Page 24 - COM Outlook - Spring 2013

24 COM Outlook . Spring 2013
New Marine Species Discovered in
Pacific Ocean by NSU Researcher
When Jim Thomas, Ph.D., a researcher at NSU’s National Coral
Reef Institute in Hollywood, and his global team of researchers returned
to the Madang Lagoon in Papua New Guinea, they discovered a treasure
trove of new species unknown to science. This is especially relevant as
the research team consisted of scientists who had conducted a previous
survey in the 1990s.
“In the Madang Lagoon, we went a half mile out off the leading edge
of the active Australian Plate and were in 6,000 meters of water,” Dr.
Thomas explained. “It was once believed there were no reefs on the
north coast of Papua New Guinea since there were no shallow bays and
lagoons typical of most coral-reef environments. But there was quite a bit
of biodiversity to be found.”
Dr. Thomas and his team discovered new species of sea slugs (nu-
dibranchs), feather stars (crinoids), and amphipods (genus Leucothoe).
There was more variety of these indicator species found than there is in
the entire length of Australia’s 1,600-mile Great Barrier Reef. “This was
an astonishing discovery,” he said. “We returned to our labs and began
to formally assess our collections. We had no idea this lagoon’s bounty
was so profound.”
The NSU-led research team’s findings will be shared with the local vil-
lagers, as well as regional and federal governments. It will also be pub-
lished in peer-reviewed journals. The Madang Lagoon faces many environ-
College of Pharmacy
Conducts Shark-Bite Study
NSU researchers are conducting a unique scientific study of bacte-
ria found in the mouths of sharks to develop enhanced medical treat-
ment methods for shark-bite victims.
Scientists from NSU’s College of Pharmacy, who are working in
collaboration with St. Mary’s Medical Center, will be gathering data from
sharks captured in South Florida. Over the past decade, Florida has
consistently ranked near the top worldwide in the number of shark at-
tacks and accounted for about 25 percent of the approximately 100
incidents of reported shark bites that occur each year.
Because of this, NSU researchers believe their findings are critical
in helping the millions of ocean-goers each year that share the beaches
and waterways with sharks. Their research, the first of its kind in the
United States, could lead to groundbreaking research that will ultimately
save lives from this tragedy.
“We are excited to gather scientific data from these incredible animals
in order to learn more about the infecting bacteria from their bites and how
to treat victims,” said Nathan Unger, Pharm.D., an assistant professor at
NSU’s College of Pharmacy and the lead researcher on this project.
New Marine Species…Ethics Bowl…Oral
Cancer Walk…Fishing for Scholarships
mental threats by land-based pollution from a recently opened tuna cannery
whose outfall is very close to the lagoon’s reefs. “Hopefully, our discoveries
will strongly encourage governing bodies to recognize the environmental
importance of the lagoon and work to stop the pollution,” Dr. Thomas stated.
genus Leucothoe