AWARDS AND HONORS
Julie Massey (TXSG), coastal and marine resource agent for Galveston County will receive a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Superior Service Awards Program. These awards are the highest honor conferred by AgriLife Extension to faculty and staff who have excelled in their job performance. She will be formally recognized during AgriLife's Centennial Conference, Jan. 8.
Chris LaChance (TXSG), Watersmart program director for the Texas Coastal Watershed Program, received a Certificate of Recognition in the Houston-Galveston Area Council's Parks and Natural Areas Awards Competition for her rain garden project in League City's Heritage Park.
Texas Sea Grant co-sponsored the 66th Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Meeting in Corpus Christi, Nov. 4-8. The institute awarded commercial fisher, Eddie Toomer with the Gladding Memorial Award for sustainable fisheries, in recognition for his lifetime commitment to sustainable fisheries management, specifically his contributions to the design of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) for shrimp trawlers.
"TEDs maximize shrimp harvest while allowing endangered sea turtles to escape. Shrimpers use of TEDs has spared hundreds of thousands of endangered sea turtles around the world," said Dr. Pamela Plotkin, director of Texas Sea Grant and author of Biology and Conservation of Ridley Sea Turtles. KBTX-TV also ran an item about the award.
In its November meeting, the TAMUS Board of Regents designated Dr. Mahlon C. Kennicutt, II, and Dr. George Jackson (both OCNG) each as a Professor Emeritus. Kennicutt is a chemical oceanographer and past president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Jackson was E.D. Brockett Professor in Geosciences.
PUBLICATIONS
IODP
The Proceedings of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, Expedition 344, Costa Rica Seismogenesis Project, Program A Stage 2 (CRISP-A2), was published online Dec. 11, (doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.344.2013).
Dr. Adam Klaus (IODP) was author on a paper published on the results from IODP Expedition 345, Hess Deep: "Primitive layered gabbros from fast-spreading lower oceanic crust, Nature (2013). doi:10.1038/nature12778
GEOG
Dr. Burak Güneralp: Duer-Balkind M, KR Jacobs, B Güneralp and X Basurto (2013) "Resilience, Social-Ecological Rules, and Environmental Variability in a Two-Species Artisanal Fishery." Ecology and Society 18 (4):50. doi: 10.5751/es-05751-180450
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Dr. Wendy Jepson
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Dr. Wendy Jepson: Jepson, W. (2014) "Measuring a 'no-win' waterscape: Experience-based scales and classification approaches to measure household water security in colonias on the US-Mexico Border," Geoforum (51): 107-120. GEPLDr. Frederick Chester (GEPL) was first or contributing author to three articles in the Dec. 6 issue of Science: F. M. Chester, C. Rowe, K. Ujiie, J. Kirkpatrick, C. Regalla, F. Remitti, J. C. Moore, V. Toy, M. Wolfson-Schwehr, S. Bose, J. Kameda, J. J. Mori, E. E. Brodsky, N. Eguchi, S. Toczko. "Structure and Composition of the Plate-Boundary Slip Zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake." Science, 2013; 342 (6163): 1208. doi: 10.1126/science.1243719 K. Ujiie, H. Tanaka, T. Saito, A. Tsutsumi, J. J. Mori, J. Kameda, E. E. Brodsky, F. M. Chester, N. Eguchi, S. Toczko. Low Coseismic Shear Stress on the Tohoku-Oki Megathrust Determined from Laboratory Experiments. Science, 2013; 342 (6163): 1211. doi: 10.1126/science.1243485
P. M. Fulton, E. E. Brodsky, Y. Kano, J. Mori, F. Chester, T. Ishikawa, R. N. Harris, W. Lin, N. Eguchi, S. Toczko. "Low Coseismic Friction on the Tohoku-Oki Fault Determined from Temperature Measurements." Science, 2013; 342 (6163): 1214 doi: 10.1126/science.1243641
OCNG
Jennifer Hertzberg and Dr. Matthew W. Schmidt: Hertzberg, J. E. and M. W. Schmidt (2013). Refining Globigerinoides ruber Mg/Ca paleothermometry in the Atlantic Ocean. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 383, 123-133, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.09.044 TXSG Dr. John Jacob (TXSG), coastal community development and environmental quality specialist, published a journal article and a book chapter. "Experts, Extension, and Democracy: A Prospectus for a New Urban Grant" appeared in the Journal of Extension, Volume 51 (5). He also produced "Riparian Soils and Wetlands," Chapter 5 of Texas Riparian Areas, published by the Meadows Center for Water and Environment.
GEPL
Tao*, K., Robbins, J.A., Grossman, E.L., and O'Dea, A., 2013. Quantifying upwelling and freshening in nearshore tropical environments using stable isotopes in modern Tropical American mollusks. Bull. Marine Science, v. 89(4), p. 815-835.
*student OUTREACH Rhonda Patterson (TXSG) conducted two ocean awareness presentations, including live marine animals in Bryan at Westminster Presbyterian Church for a homeschool co-op and at St. Joseph's Catholic School for a 7th grade science class. Mary Carol Edwards (TXSG) Stormwater Wetland Program coordinator for the Texas Coastal Watershed Program, coordinated efforts that led to the November 10 launch of the first public demonstration of floating wetland islands in Texas. The wetland islands, in the campus stormwater detention basin of Clear Creek ISD's Education Village in League City, demonstrate a new Best Management Practice for improving the water quality of storm water runoff before it reaches the bayou and bay. A total of 275 volunteers contributed to the project, including 72 who assisted in the launch. The majority of the volunteers were students from six area schools, and volunteer activities included collecting plants, prepping and potting them, making anchors, planting the islands and shores, and positioning the three islands in the storm water pond. Dr. Mona Behl (TXSG), research coordinator and climate change specialist, engaged teachers and students with hands-on/minds-on activities in "Fluid Dynamics" during the Texas A&M Regional Collaborative Workshop, Nov. 16. Thirty participants received continuing professional development certificates at the conclusion of the daylong workshop. Rhonda Patterson (TXSG) conducted two ocean awareness presentations featuring live marine animals in Bryan at Westminster Presbyterian Church for a homeschool co-op and at St. Joseph's Catholic School for a 7th grade science class. Rhonda Cummins (TXSG), coastal and marine resource agent for Calhoun County, led a coastal and marine science and ecology field trip to Port Aransas and Aransas Pass for Port Lavaca sixth graders. Dr. Piers Chapman, (OCNG) along with Drs. Tony Knap (GERG) and Steve DiMarco (OCNG/GERG) met with representatives from IBM about SmartGulf, Nov. 14, where Chapman gave a talk about the GISR project. Chapman also hosted a visit from the administrative unit of GoMRI with Sponsored Research Services, Nov. 19-20. GRANTS
The Board of Directors of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has approved a grant of $99,103.32 to Dr. Pam Plotkin (TXSG) to support the "Reducing Incidental Capture of Loggerhead Sea Turtles" project.
Dr. Ryan Ewing (GEPL) was awarded a three-year NASA grant from the Cassini Data Analysis Program for the proposal, "Characterizing Titan's Dunes and Dune-Topography Interactions: Implications for Climate Change in Titan's Equatorial Region." Ewing is PI and co-investigator, is Dr. Alex Hayes, in the astronomy department at Cornell University. The grant is for $343,000. IN THE NEWS Dr. Pam Plotkin (TXSG) was one of three members asked by the Earth's Science Women's Network, "What did your education or career give you that you find useful in your job?" Her answer can be found in the fall 2013 ESWN Newsletter on page 8. Research Coordinator and Climate Change Specialist Dr. Mona Behl was also featured.  | |
Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon
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Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon (ATMO) was quoted extensively on National Public Radio stations across the country for his comments on the Typhoon Haiyan.
Dr. Frederick Chester was quoted in news and broadcast media around the world, including National Geographic for his paper on the drilling results from the expedition that drilled into the Tohoku-Oki Earthquake fault.
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Dr. Mark Everett being interviewed by BBC World News in the Rec Yard on Alcatraz.
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The BBC World News interviewed Dr. Mark Everett (GEPL) and his team on Alcatraz island for a radio feature in conjunction with the AGU Fall Meeting. The team is researching the structure and artifacts of the island during the Civil War era that were buried underneath the prison. Eliana Mijangos and Elora Arana (Communications student workers) filmed and edited the interview on Alcatraz.
Although representing different universities, the team members are truly a band of Aggies. In addition to Everett are Dr. Tanya Wattenburg Komas '05, Chico State University; Dr. Dana Pertermann '11, Western Wyoming College; and Timothy De Smet, (Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology).
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STUDENTS
Dr. Pablo Granados-Dieseldorff (GEOG), who received his Ph.D. at the December commencement, has been named Marine Program Director, Latin America, for Rare. He is in charge of leading the "Fish Forever Global Initiative," a project launched by Rare, the Environmental Defense Fund and UC Santa Barbara.
Dr. Kelly Lemmons (GEOG) won the Texas A&M University finals in the Three Minute Thesis competition. He now advances as the Texas A&M representative to the regional competition in February in San Antonio where he will vie with graduate students in the Southern States Division.
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Dr. Karen Butler-Purry, associate provost for the office of graduate and professional studies, with Kelly Lemmons, winner of the 2013 TAMU 3 Minute Thesis competition.
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The competition requires a graduate student to orally communicate the purpose, findings and significance of their dissertation or thesis in just three minutes. Success in the competition requires careful preparation and flawless delivery. The three criteria used by the panel of judges, composed of distinguished professors, are clarity of explanation, engagement with the audience, and excitation in the audience of a desire to know more about the topic (description contributed by Dr. Jonathan Smith, GEOG).
SERVICE
 Dr. Eric Riggs, assistant dean for diversity and graduate student recruitment and development, was named president-elect of the American Geosciences Institute at the Geological Sciences of America annual meeting in Denver, Colo. Riggs was described as having "a career dedicated to geoscience education, both in research and through a multi-year leadership role at the National Association of Geoscience Teachers."
AGI is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists.
Dr. Kate Miller (Dean) has been elected to the IRIS board of directors. IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) was founded in 1984 with support from the National Science Foundation. IRIS, a consortium of over 100 U.S. universities, including Texas A&M University, is dedicated to the operation of science facilities for the acquisition, management, and distribution of seismological data. IRIS programs contribute to scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
CONFERENCES AND PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Terry Wade (GERG) presented "Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Chemistry Perspective" at the First Symposium on Deep Sea Oil Spills in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, Oct. 28-30. Co-authors were Stephen Sweet, Dr. José Sericano, Dawei Shi, Dr. Anthony Knap, Norman Guinasso, Jr. (all GERG), and Dr. Piers Chapman (OCNG).
Dr. Robert Duce, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former dean (OCNG/ATMO), represented the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board at SCOR (the International Council for Science's Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research), Nov. 25-28, in Wellington, New Zealand. He also chaired a meeting of the Ocean Studies Board at Oregon State University, Newport, Nov. 13-15.
The National Academies Advisory Group for the Gulf Research Program held its Texas state visit in Austin, Nov. 21-22, as the last of a five-state visit. Texas universities, funding agencies and NGOs were represented. The Advisory Group visited each Gulf state to inform about their new 30-year program of research to advance the health, environment and oil system safety in the Gulf and other outer continental shelf regions. The program is funded by BP and Transocean as part of the Deepwater Horizon legal settlements. Representing the College of Geosciences were the following: Research Perspectives Panel: Dr. Piers Chapman (OCNG), Dr. Matt Howard (OCNG), and Dr. Pam Plotkin (TXSG), presenting their programs, GISR, GCOOS and Texas Sea Grant, respectively.
Dr. Plotkin provided an overview of Texas Sea Grant's activities and its experience in stakeholder engagement, discussed how the new NAS program will enhance Texas Sea Grant's efforts at the state and regional level, and described lessons the program has learned that can help NAS as it begins to engage the region.
For the Academic Research Administrators Panel Dr. Tony Knap (GERG) and Dr. Gilbert Rowe (TAMUG) represented Texas A&M. Dr. Knap spoke on behalf of the Office of the Vice President for Research. All presented what they had identified as the most important issues in the Gulf. According to Knap, most agreed that what was most highly needed was a mechanism to sustain observations in the coastal zone. Knap observed that long, time-series observations, a commitment to ocean literacy and an understanding of the shedding of eddies from the Gulf loop current were critically needed to sustain the Gulf region.
"I pointed out that for the most part there have been few legacies from other oil spills anywhere, and the only way that we will be more prepared for the next spill is to develop a long-term sustained monitoring program," Knap said.
The IODP Expedition 341 (Southern Alaska Margin) editorial and sampling post-cruise meetings took place at IODP and the Gulf Coast Repository, Nov. 11-22. Twenty-nine shipboard and shore-based scientists from eight countries participated in the meetings. The scientists took over 22,000 samples from the five sites drilled this past summer to study the climatic and tectonic history of the Gulf of Alaska.
As noted in the Dean's message, Dr. Wilford Gardner (OCNG) organized the recent UNOLs meeting at Texas A&M. At the opening session, he gave a keynote science talk. At a reception at GERG, hosted by the Dean's Office and organized by Janet Kling (Dean's Office), Dr. Tony Knap outlined plans for the future of GERG. Laura Caldwell (OCNG) provided invaluable logistical help. Thanks to the many others who made the workshop a success. The feedback from the participants was extremely positive, Gardner said.
County Coastal and Marine Resource Agents Terrie Looney and Rhonda Cummins and Outreach Specialist Rhonda Patterson (TXSG) staffed the Texas Sea Grant booth at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) conference in Houston, Nov. 7-9.
Dr. Mona Behl (TXSG), research coordinator and climate change specialist, participated in the annual Renewable Natural Resources Foundation conference, "Congress on Coastal Resilience," College Park, Md., Dec. 11-12.
Dr. Pam Plotkin (TXSG) participated in the marine biology indisciplinary retreat, Dec. 12-13, at TAMU-Galveston that involved students and faculty from TAMU, TAMUG and TAMU-Corpus Christi.
Dr. Pam Plotkin (TXSG) was an invited participant to the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Bi-national Recovery Working Group meeting, Brownsville, Texas, in November.
Dr. Lisa Campbell, postdocs Drs. Reagan Errera and Darren Henrichs and graduate student Darcie Ryan along with Dr. Rob Hetland's postdoc, Dr. Kristen Thyng (all OCNG), were well represented at the Seventh Symposium on Harmful Algae in the U.S., Sarasota, Fla., in October:
Campbell, L., R.M. Errera, D.E. Ryan, and A. J. Bourdelais. 2013. Cellular response to osmotic stress in
Karenia brevis.
Errera, R.M.,* S. Niven, A. J. Bourdelais, and L. Campbell. 2013. A day in the life of Karenia brevis: diel variation in cell volume and ladder-frame polyether production.
Henrichs, D.W.,* R.D. Hetland, and L. Campbell. 2013. Predicted origins of Karenia brevis bloom formation along the coast of Texas using an individual-based model.
Ryan, D.E.* and L. Campbell. 2013. Karenia brevis reference transcriptome assembly and transmembrane protein sequence discovery.
Thyng, K.M,* R.D. Hetland, M.T. Ogle, X. Zhang, F. Chen, and L. Campbell. 2013. Physical mechanism for Karenia brevis bloom initiation in Texas.
Alex Van Plantinga (GEPL Ph.D. student) presented at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America: "Tracing Brazos and Navasota River waters and quantifying evaporation with stable isotopes and conductivity."
(Abstract): Van Plantinga*, A., Winning*, D., Stockert*, E.M., Robertson*, J.R., Roark, E.B., and Grossman, E.L., 2013. Tracing Brazos and Navasota River waters and quantifying evaporation with stable isotopes and conductivity. Geol. Soc. America Abstracts with Programs, v. 45.
*Indicates student
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