ‘57, PHD ‘67
Frances Wilson Yokel and Bernard J. Yokel, MS ‘66, MS ‘66, PHD ‘83
Emily Virginia Collins, MA ‘04
Zoe Mary DeMason and Laif J. DeMason, MS ‘88
Linda L. Farmer, MS ‘74, PHD ‘78
Eva Ujfalusi Gordon and Lucien Gordon, DDS
Tony Henneberg
Saundra Hinsley and William E. Hinsley III, MA ‘00
Donald R. Johnson, PHD ‘74
Wendy Noelle Kearns and Edward Joseph Kearns, PHD, BS ‘90
Sherry Hyatt Reeder and Charles Hoffman Reeder
Captain Jason Smith
Kiersten Andrea Swanson and William Kent Swanson, AB ‘92
Jean T. Yehle
Annette Casuso and Frederick R. Baddour, MS ‘84
Amie Davis and Captain Matt Davis, BS ‘95, MS ‘98
Anna M. Deloach and Edward L. Deloach
Stephen B. Drogin
Pamela Reid, PHD ‘85 and Jack W. Fell, MS ‘59, PHD ‘65
Edgar Cuthbert Gentle III, MS ‘77
Robert N. Ginsburg
Francine Gomberg and David N. Gomberg, PHD, MS ‘72
Claire S. Hanson and Howard Paul Hanson, PHD ‘80
Andrea Godin Koss and Christopher Koss
Foundations
The Applebaum Foundation, Inc.
The Cove Point Foundation
Dow Corning Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation*
Florman Family Foundation, Inc.
Jefferson Lee Ford III Memorial Foundation
Hecht Family Foundation
Herbert W. Hoover Foundation
Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
The Korein Foundation
McCrea Foundation
Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation
Mostyn Foundation, Inc.
Alex G. Nason Foundation, Inc.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Ocean Research Education Foundation, Inc.
The Pew Charitable Trusts*
The Rosenstiel Foundation
Rotary Club of Key Biscayne Foundation
SeaStar Foundation, Inc.
SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund
The George B. Storer Foundation, Inc.
The G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation
Associations
Fisherama, Inc.
The Greater Miami Billfish Tournament
Miami Museum of Science & Space Transit Planetarium
SeaWeb
United Way of Miami-Dade County
Wildlife Conservation Society
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Zoological Society of Florida
Estate Gifts
Joan Feil Clancey, MS ‘55
Judith L. George and Phillip T. George, MD ’65
Douglas Champe Roane, DDS, MS ‘54†
The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science would like also to express sincere appreciation to all those volunteers
who have contributed their time and efforts and especially recognize the organizations that provided matching gifts.
Honor roll information has been carefully reviewed; nevertheless, errors or omissions may occur. If your
name does not appear or is not listed correctly, please accept our apologies. Inquiries or corrections
should be directed to University Advancement at (305) 284-8673.
39
AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND FELLOWSHIPS
Rosenstiel Award 2005
Dr. Rod William Wilson
U
M Rosenstiel School presented its 29th annual Rosenstiel Award for Outstanding Achievement and Distinction in Oceanographic Science to Dr. Rod William Wilson of the University of
Exeter School of Biological and Chemical Sciences.
The Rosenstiel Award, the school’s namesake award, is
designed to honor scientists who, in the past decade,
have made significant and growing impacts in their field.
It’s an award targeted for researchers who, in their early
to mid-career stages, are already making outstanding
scientific contributions.
Dr. Wilson’s
research
focuses upon
the mechanisms
by which
animals respond
to environmental
change...
Dr. Wilson’s research focuses on how animals respond to
environmental change for survival, especially in regard to
their salt and water balance. He has observed a variety
of model organisms from aquatic invertebrates and fish
to mammals with a multi-disciplinary emphasis that aims
to provide a fuller appreciation of the range of responses
in larger organisms.
For example, his recent research has focused on how
marine bony fish maintain adequate hydration when they
are living in an environment that is three times saltier
than their own body fluids. Dr. Wilson’s research focuses
on how these fish must drink huge amounts of the seawater they live in to survive— up to one-quarter of their
body weight per day — something that would be highly
toxic to humans. His research has explored how their physiology and body chemistry accommodate for this.
Additionally, his research has explored the calcium carbonate the fish excrete and its role in
carbon cycling, which on a global scale could potentially make a significant contribution to the
way carbon moves back and forth between ocean and air, a cycle which ultimately impacts
upon global climate.
Dr. Wilson earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and
his doctorate in fish physiology and ecotoxicology at Birmingham University and Astrazeneca
Brixham Environmental Laboratories in Devon, United Kingdom.
The Rosenstiel Award, created through
an endowment from the Rosenstiel
Foundation, recognizes outstanding
scientists for their contributions to
marine science. It is awarded annually
to one individual on a rotating basis for
achievements in six broad disciplinary
areas: marine geology and geophysics;
meteorology and physical oceanography; marine and atmospheric chemistry;
marine biology and fisheries; applied
marine physics; and marine affairs.
40
DEAN’S PRIZE (BEST THESIS)
John Cangialosi
SMITH PRIZE (BEST DISSERTATION)
Erica Key
FELLOWSHIPS
Ralf Weger
Koczy
Xiaofang Zhu
RSMAS
Cathy Bliss
RSMAS
Elliott Stark
RSMAS
Ed Mager
RSMAS
Amanda Waite
RSMAS
Yumin Moon
RSMAS
Benjamin Mason
UM
Stephen Carlson
UM
Derek Ortt
UM
Daniel Stern
UM
Nick Farmer
UM
Josie Taylor
UM
Xiaoyu Liu
UM
Rebecca Albright
Maytag
Tauna Boone Rankin
Maytag
Carolyn Margolin
Maytag
Jayme Timberlake
Alumni
Tania Casa
Mary Roche
Ayeisha Brinson
McKnight
Noel Gourmelen
NASA
Gina Schmalze
NASA
John E.M. Brown
NASA
Xaymara Serrano
NOAA
Donald Bacoat
NOAA
Ayeisha Brinson
NOAA
Sue Ebanks
NOAA
Chris Uyeda
NOAA
SCHOLARSHIPS
Ivan Savelyev
RCCL Ocean Fund
Lauren Zamora
RCCL Ocean Fund
David Richardson
Capt. Henry Vernon
Joel Llopiz
Capt. Henry Vernon
Katherine Drew
Capt. Henry Vernon
Patrick Rice
Capt. Henry Vernon
Nick Farmer
Circle of Friends
Klaus Huebert
Circle of Friends
Ed Rudberg
Circle of Friends
Mark Fitchett
Circle of Friends
Sharon Homer-Drummond
Circle of Friends
Art Gleason
Circle of Friends
Marilyn Brandt
Ocean Conservancy
Derek Ortt
AMS
OTHER AWARDS
Brie Cokos
Edward Iversen/Aquaculture
Ian Zink
Edward Iversen/Aquaculture
Evan D’Alessandro
Don DeSylva Memorial
41
Financials
FY 2005 Sources of Support $56.4M
University of Miami $8.1M (14%)
Extramural $48.3M (86%)
FY 2005 Extramural
Sources of Support - $48.3M
National Science Foundation $12.8M (26.5%)
NOAA $8.39M (17.4%)
Office of Naval Research $8.18M (16.9%)
NASA $3.74M (7.8%)
Restricted Gifts $3.62M (7.5%)
The Rosenstiel School is one of the nation’s top
oceanographic research and education institutions. A leader in developing innovative partnerships with
government, industry and foundations, the School
has impressive success in receiving funding for its
proposals. Approximately one out of every two proposals submitted is awarded the requested funding.
The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science ended 2005 with total
research support at $56.4 million, approximately
$5 million higher than in 2004, and external funding
accounted for this increase as it rose approximately $6 million in 2005.
The Rosenstiel School’s external funding totaled
$48.3 million, with federal grants coming predominantly from the National Science Foundation,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
the Office of Naval Research, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, other Department of
Defense entities, the National Institutes of Health,
and the Environmental Protection Agency.
National Institutes of Health $3.54M (7.3%)
Other Non-Federal Funds $3.49M (7.2%)
Other Federal Agencies $2.01M (4.2%)
Other Department of Defense $1.27M (2.6%)
Environmental Protection Agency $1.24M (2.6%)
Retrospective: Total Support since 1993
External
Funding
University
Funding
42
University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine
and Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
http://www.rsmas.miami.edu