A note from the director of CMS, Dr. Martin Posey:

It is an exciting start to another academic year! As can be seen from the

contributions provided below, folks have had a very active summer. We also have a

number of events coming up during the next few months, including the Coastal & Marine

science open house on Saturday, Sept. 23; the first Planet Oceans talk of the academic

year on Sept. 12, and the Global Marine Summit Nov. 5-8. Thank you again for the

tremendous research, education and outreach efforts you are supporting!

- Martin

Outreach, Recognitions, & Other Notables

Joe Pawlik (Biology and Marine Biology) received the Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished

Professorship of Marine Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Established by the C.D. Spangler

Foundation, the award recognizes international achievement in marine science and a commitment to

outstanding research and student mentorship. WilmingtonBiz article. UNCW article.

Kara Yopak (BMB) was mentioned in Science. She is serving on the advisory board for an NSF-funded

3D scanning project called “oVert: Open Exploration of Vertebrate Diversity in 3D.” The goal is to

create a thematic collection network that generates and serves high-resolution digital 3D data for

internal anatomy across vertebrate diversity that will be freely downloadable on the web.

Larry Cahoon (BMB) was featured in the Coastal Review online article, “Rising Seas: NC Coast Faces

Chronic Flooding.”

Larry Cahoon was also interviewed regarding GenX by WHQR. And by WWAY.

Larry Cahoon testified before the NC House and Senate environmental oversight committee on GenX

contamination.

Patrick Carroll (CMS) participated in the NC Aquariums’ Fish Propagation Workshop held at the NC

Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores, July 27-28, 2017.

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Outreach, Recognitions, & Other Notables Troy Alphin (BMB and CMS) and the benthic ecology laboratory, along with Oceans 17 (MarineQuest),

worked with more than 100 volunteers from Brunswick County to restore salt marsh areas and build

oyster reefs in the area of St. James.

Melissa Smith (CMS) was one of this

year’s recipients of the UNCW Global

Travel Grant for Staff supported by

the Office of International Programs,

and attended a week-long artist

research residency called “Biophilia: Biology for Artists” in Chelsea, Quebec, Canada.

Ami Wilbur (BMB and the Shellfish Research Hatchery), Martin Posey (BMB and CMS), Jay Styron (CMS)

and Troy Alphin (BMB and CMS) participated in discussions on advancing shellfish mariculture at

meetings of the NC Oyster Steering Committee and the UNC Collaborative Mariculture Advisory

Committee. Former UNCW students Ken Riley (now at National Marine Fisheries Service), Ted Wilgis

(Coastal Federation) and Brian Bouton (Nature Conservancy) were also involved in these partnership

and agency meetings.

The Danner Lab (Raymond Danner, BMB) launched a new daylong applied learning experience for

Oceans 17 entitled “Surviving the heat: Beach bird thermoregulatory biology.” Robert Snowden (MS

student) and Ray Danner led this activity with two different student groups.

Mike Mallin (CMS) was interviewed for a University of Mississippi documentary project on how

industrialized animal production impacts environmental injustice within minority communities.

Bonnie Monteleone, plastic marine debris research and lab assistant/administrative assistant in the

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, discussed how everyday plastics end up in the ocean on

WHQR’s “Coastline” Program – Ocean Plastics. Bonnie also provided an op-ed piece for Plastics

Recycling Update.

Ann Pabst (BMB) gave a presentation and answered questions about vaquitas (a marine mammal) as

part of the “Save the Vaquita Day” hosted by the NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher to give aquarium visitors

the opportunity to learn and play their way to a better understanding of the plight of the animal and

why it matters.

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Outreach, Recognitions, & Other Notables MMS student Melissa LaCroce, along with Landis Bullock (Environmental Sciences) and D. Wilson

Freshwater (CMS), participated as scientific divers on a July 4-15 NOAA cruise off the coast of NC. The

mission of this cruise was to characterize the epibenthic and fish communities of wrecks being

considered as part of the Monitor Marine Sanctuary.

The Wilmington Business Journal featured an article on the continued efforts of InnovateSENC,

including conversations with Dan Baden (MARBIONC) (July 28, 2017 article by Christina Haley O’Neal).

Allison Stewart, MARBIONC research specialist, was selected to attend the 5th Annual Metabolomics

Workshop at University of Alabama Birmingham in July. This course was co-sponsored by the National

Institute of General Medical Science as part of the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Initiative. Allison

was also invited to attend the “Metabolomics in Translational Research Technology Summit” at

Georgetown University Medical Center, cosponsored by Waters Corporation.

Susanne Brander (BMB) was interviewed on the GenX issue by the Wilmington StarNews, WHQR, and

the Fayetteville Observer.

Bill McLellan (BMB) was interviewed by the News and Observer on whale strandings.

Larry Cahoon (BMB) was interviewed regarding shark attacks by People.com.

Cahoon, L.B. (BMB) and R.H. Cutting (EVS): We are human guinea pigs. Wilmington StarNews Op-ed,

July 22, 2017. This was an op-ed about the GenX situation, analyzing the legal framework that has

allowed this kind of pollution to proliferate nationwide.

UNC Wilmington graduate student Ashley DeLeon (BMB) was featured in the News and Observer for

her work with shark physiology. Ashley works with Heather Koopman (BMB).

UNCW was involved in the Offshore Drilling Forum. WilmingtonBiz article. WECT article.

Presentations

Wendy Strangman (MARBIONC) was invited to present her research on cyanobacterial bloom

metabolomics, toxins and new bioactive compound identification "Microcystins and Beyond:

Untargeted UPLC-ToF-MS Metabolomics and 15N Labeling in Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom

(CHAB) Research" at the Canadian Trace Organics Workshop in Toronto.

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Presentations

Wade Watanabe (CMS) and Robert Farnell (CMS) presented a paper entitled “Experimental

Evaluation of a Halophyte Salicornia virginica for Biomitigation of Dissolved Nutrients in Effluent from

a Recirculating Aquaculture System for Marine Finfish” at the World Aquaculture 2017, Cape Town,

South Africa, June 26-30, 2017.

Avery Delmaine (BMB), Wade Watanabe (CMS) and Md Shah Alam (CMS) presented a poster paper

entitled “Replacement of Menhaden Fish Meal by the Tunicate Styela plicata in the Diet of Juvenile

Black Sea Bass” at the World Aquaculture 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, June 26-30, 2017. Delmaine

(a spring 2017 graduate), presented the results of his undergraduate honors thesis.

Joni Backstrom (EVS) presented “Monitoring Marine Sand & Gravel Extraction: The UK Approach” at

the American Fisheries Society (147th Annual Meeting) in Tampa Bay. This was part of a symposium

on the use and development of offshore resources in relation to sustainable fisheries and ecosystem

services.

Roger Shew (Earth & Ocean Sciences) presented to the Annual Professional Engineers of North

Carolina Meeting on “Offshore Energy: Facts and Issues.” Roger also has been asked to give a

webinar on this topic for their organization.

Robert M. Schilke, Maria C. White, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. (BMB) presented “Overexpression of the

CD40 receptor enhances equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated oncolysis of human U251 glioma

cells” at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, University of Wisconsin,

Madison, Wisconsin June 23-28, 2017. Maria White and Rob Schilke are former MS students.

Larry Cahoon (BMB) presented to the NC Policy Collaborative and ERC on Cape Fear water quality

issues.

Roger Shew (EOS) spoke to the Cape Fear Audubon on the natural history and geology of Brunswick

County.

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Presentations The iMESA lab gave several presentations at the Tunicate International Meeting:

López-Legentil S, Evans JS, Shenkar N, Erwin PM (BMB) presented “Introduced and native

ascidian microbiomes from artificial versus natural habitats” at the Tunicate International

Meeting, New York.

Stefaniak L, López-Legentil S (BMB) presented “Moving to the reef: historical and present

observations of the worldwide introduced species Styela plicata in the Northwest Atlantic

continental shelf” at the Tunicate International Meeting, New York.

Sihaloho H, Evans JS, Lambert G, López-Legentil S (BMB) presented “Color variation in an

introduced ascidian reveals two distinct genetic lineages” at the Tunicate International Meeting,

New York.

Gewing M-T, López-Legentil S, Shenkar N (BMB) presented “Anthropogenic factors influencing

invasive ascidian establishment in natural environments” at the Tunicate International Meeting,

New York.

Publications Patrick Erwin, Ryan Rhodes, Tiffany Keenan-Bateman, William McLellan and Ann Pabst. 2017. High

diversity and unique composition of gut microbiomes in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima)

sperm whales. Scientific Reports. 7: 720 5 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-07425-z; (BMB).

DeCourten, B.M., and S.M. Brander. 2017. Combined effects of increased temperature and endocrine

disrupting pollutants on sex determination, survival, and development across generations. Scientific

Reports 7:9310. (BMB).

This paper represents the first chapter of Bethany DeCourten’s dissertation.

Derryberry, E., K. Gentry, G. Derryberry, J. Phillips, R. Danner, J. Danner, D. Luther. 2017. White-

crowned sparrow males show immediate flexibility in song amplitude but not in song minimum

frequency in response to changes in noise levels in the field. Ecology and Evolution 7:4991–

5001. (BMB)

Bare, M. C. and R. M. Danner. 2017. Bird diversity in actively and naturally restored tropical forests in

an agricultural-urban matrix. Ecological Restoration 35(2):102–111. (BMB)

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Publications Iha C, Jamas M, Guimarães SMPB, Fujii MT, Freshwater DW, Oliveira MC (2017) Pterocladiella

(Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) species of Brazil including morphological studies of Pterocladiella media and

a reassessment of Pterocladiella taylorii. Phycologia 56(6):624-637. doi: 10.2216/17-8.1 (Wilson

Freshwater: CMS).

This paper resulted largely from Cíntia Iha’s work during a FAPESP funded research visit to CMS.

Brian S Arbogast, Katelyn I Schumacher, Nicholas J Kerhoulas, Allison L Bidlack, Joseph A Cook, G J

Kenagy. 2017. Genetic data reveal a cryptic species of New World flying squirrel: Glaucomys

oregonensis. Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 98, Issue 4, 1 August 2017, pages 1027–1041. (BMB)

Editor's Choice, Science Magazine, Aug 4, 2017. Full PDF.

Novak L, López-Legentil S, Sieradzki E, Shenkar N (2017) Rapid establishment of the non-indigenous

ascidian Styela plicata and its associated bacteria in marinas and fishing harbors along the

Mediterranean coast of Israel. Mediterranean Marine Science 18: 324-331. (BMB)

Cahoon, L.B. The importance of benthic habitats for coastal fisheries” (Kritzer et al., 2016): Soft

bottoms are biologically productive, not ‘abiotic’. BioScience. DOI: 54.5497/biosci/bix485. (BMB)

Cahoon, L.B., K. Bugica, M. Wooster, and A.K. Dickens. 2017. Factors affecting surf zone

phytoplankton production in southeastern North Carolina, USA. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

196: 269-275.

Amanda Kahn Dickens (formerly UNCW, MBY Ph.D.) is now working for the South Florida Water

Management District, Kalman Bugica (formerly UNCW, MBY MS) is now in a Ph.D. program at

Texas A&M, and Michael Wooster (formerly UNCW, MBY BS) is in a graduate program at KAUST

in Saudi Arabia. (BMB)

Colleen A. Durkin, Julie A. Koester, Sara J. Bender and E. Virginia Armbrust. 2016. The evolution of

silicon transporters in diatoms. J. Phycol. 52:716-731 (BMB). This paper received the Provasoli Award

for best paper published in the Journal of Phycology in 2016.

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Grants &Contracts (note: partial list based on faculty submissions only) John Morrison (Physics and Physical Oceanography) received $2.4 Million from the Gordon and Betty

Moore Foundation to launch a small but mighty satellite to monitor ocean changes from space.

Moore.org article.

CFPUA signs contract with UNCW to research water; Gen X testing begins.

Susanna Lopez-Legentil and Patrick Erwin (BMB) received a grant from Puerto Rico Sea Grant:

“Development of a cost-efficient assessment tool to prevent the establishment of invasive marine

species in Puerto Rico.” $115,600 for two years (2018-20).

Jennifer McCall (SeaTox Research, Inc; CHHS School of Nursing) received a grant from NC’s One North

Carolina Small Business program as match for grants received from Small Business Innovation

Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

Ann Stapleton (BMB) received a $490,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant through a program

sponsoring research that leads to improved crop production, yield and disease control. UNCW article.

Alcami Corp., a pharmaceutical development and manufacturing firm with a major presence in

Wilmington, has teamed up with the University of North Carolina Wilmington for a new laboratory

course this fall.

Dr. LePabic (BMB) received funding from NIH for “Role and Regulation of Cellular Polarity in

Craniofacial Skeletogenesis.”

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CMS & Partners Coastal & Marine Science Open House 2017 is Saturday, Sept. 23. Let Brittani or Crystal know if you

would like to have a booth! This event is in conjunction with Seahawk Saturday and the S.T.E.A.M.

event.

CMS Planet Ocean Seminar: Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m., CMS lobby - Quest for the Ruby Seadragon. Greg

Rouse from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

The new wetlab building, located on the seawater pad, is completed. Thanks to the College of Arts

and Sciences and Dean Volety for making this building a reality!!

The Cape Fear River Assembly is hosting a series of sub-basin forums to focus attention on developing

issues in the Cape Fear River Basin. While the event is free, they do request registration, as space is

limited. A forum will be held at UNCW at 4 p.m. on Sept. 28.

CMS hosted a meeting of the Mariculture Advisory Group of the UNC Collaborative

From Jason White, Lance Horn and Eric Glidden:

Underwater Vehicles Program news:

UVP’s NOAA/NMFS Andy David ROV trip aboard

the NOAA Ship Pisces was featured in the NOAA

Corps monthly newsletter.

UVP had an article published in the July Sea

Technology magazine on pages 75-34. In the same

Sea Technology issue, we were also mentioned

regarding our Cuba mission: Successful US-Cuba Research Expedition.

UVP returned in early August from a two-week research mission on the NOAA ship Nancy Foster

at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The team spent over 26 hours on the bottom

with the ROV during the seven days of operations. Miller’s

Ledge, Riley’s Hump and the Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve

were among areas the team researched.

CMS hosted a visit by NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional

Collaborative team. This visit included presentations on work

conducted at UNCW as well as a tour of CMS, MARBIONC and the

Shellfish Research Hatchery.

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CMS & Partners Campus & Community S.T.E.A.M. Celebration: UNCW welcomes the community to a celebration of

science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Faculty, staff and students will host

interactive learning stations, informative presentations, and tours of facilities used for S.T.E.A.M.

learning and research on UNCW's Main Campus. S.T.E.A.M. partnerships between campus and the

community will be showcased. This is a family-friendly event.

Welcome Grayson! Grayson is our new work study main office assistant. Be sure to introduce yourself

and say hi. She will be here to help us Mondays and Wednesdays.

Just a quick reminder that chemicals and supplies in research labs and core facilities have been

purchased for a purpose and should not be taken or “borrowed” without clear permission from the

appropriate person. Thanks for your consideration.