Sea Lab Notes

Congratulations to...
…graduate students who have recently been awarded grants and fellowships. Nancy Hilbun, a Ph.D. student with Dr. Rich Aronson, has received four grants from the following agencies: PADI Foundation ($4,820), The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies($1,500), The Geological Society of America ($2,500) and the Lerner Gray Fund for Marine Research of the American Museum of Natural History ($1,000). Nancy is conducting her research on Mass Mortality of Acropora cervicornis: A Paleoecological Investigation of the Holocene Reefs of the Alacran Reef Complex, Yucatan, Mexico.

Nancy stated, "Cores collected at Alacran Reef will be used to test the hypothesis that a regional mass mortality of A. cervicornis has not occurred previously in the Holocene, and human impacts could be involved. I may also be taking sediment samples to characterize sediment origin, age and dynamics of the reef complex."

Julien Lartigue, a Ph.D. student of Dr. Tim Sherman, received a $10,000 Dissertation Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, within the Ecological and Evolutionary Biology Program. His project is entitled "An Ecophysiological Approach to Understanding Macroalgal Nitrate Metabolism and Photosynthesis."

And to...
Dr. William Schroeder who was elected Chair of the Outer Continental Shelf Scientific Committee of the Minerals Management Advisory Board of the US Department of the Interior. Dr. Schroeder will hold this position for two years.

Additionally, Dr. Schroeder was given the position of Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Water Research, University of Western Australia.

Tiffany Cotton and David England, two of our staff members in the Business Office of the Sea Lab. They joined in marriage on Saturday, June 16 on Dauphin Island. Our best wishes to them and to their families!

Many Thanks to...
ExxonMobil for its generosity in awarding two grants to the Sea Lab. The first was a $4,500 grant to the Sea Lab’s BayMobile Program, a travelling marine science "touch lab" that is scheduled to hit the road in 2002.

The other grant was made in support of the Graduate Student Research Fellowship Program at the Sea Lab. This $5,000 grant is a part of an 18-year tradition of ExxonMobil supporting the graduate education program at the Sea Lab. There are currently 14 Ph.D. and 25 Master’s students at the Sea Lab.

And to...
…Graduate students Nancy Hilbun, Theresa Berrell, Ted Stets and Deb Kilbane, who all participated in the Bayou La Batre Project Cleansweep on April 28th.

Did you see... …in January of this year, one of the original Landing Ship Tanks or LST boats from World War II, LST 325 made its way from Greece to the port of Mobile. Manned by veterans, this historic journey culminated in a triumphant entry into Mobile Bay, where one of the first sights was that of the Sea Lab’s own R/V A.E. Verrill. Dr. John Dindo took a crew of enthusiastic Sea Lab staff to greet the patriotic veterans and to salute them on their crossing.
		Sea Lab members bundle up and prepare to greet LST 325.

And Also...
… Forty-five juniors and seniors from Tuskegee University’s "SEEDS" Program came to visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab April 6-7. The SEEDS program is designed to expose minority students to careers in ecology.

In addition to going on a research cruise in Mobile Bay aboard the Sea Lab’s RV A/V Verrill, students toured individual marine labs at the Sea Lab and spoke with the faculty about career opportunities and scientific research.

And also... …Fifty-eight Girl Scouts from the Deep South Council in Mobile came to earn their Water Drop Badge at the Sea Lab. They participated in a program of a marsh trip, beach walk, touch lab and a visit to the Estuarium. Thanks to leader Karen Doss for bringing this enthusiastic group!

		Would you like to be... …a Clean Water Guardian? Polluted runoff is the leading source of water pollution. In an effort to reduce polluted runoff, increase awareness, and acknowledge pollution prevention efforts, the Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center has introduced a new recognition program. The Clean Water Guardians Program recognizes homeowners, farmers, forestry professionals and the construction community for implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) that protect the water quality in our streams, rivers, and bays.

The Clean Water Guardian Program is working to recognize those doing their part to eliminate polluted runoff. Polluted runoff includes litter, toxic chemicals, pesticides, sediments, fertilizers, and motor vehicle fluids to name a few. We can all take simple steps to keep our water and community healthy. To become a homeowner Clean Water Guardian, you must be implementing best management practices at home. Examples include composting lawn clippings, recycling, use of native vegetation, and septic tank pump-out. Forestry, agriculture, and construction sites must also implement BMPs to reduce polluted runoff from entering local waterways.

To receive a homeowner, construction, forestry, or agricultural nomination form, or for more information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Clean Water Guardians, Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center, 4170 Commanders Drive, Mobile, AL 36615, or call Jody Scanlan or Eve Brantley at (334) 438-5690.

Funding for this program is provided by the William T. Grant Foundation and made possible by the World Wildlife Fund and Mobile Bay Watch/BayKeeper Inc.

(Information provided by Jody Scanlan, Auburn University Marine Research and Extension Center)