The Institute of Caribbean Studies, of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (UPR-RP), invites the academic community and the general public to the lecture “THE CARIBBEAN SEA AS A SPECIAL AREA IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” by Dr. John Agard, Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies – St. Augustine; Lead Author in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, panel awarded the Noble Peace Prize 2007. Dr. Manuel Valdés Pizzini, Associate Director for Research and Program Affairs, Sea Grant College Program, and Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, will comment the lecture. The activity will be held on Thursday, February 2, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Amphitheatre Manuel Maldonado Denis (CRA 108) of Carmen Rivera de Alvarado (CRA) Building, Faculty of the Social Sciences, UPR-RP.

This lecture will be broadcast LIVE online through the following website: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cc71

Comments and suggestions on this presentation will be very welcome at: iec@uprrp.edu

[Spanish version]

El Instituto de Estudios del Caribe de la Universidad de Puerto Rico-Río Piedras (UPR-RP) invita a la comunidad universitaria y al público en general a la conferencia: “THE CARIBBEAN SEA AS A SPECIAL AREA IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” por el Dr. John Agard , Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies – St. Augustine; autor principal del Fourth Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, ganador del Premio Nobel de la Paz 2007. El Dr. Manuel Valdés Pizzini, Director Asociado de Investigación y Programas, Programa Sea Grant, y Profesor de Antropología y Sociología, Escuela de Artes y Ciencias, UPR-Mayagǖez, comentará la ponencia. La presentación tendrá lugar el jueves, 2 de febrero, de 1:00 a 3:00 p.m., en el Anfiteatro Manuel Maldonado Denis (CRA 108) del Edificio Carmen Rivera de Alvarado (CRA) de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, UPR-RP.

Esta presentación será transmitida en línea EN VIVO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cc71

Se agradecerá el envío de comentarios y sugerencias sobre la transmisión a: iec@uprrp.edu

Then, mark your calendar for the 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting on March 21-24, 2012 in Norfolk, Virginia at the Waterside Marriott Hotel! This meeting is “one of the of the largest scientific meetings for marine biologists in the USA.” It will be hosted by the Old Dominion University. Other sponsors include Norfolk Visitors & Convention Bureau, Virginia Sea Grant, and the American Academy of Underwater Scientists.

Click here to visit the official website for registration and more details on this exciting conference!

[Cited from website] -

Important Deadlines:

Abstract submission deadline is February 24th, 2012

Early registration deadline is February 24th, 2012

Film festival submission deadline is February 24th, 2012

Book your room at the Marriott by February 24th, 2012 to receive a special BEM discounted rate of only $93.00 (plus tax) per night for up to 4 persons.

Ricardo López-Ortiz, from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, studied the foraging and feeding habits of seabirds of the genus Sula in the Monito Islet of the Mona Channel near the island of Puerto Rico (López-Ortiz, 2009).  The study (supported by UPR Sea Grant) is perhaps one of the few descriptions of the foraging habits of boobies (Figure 1; p. 115) that suggests that the feeding habits of seabirds could also serve as a mechanism for monitoring the population of epipelagic species at their juvenile and post-larval stages.  Seabirds could provide (through regurgitation) samples of epipelagic fishes that could, otherwise, be difficult to obtain.

In the large scheme of things, seabirds compete with fishers, fishes, and other marine species for a number of their target preys, and thus must be factored into the management equation as Cury et al. (2011) suggests.

* – “…a practical indicator would be to maintain forage fish biomass above one-third of the maximum observed long-term biomass. The application of such a management guideline will depend upon local circumstances, such as the need to implement spatial management around breeding colonies or the conservation status of species.” (Cury et al: 1706)

References:

Cury PM, Boyd IL, Bonhommeau S, Anker-Nilssen T, Crawford RJM, Furness RW, Mills JA, Murphy EJ, Österblom H, Paleczny M, Piatt JF, Roux J, Shannon L, and Sydeman WJ. Global Seabird Response to Forage Fish Depletion—One-Third for the Birds. Science, 23 Dec 2011: 334 (6063), 1703-1706.

López-Ortiz, R. 2009. The Diet of Masked, Brown and Red-Footed Boobies (Sulidae: Pelecaniformes) in the Mona Passage, Puerto Rico. Ph.D. Dissertation. Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. (Figure 1, p. 115)

Written by: Dr. Manuel Valdés-Pizzini

Edited by: J. Seda Miró

The deadline for receipt of preproposals via electronic mail at the National Sea Grant Office is 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 7, 2012.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to submit your preproposal for environmentally-friendly and sustainable aquaculture practices!

Check out what experts commented in our discussion session on the research and information needed for local aquaculture practices! Click here for details!

Patricia Miloslavich and Eduardo Klein in their 2005 publication titled the Caribbean Marine Biodiversity: The known and the unknown present a general description of the major marine ecosystems and species found (referred to as the “knowns”) in the Caribbean region, an area that comprises about 2,754,000 km² and is considered among the top five of the world “hotspots” for marine and terrestrial biodiversity. The authors also identified the “unknowns”, drawing attention to studies that must be addressed in each country to better understand the present and future status of Caribbean marine biodiversity in order to establish better resources management practices.

Overall, areas that required more studies included the taxonomy of small-sized organisms, cryptic and rare species (Table 1). Surprisingly, there were few studies regarding the biodiversity of planktonic species. Phyto- and zooplankton organisms represented the first and second trophic levels of the marine food chain, respectively.  Phytoplankton species are one of the main primary producers in the marine environment and, thus, are responsible for the uptake of carbon from the atmosphere and its transfer to other levels. It is widely known that phytoplankton composition can be used as an indicator of environmental health (i.e., ecological indicators) and, therefore, can be used as a tool for management. On the other hand, commercial and ecologically important species, such as fishes, lobsters, and sea urchins, spend most of their larval stage in the form of meroplankton. With this is in mind, they should be considered essential for studies on organisms associated with zooplankton diversity. They also represent the link between primary producers (i.e., phytoplankton) and higher trophic levels.

Marine microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and yeasts) were another group of “unknowns” that required more studies. Bacterioplankton represented an important “sink” of carbon in the ocean, accounting for about half of the carbon fixation in the marine environment. In addition, they may serve as an index of water contamination, which may contribute to establishing effective management practices.

In general, a need for trained personnel, equipment, law enforcements, more research and education among the community was identified in order to establish better management policies to protect the marine environment in the Caribbean. In addition, more efforts that integrate research and collaboration among different areas of the region were highly recommended. For more details on the studies needed by countries that were assessed in this publication (Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico), click below on Tables 2-4.

In a more recent publication (2010) by Miloslavich and a team of 16 other experts, the regional estimates and distribution patterns of the Caribbean marine biodiversity are re-evaluated based on major activities conducted by the Census of Marine Life Program (click here for access to the full text version of this article through our publication database). Over 12,000 marine species were reported in different sampling areas that mostly included shallow, nearshore waters of the region. Limited amounts of data were available from offshore and deep-sea environments since they have been less studied. Interestingly, Miloslavich et al (2010) identified four factors that made their assessment on the “true” distribution patterns of marine biodiversity practically unattainable and that particularly included “high variability among collecting methods” (Miloslavich: e11916). This statement coincides with comments made by several experts who have participated in our discussion sessions, emphasizing the need for standardized methods of collecting data necessary for establishing species inventory and baselines.

Although many marine species have been identified, being able to obtain a sufficient amount of data collection to accurately represent and describe the marine biodiversity of the region remains as a major concern. Addressing this concern may help to resolve other pertinent issues that may be directly affected by this particular need (for example, establishing baselines of commercially-important and recreational marine organisms). It is imperative that managers, scientists, and conservationists draw the attention of important local stakeholders and agencies in making extra efforts, as a region, to address these concerns and bring about the change needed for the past few years.

Table 1. General overview of the “unknowns” of marine biodiversity throughout the Caribbean region (Miloslavich and Klein 2005).

Tables 2-4. Detailed overview of marine studies needed by country (Miloslavich and Klein 2005).

References:

1. Miloslavich P. and E. Klein. 2005. Caribbean Marine Biodiversity: The known and the unknown. DEStech Publications, Inc. Pennsylvania. 310 pp.
2. Miloslavich, P., J. M. Díaz, E. Klein, J. J. Alvarado, C. Díaz, J. Gobin, E. Escobar-Briones, J. J. Cruz-Motta, E. Weil, J. Cortés, A. C. Bastidas, R. Robertson, F. Zapata, A. Martín, J. Castillo, A. Kazandjian, and M. Ortiz. (2010). Marine biodiversity in the Caribbean: regional estimates and distribution patterns. Public Library of Science (PLoS) 5.8 : e11916.

Written by:

Brenda Soler, PhD candidate, UPR-Mayaguez, Department of Marine Sciences

Edited by: Jasmine Seda, CRA Project Assistant

Synopsis: The U. S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to seek proposals from small business firms for participation in Phase I of the Fiscal Year 2012 NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Phase I of the SBIR program implements the Small Business Innovation Research Re-Authorization Act of 2000. Small businesses are invited to submit research proposals in response to the Request for Proposals.

The purpose of Phase I of the SBIR program is for firms to conduct research and development which will allow the Government to determine the scientific or technical merit and feasibility of concepts, ideas and quality of performance as a prerequisite for further Government support which may follow in Phase II of the program. Any organization or individuals receiving awards under Phase I may be eligible to compete for a Phase II award. The following are the NOAA, Research and Development (R&D) topics available for Phase I: Climate Adaption and Mitigation, Weather-Ready Nation, Healthy Oceans, Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies.

The proposal response date is February 1, 2012 at 4:00pm (Central Time).

For more information regarding the solicitation forms for this RFP, please refer to the original website by clicking here.

In this competition, MASGC welcomes projects in the following funding areas:

1. Research on Human-Dolphin Interactions; and
2. Development of two smartphone apps:
   • Marine mammal stranding; and
   • Marine mammal identification and viewing

The deadline for pre-proposals is 4:00 p.m. Central time on Thursday, December 1, 2011.
For more information, please click here for more details on the official announcement!

Photo: UPRSG archives

Actually, the Purple Bags of Fun, as dubbed by Dr. Marilyn Brandt of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), are an important part of the research project titled Towards modeling the trajectory of US Virgin Islands coral reefs – Scleractinian growth and recruitment rates along an onshore-offshore gradient. Funded by the Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR), Dr. Marilyn Brandt and Dr. Angela Dikou are quantifying the growth and recruitment rates of several reef-building corals in reefs exposed to different levels of human impacts. This information is lacking in the Caribbean and as human population expands, the need to understand human impacts on coral growth, and ultimately coral reef resilience, is particularly vital.

“Purple Bags of Fun” – Plastic bags filled with cinder blocks attached with several coral nubbins. Alzarin red stain fills the volume of water inside the bag and will be absorbed into the corals’ skeleton in order to create a marker for measuring growth rate.

To do this, a team consisting of Dr. Brandt, Dr. Dikou, and a group of helpful graduate students were permitted by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to collect nubbins, or fragments, of particularly important Caribbean coral species from local reefs: Porites astreoides, Siderastrea siderea, Favia fragum, Porites porites, Montastrea annularis, and Agaricia agaricites. These nubbins were then attached with special cement to cinder blocks submerged at the different reefs. After time for acclimation was given to the coral nubbins, divers descended upon each site to envelop the nubbins with large, clear, plastic trash bags. Why the plastic bagging? For a dye job, of course; even corals want a little color in their roots.

Graduate students Gabby Renchen and Rob Brewer working together to lift coral-covered cinder blocks into plastic bags before tying them shut and injecting the alizarin red stain.

Background: Divers placing coral-covered cinder blocks into plastic bags in preparation for alizarin red stain injection at different reef sites in St. Thomas. Foreground: A post-injection coral-covered cinder block inside a plastic bag. These corals are left in the bag overnight to absorb the marker dye.

All jokes aside, the corals were being marked, or banded, with a dye. After bagging, the divers used a hypodermic needle to inject a purplish dye called alizarin red stain through the bag and into the volume of water that surrounded the corals. This is a careful process – not ripping the bags while manipulating them around cinder block and hard coral takes skill, especially while diving under the influence of current and other ocean elements. Checking for leaks, divers closed any accidental holes in the plastic with small pieces of wire and, after a few underwater high fives and fin taps, divers ascended.

Diver injecting alizarin red stain into plastic bags. The needle penetrates the plastic bag and the dye plumes inside the water surrounding the corals.

The bags were left in place throughout the sunlight of day to allow for the coral skeletons to absorb the dye via photosynthesis, a process we know on land as something that plants do to get energy from sun. In the ocean, coral animals rely on their zooxanthellae-algal symbionts (plant partners that live inside the coral) to absorb energy from the sun. Because the sun is needed for the absorption process, using clear bags that allow sunlight to penetrate to the corals was an important detail anticipated by Dr. Dikou and Dr. Brandt’s team, and the researchers that created this methodology (Barnes 1970).

A close up look at P. porites inside the clear plastic bag as the alizarin red dye spreads. Transparency of the plastic bag is important because it allows for sunlight to penetrate through to the photosynthetic algae-zooxanthellae that live in the coral animal. Photosynthesis is the mechanism by which the coral will absorb the red stain and, in turn, mark the skeleton so that the researchers can later measure growth rate.

The following day, the divers returned to their sites and removed the plastic bags. A reddish-purple band will be incorporated into the corals’ respective skeletons and this band will be a reference point for growth. After six months, the team will repeat the injection process to create another marker within the coral. The distance between the bands divided by the time between dye jobs will provide the researchers with growth rates that can be compared among sites. This information, coupled with existing water quality, coral community composition, and coral reef health data, will ultimately be inputs for predictive modelling of Caribbean reefs over time.

Even with today’s technology, the underwater world remains mysterious. You never know what you could encounter while diving or snorkeling, a thrill that keeps most people coming back for more. As scientists like those working at UVI continue to study nature, we become more capable of applying our knowledge to conserve the natural resources we rely on.

Reference:

Barnes, DJ. (1970) Coral skeletons: An explanation of their growth and structure. Science 170:1305–1308

By Christine Settar, UVI Sea Grant Marine Outreach Program

Edited by J. Seda, CRA Project Assistant