Tags: marine sciences

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Three faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences

Three distinguished faculty members at the University of Georgia have received one of the highest honors a scientist can earn, election to the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership and — with the National Academy of…

photo of sunrise over ocean
Niche dimensions of marine biotic powerhouse

Marine bacteria serve as regulators within and between ocean systems, processing about a quarter of all the photosynthesis on Earth. Because of their microscopic size and very short life span of a single day, learning what controls their activities, what nutrients they are trying to find, what molecules they grow on, and whether they interact with other microbes has been nearly impossible.…

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Marine study away programs harness science and wonder

Just down the coast from Savannah, Sapelo Island houses the University of Georgia Marine Institute, a world-renowned center for marine ecological research. Located within the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, UGAMI is a living laboratory that offers uncommon access to coastal habitats, making it the perfect location to offer UGA’s flagship field study programs in marine sciences, the Marine Biology Spring Semester…

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Ancient oyster shells provide historical insights

An interdisciplinary team of scientists studying thousands of oyster shells along the Georgia coast, some as old as 4,500 years, has published new insights into how Native Americans sustained oyster harvests for thousands of years, observations that may lead to better management practices of oyster reefs today. Their study, led by University of Georgia archaeologist Victor Thompson, was published July 10 in the journal Science…

undersea photo of burrowing activity on sea floor
Burrowing animals control carbon cycling on the sea floor

Researchers from ETH Zurich and UGA show that the activity of burrowing worms, clams, and shrimp are the most important driver of the community structure of microorganisms in the Earth's biggest carbon sink: continental shelf sediments. The results were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Sediments underlying the world’s oceans and shelf seas cover >70% of the Earth’s surface area. These…

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Joye consults on new video game ‘Beyond Blue’

In a gaming experience that takes players into the near future to explore the mysteries of the ocean, “Beyond Blue” is a new video game launched by E-Line Media in conjunction with the BBC and the researchers behind its “Blue Planet II” series. The game allows players to become part of a new research team using groundbreaking technologies to see, hear and interact with the ocean in a meaningful way. University of Georgia Regents’ Professor…

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New undergraduate major in Ocean Science

The Department of Marine Sciences announces a new University of Georgia undergraduate major, available to UGA students beginning in fall 2020, the bachelor of science in Ocean Science. The Ocean Science B.S. program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study marine systems from an interdisciplinary perspective, and will prepare students for careers in Marine Sciences and other environmental fields. OCEAN SCIENCE MAJOR Overview The…

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Mapping important fish habitats along the Georgia coast

Beyond the barrier islands of coastal Georgia, the continental shelf extends gradually eastward for almost 80 miles to the Gulf Stream. This broad, sandy shelf largely does not provide the firm foundation needed for the development of reef communities to support recreational and commercial fish species including grouper, snapper, black sea bass and amberjack. “Natural and artificial reef habitats are important to Georgia fisheries because…

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Cooperation and control in ocean microbial communities

The volume of the world’s oceans defines the gigantic scale on Earth – 300 million cubic miles, and an average depth of 12,000 feet. Of all the activity taking place there at every moment, any one part can be difficult to understand, making predictions difficult if not impossible. But scientists are starting to figure out some of its most complex processes. The concentration of bacteria around phytoplankton, for example, and how these…

aerial photo of the California coast, with mountains and ocean
Scientists identify mechanism of coastal water flow

Great new work by marine scientists Patricia Medeiros, Caitlin Amos and Renato Castelao published in Nature: The 200-mile zone that hugs the curvature of the coast bursts with life, from phytoplankton to whales. Out in the open ocean, this activity is comparatively diminished. Understanding how coastal water is moved offshore fertilizing the open ocean is a long-standing goal of ocean scientists. Now, a new study from…

photo of barn with white roof and glass entry, with people
Ocean Sciences Instructional Center

UGA and the Franklin College celebrated the renovation of a 71-year old cattle barn as a modern classroom and laboratory building in a dedication ceremony on Oct. 22 at the University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography: UGA President Jere W. Morehead presided over the ceremony, which capped the yearlong renovation of the reinforced concrete and steel beam structure that is now known as the Ocean Sciences Instructional…

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Noted and Quoted, October 2019

Franklin faculty contributed popular press articles about issues of the day and had their research reported around the world. A sample from over the past month: The grimy history of the Attorney General’s Office, associate professor of history Stephen Mihm in his regular column at Bloomberg Here’s your answer when someone asks “How can it be so cold if there’s global warming?”  Georgia Athletic Association…

aerial photo of a coastal marsh, with bridge
Scientists assess storage value in blue carbon ecosystems

When Hurricane Dorian roared up the East Coast during the first week of September, the places where people live and work in several states were under threat. The first line of protection against storm damage was made up of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including nearly 300,000 acres of salt marshes in Georgia. The salt marsh, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems that bore the brunt of pounding waves are not, however, immune from damage.…

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Noted and Quoted, September 2019

A few of the top stories featuring the scholarship and expertise of Franklin College faculty members during September: Tiny Albino lizards are the first gene-edited, mutant reptiles, research by associate professor of genetics Doug Menke reported in Newsweek, Courthouse News Service, News Atlas, Science Codex, Earth.com, EcoWatch, Sci-News, The Scientist Magazine   Evacuating for a hurricane…

photo of woman in marsh with instruments
UGA professor recognized for coastal stewardship

Merryl Alber, professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of marine sciences, will receive the 2019 Margaret A. Davidson Award for Stewardship from the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and stewardship of estuarine and coastal ecosystems worldwide.  The Davidson Award recognizes an individual who demonstrates extraordinary leadership,…

photo of woman with underwater robotic glider
Underwater gliders improve hurricane forecasts

Assistant professor of marine sciences Catherine Edwards, with colleagues at the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and the University of South Florida has developed and deployed autonomous underwater gliders to improve the accuracy of hurricane forecast models: The 2018 hurricane season provided Edwards and her colleagues a fortuitous opportunity to demonstrate the value of glider data. Edwards deployed two gliders in…

aerial photo of water puddles on glacier
June research news and expertise notes

Even during the quiet days of June, Franklin College faculty expertise never sleeps! Here are a few of the many articles written by or featuring the work of faculty members from across the college over the past month:   Meteorologists fear 5G network could take forecasting back to the 1980s, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Geography Marshall Shepherd speaking on CBS This…

color figure illustration of land, sea and sky, with labels
Experts warn of connections between microorganisms and climate change

As scientists improve their understanding of the impacts of microorganisms on the broad systems and that keep global biological cycles in balance, responses to a changing climate by microbes on land and sea across the Earth have become key indicators. Now, more than 30 microbiologists from 9 countries have issued a warning to humanity – they are calling for the world to stop ignoring an ‘unseen majority’ in Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem…

graphic estimates on map outlines
Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies will investigate planet’s integrated system

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a national consortium of academic and nonprofit institutions, with leadership from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and North Carolina State University focused on improving our understanding of how the atmosphere, ocean, land, and biosphere of Earth interact with each other and with human activity as an integrated system. The Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth…

undersea photo of ocean vents
Noted and Quoted, April 2019

Mirror-like optical illusion in the deep Pacific Ocean and the world's first ever gene-edited lizards lead the many media mentions of research and scholarship by Franklin faculty during April. A sample: Why our youth should be celebrated not mocked – a climate case study, writes Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Forbes in his regular column at Forbes   Church in the Maelstrom: A…

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Samantha Joye named Regents’ Professor

Samantha Joye, an internationally recognized University of Georgia marine scientist who studies the complex interplay between microbes and large-scale ecological processes in the oceans, has been named Regents’ Professor, effective July 1: Joye is Athletic Association Professor of Arts and Sciences in the department of marine sciences, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Regents’ Professorships are bestowed by the Board of Regents…

photo of woman with students in classroom
Kudos, February 2019

Fantastic news from grants and awards to scholarships and fellowships highlight faculty and student accomplishments during February. A sample: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, a research program based at the University of Georgia Marine Institute, was renewed for another six years by the National Science Foundation with $6.7 million in funding. According to Marine Institute director and professor of marine sciences…

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Two Franklin College professors win 2019 Sloan Fellowships

Two UGA faculty members have been awarded a prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship to support their research for the next two years, the Sloan Foundation announced on Feb. 19: Elizabeth Harvey of marine sciences and Rachel Roberts-Galbraith of cellular biology will each receive $70,000 from their fellowships over the next two years. Two of 126 Sloan Fellows nationwide for 2019, the assistant professors represent just the 12th and 13th Sloan…

photo of woman in marsh with instruments
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems research program renewed

Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, a research program based at the University of Georgia Marine Institute, was renewed for another six years by the National Science Foundation with $6.7 million in funding: The award marks the third renewal of GCE’s long-term ecological research, or LTER, grant from NSF and ensures that the group’s research will continue into its third decade from its base at the Marine Institute’s headquarters on Sapelo…

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Noted and quoted, January 2019

Franklin College faculty appeared in a wide variety of media over the month of January: New method to classify schizophrenia symptoms should improve care - assistant professor of psychology Gregory Strauss quoted by Psych Central   Scientists could engineer a spicy tomato. Is it worth it? Research by professor of plant biology Esther van der Knaap reported in Popular Science, Tahlequah Daily Press…
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