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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). 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Researchers deploy new tech to explore depths of Gulf of Mexico 

FIU marine scientist Kevin Boswell and a multi-institution research team will deploy experimental technology next week to explore the deep scattering layers of the ocean.

They are looking for information about animals in the Gulf of Mexico that make up the scattering layers — those that undergo daily vertical migrations of 100 to 1,000 meters. These animals represent the largest organized animal migration on the planet, yet little is known about them. 

Read the full FIU News post, here

An influx of smelly seaweed is deadly for marine animals in the Caribbean 

Lowell Iporac, a marine biology and marine ecology student with FIU's Institute of Water and Environment, writes about sargassum being found in the Caribbean:

"The next time you vacation to a Caribbean beach like Cancún, you might be greeted with a smell of rotten eggs! Since 2011, blooms of a brown seaweed called Sargassum have been piling and decomposing on the Caribbean beaches where they make landfall. Decomposing algae remove oxygen from the water, killing marine life and affecting the businesses that depend on those beaches"

Read the full article on Massive Science, here

ANNOUNCEMENT: UNESCO Regional Office for Science for Latin America and the Caribbean celebrates 70th Anniversary 
The UNESCO Regional Office for Science for Latin America and the Caribbean, to which the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security at FIU is adhered, is celebrating its 70th Anniversary.  UNESCO has issued a special version of the Newsletter “SEÑAL” dedicated to the 70th Anniversary, as well as an informational video (in Spanish) to commemorate the special anniversary. 
 
View the special edition newsletter, here
PUBLICATIONS AND FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS
PUBLICATIONS
  • Briceño, Henry. 20192018 Annual Report of the Water Quality Monitoring Project of the Florida Key National Marine Sanctuary. EPA Region 4.
  • Joshua L. Breithaupt, Nia Hurst, Havalend E. Steinmuller, Evan Duga, Joseph M. Smoak, John S. Kominoski and Lisa G. Chambers. 2019. Comparing the Biogeochemistry of Storm Surge Sediments and Pre-storm Soils in Coastal Wetlands: Hurricane Irma and the Florida Everglades. Estuaries and Coasts. See full publication.
  • LeRoy, C.J., A.L. Hipp, K. Lueders, J.J. Follstad Shah, J.S. Kominoski, M. Ardón, W.K. Dodds, M.O. Gessner, N.A. Griffiths, A. Lecerf, D.W.P. Manning, R.L Sinsabaugh, and J.R. Webster. 2019. Plant phylogenetic history explains ecosystem processing at a global scale. Journal of Ecology. See full publication.
  • Armitage, A. R., C. A. Weaver, J. S. Kominoski, and S. C. Pennings. 2019. Resistance to hurricane effects varies among wetland vegetation types in the marsh-mangrove ecotone. Estuaries and Coasts. See full publication.
  • Breithaupt, J., N. Hurst, H.E. Steinmuller, E. Duga, J.M. Smoak, J.S. Kominoski, L.G. Chambers. 2019. Comparing the Biogeochemistry of Storm Surge Sediments and Pre-Storm Soils in Coastal Wetlands: Hurricane Irma and the Florida Everglades. Estuaries and Coasts. See full publication.
  • Parkos, Joseph, L Kline, Jeffrey and Trexler, Joel. 2019. Signal from the noise: model-based interpretation of variable correspondence between active and passive samplers. Ecosphere. See full publication.
  • J. F. Meeder and P. W. Harlem. 2019. Origin and development of true karst valleys in response to late Holocene sea level change, the Transverse Glades of southeast Florida, USA. The Depositional Record. See full publication.
 FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS
  • Dr. Demian Chapman has received a new grant from the BLOOM Association KK Ltd. to study the Hong Kong shark fin retail market species composition by off cut sampling and DNA identification.
  • Dr. Suzanne Koptur and Ms. Maria Pimienta have received a new grant from the Botanical Society of America to study the Diurnal and nocturnal pollination of Guettarda scabra (Rubiaceae), and identify the advantage to surviving South Florida's disappearing pine rocklands.
  • Dr. Shu-Ching Chen has received a new award from the National Science Foundation to support his work to study Puerto Rico Honey Bee and preadaptation and evolution of invasive organisms on islands.
  • Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom has received a new award from the National Science Foundation to conduct collaborative research and the convergent evolution and diversification of the crab body plan over 200 million years.
  • Dr. John Kominoski received a continuation for his award from the National Science Foundation to hold a workshop on cross-ecosystem effects of hurricanes last April in Corpus Christi, Texas, that included 40 participants from across the U.S. and a collaborator from Taiwan.
  • Dr. David Kadko has received a new award from the National Science Foundation for collaborative research to constrain the role of chemical transformations on the cycling of mercury at the Arctic Ocean air-sea interface.
  • Dr. David Kadko has received a continuation for his award from the National Science Foundation for conducting collaborative research on Pb-210 and Po-210 as tracers of scavenging and export: GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect.
  • Dr. Edward  Castaneda has received a new award from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-NASA to evaluate vulnerability of coastal deltaic wetlands to sea level rise and reduced sediment inputs in the Mississippi River Deltaic region in coastal Louisiana. This is an interdisciplinary project called Delta X.
News and Highlights

Professor participates in "unveiling climate change at ground zero" during ASLA Conference

On July 11-13 the Florida American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) held their annual conference. This year, the theme was "Common Ground". Common ground meant that the conference would touch on the intersection between landscape architecture and other important topics, including environmental conscientiousness.

Panelists and speakers for the conference included Dr. Tiffany Troxler, Director of Science for the Sea Level Solutions Center within the Institute of Water and Environment, who discussed the implications of sea level rise.

Read the full CASE News article, here.

More SLSC News
News and Highlights

Coastal Ecosystems REU Site first summer cohort graduates!

The NSF Coastal Ecosystems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site program kicked off earlier this summer at FIU, with nine students joining from universities across the country to conduct research alongside faculty and graduate student mentors with the Institute of Water and Environment. After the first several weeks working in their labs and getting out to tour some of the natural areas of South Florida, the students then analyzed their sampling data and prepared to showcase their work at the end of the summer in the Student Symposium. The Student Symposium for the REU took place on July 25th and each student presented their work to their faculty and graduate student mentors, as well as to other interested experts in the audience. From the Everglades to mangroves and coral reefs, each student was looking at a different aspect of our coastal ecosystems and has a unique story to tell.

Read the full recap on CASE News, here.

More SERC News
News and Highlights

FIU swims into Shark Week

Assistant professors Yannis Papastamatiou and Jeremy Kiszka will be on this year's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Kiszka will join a team of shark scientists on “Return to Shark Island,” which airs 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1.

Papastamatiou will go in search of the Guadalupe Kill Zone in “Great White Kill Zone: Guadalupe,” which airs 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. This year, Papastamatiou also appeared in “Cannibal Sharks”on National Geographic’s SharkFest with Mike Heithaus, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, and Demian Chapman, associate professor of marine sciences.


Read the full FIU News article, here.

Professor receives NSF grant to study crab evolution

Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom, an evolutionary biologist in the Center for Coastal Oceans Research, was recently awarded over $450,000 by the National Science Foundation to lead research on crab evolution. The project aims to reconstruct the crab “tree of life” and explain the diversity of body shapes across the almost 10,000 species in the group.

Bracken-Grissom will investigate how crabs have changed over 200 million years in collaboration with Dr. Joanna Wolfe and Dr. Javier Ortega-Hernandez from Harvard University’s Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology and Dr. Javier Luque from Yale University.

Find out more on CASE News, here.

More CCOR News
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

EVENTS

OPPORTUNITIES


 
Event Name: Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting 2019

Date & Time: 08/11 to 08/16

Location: Louisville, Kentucky, USA


Info: The community of people engaged in the science of ecology is transforming, bringing important new perspectives into the field. Inclusive approaches to ecology can build bridges between theory and practice, connect those working in disparate landscapes and subdisciplines, and incorporate diverse perspectives. Such approaches support ecologists and the ecological community as a whole as they articulate socio-environmental connections, address widespread ecosystem change, take advantage of technological advancements that provide unprecedented access to data and new analytical techniques, and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations.
 
Event Name: CITES Conference of the Parties 2019

Date & Time: 08/17 to 08/28

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
 
Info: CITES is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. This event is the eighteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties.


The Center for Coastal Oceans Research (CCOR) in the Institute of Water and Environment is seeking a Volunteer Program Manager for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

Deadline is August 9. For more information visit FIU HR, and use Job Number 518792.

 


The Tropical Conservation Internship Program is seeking 10 outstanding undergraduate students to participate in multiple research and hands-on training internship opportunities offered at their partnered organizations during the Fall 2019 semester. 

Qualified students should possess an interest in conservation of plants and/or animals, and have basic knowledge of ecological research principles and procedures. Students must be self-motivated and willing to assist in research and work-related duties. Participants must enroll in a 0-3 credit internship course in your department and prepare a professional presentation upon project completion.

Deadline is August 15. 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 August 31. 
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 info
rmation 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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