The Institute of Water and Environment (InWE) is a preeminent program within the College of Arts, Sciences & Education. InWE houses the Sea Level Solutions Center (SLSC), Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Center for Coastal Oceans Research (CCOR).
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Studying how corals fight climate change at the molecular level
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Corals are up against extreme environmental challenges. The battle is at the molecular level.
Sea temperatures are rising. Oceans are acidifying. Corals are dying. But they are trying to fight back by changing how they read and use their genetic code.
These epigenetic modifications don’t involve changes to the genetic code itself, just how genes are expressed and these modifications are being passed on to future generations.
While epigenetics has been studied in other living organisms, it hasn’t been widely studied in coral. FIU molecular biologist Jose Eirin-Lopez is changing that. With a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL): Epigenetics program, Eirin-Lopez and researchers from across the U.S. are investigating the epigenetic modifications happening in coral.
Read the full FIU News post, here.
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FIU, Zoo Miami land national funding for undergraduate research opportunities
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FIU, Zoo Miami and the Zoo Miami Foundation are teaming up to expand conservation research opportunities for undergraduate college students.
The joint effort has been awarded a three-year, $378,000 Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site grant from the National Science Foundation. It will provide fully funded opportunities for FIU students and others from colleges throughout the United States to gain experience conducting independent research in conservation biology at Zoo Miami. Students will be mentored by conservation biologists and conservation education researchers at FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the Zoo’s conservation scientists and wildlife veterinarians.
Read the full article on FIU News, here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Cuba Workshop Report Published
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Dr. Rita Teutonico, Associate Dean of Research with FIU's College of Arts, Sciences and Education, recently organized a workshop to bring together expert scientists, economists, engineers, architects, and community leaders to plan for a more climate change resilient Caribbean. The workshop was held in Cuba and marked the first ever National Science Foundation-funded meeting ever to be held in the country.
Read the full article on CASE News, here.
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PUBLICATIONS AND FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS
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PUBLICATIONS
- Mohd Manzar Abbas, Assefa M. Melesse, Leonard J. Scinto and Jennifer S. Rehage. 2019. Satellite Estimation of Chlorophyll-a Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Sensor in Shallow Coastal Water Bodies: Validation and Improvement. Water. See full publication.
- Jordan A. Massie, Bradley A. Strickland, Rolando O. Santos, Javiera Hernandez, Natasha Viadero, Ross E. Boucek, Hugh Willoughby, Michael R. Heithaus and Jennifer S. Rehage. 2019. Going Downriver: Patterns and Cues in Hurricane-Driven Movements of Common Snook in a Subtropical Coastal River. Estuaries and Coasts. See full publication.
- Andria Beal, Jeremy Kiszka, Randall Wells and Jose M. Eirin-Lopez. 2019. The Bottlenose dolphin Epigenetic Aging Tool (BEAT): a molecular age estimation tool for small cetaceans. Frontiers in Marine Science. See full publication.
- von May, R., A. Catenazzi, R. Santa-Cruz, A. Gutierrez, C. Moritzn and D. Rabosky. 2019. Thermal physiological traits in tropical lowland amphibians: vulnerability to climate warming and cooling. Plos One. See full publication.
- Joshua M. Diamond, Michael S. Ross, Hong Liu and Joel T. Heinen. 2019. Palm snags are a critical nesting resource for woodpeckers in an urbanized tropical region. Urban Ecosystems. See full publication.
- Encalada, A.C., A.S. Flecker, N.L. Poff, E. Suarez, G.A. Herrera-R., B. Ríos-Touma, S. Jumani, E.I. Larson, and E.P. Anderson. 2019. A global perspective on tropical montane rivers. Science. IN PRESS.
FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr. Nazife Ganapati has received a new grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a value-driven multi-sector stakeholder decisions-making framework to support disaster resilient communities.
- Dr. Suzanne Koptur and Ms. Andrea Primoli have received a new award from the Florida Native Plant Society to study the adoption of Florida natives as insectary plants to promote beneficial insects in agricultural communities via trophic resource enhancement.
- Dr. Jeremy Kiszka has received a new award from the University of La Rochelle to understand conflicts between marine mammals and fisheries at Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (NW Atlantic).
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These genetic markers tell us the age of dolphins
Can you tell the difference between a young dolphin and an old one? Neither can scientists — not without pulling a tooth, sawing it in half and counting the growth layers like the rings of a tree.
But that process isn’t pleasant for anyone, especially the dolphins. It’s also expensive and a complicated. This kind of information is important, though. Age isn’t just a number. It’s a critical part of learning more about the overall health of a population.
That’s why FIU researcher Jose Eirin-Lopez and Ph.D. student Andria Beal created and developed a tool that can determine a dolphin’s age through a small skin sample. The less-invasive Bottlenose Dolphin Epigenetic Age Estimation Tool — or BEAT — gets rid of the guess work.
Read the full story on FIU News, here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Congrats to Nick McIntosh - Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Nick McIntosh as the August 2019, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Employee of the Month! Nick is a valued colleague working at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples. Nick works to ensure Rookery Bay’s facilities and grounds are safe, clean, and in good repair for the public, volunteers, and staff. He is known for is conscientious work ethic, teamwork, and willingness to assist wherever needed.
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Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit addresses solutions for pollution
Two years ago, close to 50 local concerned Biscayne Bay lovers and activists, representing environmental NGOs, government entities, private businesses and educational institutions, joined forces and, together, implemented the Inaugural Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit...This initial effort was a great success, attracted close to 270 attendees and produced a comprehensive report: The 2017 BBMH Summit Proceedings.
Now, after 2 years of meetings and planning sessions, we will come together once more to implement a second summit: The Action Summit. This time, however, we have a greater and more aggressive vision in sight: to initiate efforts towards the creation of long-term, sustainable Biscayne Bay environmental health initiatives with financial and political support needed to restore and maintain the health of the Bay.
Read the full Miami Beach Chamber article, here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Sea Level Solutions Day(s)
Over the last several years, the Sea Level Solutions Center has been actively engaged in citizen science projects across Miami. SLSC has worked with the community to involve concerned citizens, students and researchers to join the center during King Tide events and measure flooding and water quality. This information is then aggregated and deposited into a living database to be used to verify frequency and extent of urban flooding in Miami, Florida. The data will inform adaptation solutions to increasing sea level rise concerns for vulnerable communities.
Sea Level Solutions Day this year is going to take place in both September and October. The September event will take place on the 29th at Vizcaya Garage. The October event will be on the 27th with a location to be announced soon. Check out our Citizen Science page to RSVP when the RSVP link opens, here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Florida Building Commission Final Report Published!
The Florida Building Commission awarded a contract to the Sea Level Solutions Center to assess whether new flood elevations would increase flood risk due to increasing sea levels and changes in rainfall extremes. The overall effort to assess flood risk may beaccomplished by comparing existing flood elevations with new elevations based on updated rainfall data and sea-level rise projections. The initial effort will be focused on Miami-Dade County to establish an applicable model that can be applied for other areas across the State. For the current contract, SLSC will evaluate groundwater level due to sea-level rise and changes in extreme rainfall in Miami-Dade County and potential implications for the current Florida Building Code.
Read the full report, here.
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NCEAS Portrait: Sparkle Malone on Learning Open Science to Solve Nature's Mysteries
The diversity of unknowns waiting to be discovered: The awe of that is what drives Sparkle Malone’s passion for ecology, and sharing the data and methods underlying her discoveries – what was once practically taboo among scientists – has become an important part of her scientific process.
Malone is among the growing number of researchers who have embraced open science, the general philosophy and practice of making data and methods transparent, accessible, and reusable. She first came to it through a sort-of boot camp that NCEAS held in 2014 called Open Science for Synthesis, and since then the skills and techniques she learned have transformed how she works.
Read the original article on the NCEAS website, here.
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CREST CAChE student publishes essay in Journal of American Fisheries Society
CREST CAChE student, Angelica Moncada, recently published an essay on diversity and inclusion in the Journal of American Fisheries Society.
After being asked to give a talk about inclusion at a National Science Foundation conference in Chicago, the Editor in Chief of Fisheries Magazine was so inspired by her story that she invited Moncada to write an essay for the magazine's special issue. Her essay touches on the importance of opening doors to traditionally underrepresented groups in scientific fields. She explains the challenges that she had to overcome in order to achieve her current status as a Ph.D. student in FIU's Geosciences Department. Moncada is brave and honest in her testimony, publishing a very important article that is worth reading by all in Academia and beyond.
Read the original essay, here.
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InWE faculty discuss importance of mangrove ecosystem with German Public Radio
German Public Radio interviewed Dr. John Kominoski and REU student Andreina Contreras about the importance and ecology of mangrove ecosystems.
Read the original article in German, here.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: 2019 ForEverglades Impact Report Published
The 2019 ForEverglades Impact Report has been published and is available to read online. The report touches on the impact that ForEverglades scholars have made over the last year. FIU and the Everglades Foundation together form a powerful partnership for the Everglades. Together, FIU’s Institute of Water and Environment and the Everglades Foundation are providing scholarships to full-time FIU graduate students pursuing Everglades restoration-related research. The FIU ForEverglades Scholarship awards up to $20,000 to Ph.D. students or up to $10,000 to master’s degree students.
Read the full report, here.
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Event Name: 2nd Annual Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit
Date & Time: 09/20 from 8:30AM to 6PM
Location: FIU Biscayne Bay Campus, North Miami FL
Info: The Biscayne Bay Marine Health Summit (BBMHS) Steering Committee, Supporters and Partners invite all Biscayne Bay Stakeholders to join us at the upcoming Action Summit and, together, work towards a healthier Biscayne Bay!
Event Name: 34th Annual International Coastal Cleanup Day
Date & Time: 09/21 from 9AM to 12PM
Location: Clarington Island, Coconut Grove Sailing Club
Info: The 34th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day is harnessing the Power of People to Fight Ocean Trash! Join us for the world's largest, one-day volunteer effort for our oceans and waterways, and show your commitment to reducing marine debris, along with volunteers from across the globe!
VolunteerCleanup.org organizes Miami-Dade’s local participation in this global event with 40+ simultaneous shoreline cleanups around the county and is made possible by the generous support of our sponsor Covanta, with additional support from Capital One Café, Wells Fargo, and Miami Beach Suncare.
We will provide garbage bags, data collection cards, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a souvenir tote bag with this year’s marine animal theme, the Pelican! Community Service hours also provided.
Event Name: Sea Level Solutions Day(s) I & II
Date & Time: 09/29 (7:30AM - 1:00PM) OR 10/27 (7:30AM - 1:00PM)
Location: Vizcaya Garage (September) OR TBA (October)
Info: Over the last several years, the Sea Level Solutions Center has been actively engaged in citizen science projects across Miami. SLSC has worked with the community to involve concerned citizens, students and researchers to join the center during King Tide events and measure flooding and water quality. This information is then aggregated and deposited into a living database to be used to verify frequency and extent of urban flooding in Miami, Florida. The data will inform adaptation solutions to increasing sea level rise concerns for vulnerable communities.
Check out the Events page to RSVP when the RSVP link opens, here.
Event Name: CommSciCon Miami 2019
Date & Time: 10/05 from 8:30AM to 5:30PM
Location: Miami Beach Urban Studios, South Beach FL
Info: The FIRST EVER ComSciCon Miami is finally here!!! Please join us at the Miami Beach Urban Studios on October 5th from 8:30am- 5:30pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
More Information Here
Event Name: Association of Ecosystem Research Centers 2019 Annual Meeting
Date & Time: 10/29 to 10/30
Location: Washington, DC
Info: A larger proportion of the human population now lives along coastlines that are prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes, storm surge, flooding, toxic algal blooms and sea-level rise. Understanding the natural variability associated with coastal hazards is imperative to our continued coastal existence. In addition, understanding and effectively communicating the role of coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves and coastal wetlands as green-infrastructure protection is also needed. Finally, better designed built environments in coastal regions to be envisioned and implemented. This event will explore the complex interfaces between coastal processes and hazard and natural and built environments.
Please contact Todd Crowl (tcrowl@fiu.edu) to request the RSVP password. More Information Here
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FIU's DC Fly-In Series is accepting applications for this Fall. Apply today for the opportunity to participate in an immersive three-day experience in Washington, D.C. focused on Future of our Waters and Coastal Economies, sponsored by Campus Life in partnership with FIU in Washington, D.C.
This experience is aimed at helping develop a students' individual advocacy and communication skills, expose students to DC based on internship and career opportunities, and provide exclusive opportunities beyond tourist sites to see how Washington, D.C. really works.
Deadline is September 13. Click here for more information.
The Everglades Foundation provides ForEverglades scholarships for advanced research in support of the restoration of America’s Everglades. The Foundation is committed to supporting graduate research students actively pursuing the development of innovative scientific methods to advance the understanding of Everglades science.
Scholarships provide up to $25,000/year that may go towards stipends, tuition fees, travel, and other research-related expenses. The amount of money associated with the scholarship is subject to change. The number of scholarships awarded depends on the number and quality of applications.
Submit complete applications or questions to: scholarships@evergladesfoundation.org
Deadline is extended to September 13. Click here for more information.
The Department of Earth and Environment of Florida International University invites applicants for the following TWO positions with tenure or tenure-track depending on candidate’s merit:
- Associate Professor in Environmental Sustainability
- Associate Professor in GIS & Remote Sensing
Deadline is September 30. For more information visit FIU HR, and use Job Number 519022.
The Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University (https://biology.fiu.edu) is seeking qualified candidates for an Open Rank, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor position in Phycology.
Deadline is ongoing. For more information please visit the Faculty Careers website and search Job Number 519197.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has opened up their Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship application.
It’s an exciting new fellowship program for graduate students at the national estuarine research reserves. One two-year fellowship opportunity will be available at each of the 29 coastal sites.
Through a research project, fellows will address a key coastal management question to help scientists and communities understand coastal challenges that may influence future policy and management strategies.
Deadline is ongoing. Click here for more information.
The Center for Coastal Oceans Research (CCOR) under the Institute of Water and Environment department is looking for a dedicated and passionate FWS student to join their team of professionals. This position reports to Education & Outreach Coordinator, Analisa Duran & Administrative Coordinator, Cathy Guinovart. If interested in the student internship for multiple semesters, duties and responsibilities can expand based on the individuals skillsets and a long-term project can be discussed.
Deadline is ongoing. For more information visit FIU HR, and use Job Number 518454.
The FIU Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Lab is seeking undergraduate student assistants interested in gaining experience in ecotoxicology and/or ecology working with aquatic organisms. Biology/Earth and Environment students are encouraged to apply! This is a great opportunity if interested in graduate school.
Deadline is ongoing. Click here for more information.
The NSF-funded CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment (CAChE) has a number of graduate student fellowships available in multiple departments, including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth & Environment, and Public Health. In addition, we have one graduate fellowship available to work with the STEM Transformation Institute on the Education and Training components of the Center.
Deadline is ongoing. Click here for more information.
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