4
Oceanographic Center Hosts International Genomic Workshop
Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance workshop participants gather in the
OC’s main auditorium.
Faculty Member and
Students Present at
Oil Spill Conference
In January,
Alexander Soloviev
, Ph.D., professor,
and recent M.S. alumnae
Kate Vella
and
Naoko
Kurata
presented at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and
Ecosystem Science Conference in New Orleans,
Louisiana. Along with
Atsushi Fujimura
, M.S.,
alumnus, and
Silvia Matt
, Ph.D., research scientist,
they presented information on several topics
including, “Multi-phase Air-Oil Interface Model for
Hurricane Conditions,” “NewApproach toDetection
of Surfactant-Producing Bacteria in the Sea Surface
Microlayer,” and “A Method for the Identification of
Hydrocarbon-Transforming Bacteria in the Sea
Surface Microlayer.”
Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., associate professor, is pictured with
M.S. alumnae Kate Vella and Naoko Kurata.
Ph.D. Candidate Presents at
Red Sea Workshop
Ph.D. candidate
Gwilym Rowlands
was recently invited to attend the
“Workshop on the Red Sea: Its Origin, Structure and Environment.” The
workshop was hosted by the Saudi Geological Survey and drew an
auspicious group of scholars—each providing a particular specialty.
The group will produce a book presenting a broad overview of the
state-of-the-art knowledge regarding the Red Sea—from its geological
formation and oceanographic development, to the environmental
controls on its ecology and the changes it is experiencing through
coastal development and shipping. The book will highlight new data,
as well as provide a complete review of the literature. Contributions to
the book covered both the shallow and deep seas and subjects as
diverse as geology, geophysics, oceanography, and environment.
Rowlands presented work from his doctoral thesis, conducted in
association with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, and
provided new insight on geomorphic processes as well as the spatial
distribution of Red Sea coral reef habitats.
Left to right: Gwilym
Rowlands (NSU
Oceanographic
Center); Brian Beck,
Ph.D., (Khaled bin
Sultan Living Oceans
Foundation); Najeeb
Rasul, Ph.D., (editor,
Saudi Geological
Survey
)
From March 1–3, the Oceanographic Center
hosted the “Global Invertebrate Genomics
Alliance (GIGA)” workshop. More than 40
international and local scientists from both
university and industry gathered to discuss the
plausibility and long-term strategies for
sequencing the whole genomes (heredity
material) of thousands of marine invertebrate
(spineless) organisms. Organized by
Jose V.
Lopez
, Ph.D., professor, NSU graduate and
undergraduate students were able to participate
in breakout groups that discussed which specific
organisms to sequence (for example, coral,
octopi, and/or worms), optimal types of DNA or
RNA sequencing methods, sample preparation,
priority, and an invertebrate organism’s place on
the Tree of Life. More information and results can
be found at
