LMRCSC students and faculty earned opportunities to present at recent Aquatic Sciences and Oceanic Sciences meetings in 2015 and 2016. 

Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 2016  

Four LMRCSC faculty and eleven students gave presentations at this year’s Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM), which is co-sponsored by Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), The Oceanography Society (TOS), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The meeting will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA from February 21-26, 2016.

The meeting brings participants among diverse groups together for scientific exchange on various marine science topics.

LMRCSC faculty presenters included:

Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D., director, LMRCSC, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Depth, Salinity and Temperature Variability in the Maryland Coastal Lagoons”
Co-authors: Hector Malagon, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Steve Doctor, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Deidre Gibson, Ph.D., project director, Hampton University
“Assessing the Clearance Rates of Dolioletta gegenbauri fed different size particles”
Co-authors: Gustav Paffenhofer, University of Georgia; Tina Walters, University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

Andres Morales-Nunez, Ph.D., post-doctoral research associate, NSF – CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics in the Mid-Atlantic Region (CISCEP), University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Moving Northward? First Record of Spilocuma Watlingi (Crustacea: Cumacea: Bodotriidae) in Mid-Atlantic Region, Maryland Coastal Bays, USA”
Co-author: Paulinus Chigbu, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, NSF – CREST Center for the Integrated Study of Coastal Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics in the Mid-Atlantic Region (CISCEP)

Eric Schott, Ph.D., University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-IMET
“A Lethal Virus of the Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus May Be Present Throughout its Trans-hemispheric Range”
Co-authors: Emily Flowers, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Anapaula Vinagre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Shanai Brown, Morgan State University; Andrea Almida, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-IMET

LMRCSC student presenters included:   

Kenya Bynes, B.S. student at Hampton University
“Models for U.S Fish Stock Assessment”

Hiram Dunn, former Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Reproductive biology of the female Jonah crab from the Maryland-Virginia Coastal Zone”
Co-author: Bradley Stevens, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Marisa Litz, Ph.D. student, Oregon State University
“Effects of Dietary Fatty Acids on Juvenile Salmon Growth, Biochemistry, and Aerobic Performance: A Laboratory Rearing Experiment”
Co-authors: Jessica Miller, Oregon State University; Louise Copeman, Oregon State University; Thomas Hurst, NOAA NMFS AFSC

Kristen Lycett, Ph.D. student, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Disease Ecology of the Blue Crab and its Parasite Hematodinium perezi in the Maryland and Virginia Coastal Bays”
Co-author: Joseph Pitula, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Ejiroghene Mayor, Ph.D., alumna, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Distribution of Mysid species in Relation to Environmental factors in Maryland Coastal Bays”
Co-author: Paulinus Chigbu, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Nivette Perez-Perez, M.S. student, Delaware State University
“Stable Isotope Signatures Suggest Different Feeding Strategies for Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden”
Co-authors: Stacy Smith, Delaware State University; Lonnie Gonsalves, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory; Megan Lamb, NOAA ECSC

Rebecca Peters, M.S. student, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Temporal Variation in Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) Abundance in the Maryland Coastal Bays”
Co-author: Paulinus Chigbu, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Jonathan Rogers, B.S. student at Hampton University
“Nutrients, high light, and shallow depths favor the expansion of the brown macroalgae Turbinaria ornata in the coral reefs of Mo’orea, French Polynesia”

Courtney Rhoades, B.S. student, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“An Analysis of Sea Turtle Demographics along Maryland Shores, 1990-2015”
Co-authors: Cindy Driscoll, Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Amanda Weschier, Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Maurice Crawford, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Alexandra Salcedo, M.S. student, Hampton University 
“DNA Barcoding of Zooplankton in the Hampton Roads Area: A Biodiversity Assessment”
Co-authors: Michaella McFarland, NOAA; Deidre Gibson, Hampton University; Aurea Rodriguez, Hampton University

Cara Schweitzer, Ph.D. student, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“Disturbance of Essential Fish Habitat by Commercial Passive Fishing Gear in the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia region of the Mid-Atlantic Bight”

Justin Shaifer, B.S. student, Hampton University
“Early Life-Stage Responses of a Eurythemal Estuarine Fish, Mummichog (Fundulus hetereoclitus) to Fixed and Fluctuating Thermal Regimes”

Niya Wilkins, B.S. student, Hampton University
“DNA Barcoding of Ichthyoplankton in Hampton Roads Bay Estuary”
Co-author: Aurea Rodriguez, Hampton University

Aquatic Sciences Meeting, February 2015

At the February 2015 Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Granada, Spain, three LMRCSC students earned awards for their presentations.

Congratulations to the LMRCSC award winners:

Larry Redd, M.S student, Hampton University 
“Effects of Temperature and Feed Type on Gastric Evacuation of Aquacultured Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus)”

Adrian Plummer, William Paterson University
“Consequences of Diversification Among Acartia tonsa in the Chesapeake Bay”

Wilmelie Cruz-Marrero, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
“In Situ Habitat Characterization of Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Power Sites”

Approximately 400 students presented their research at this meeting and presentations were evaluated according to the effectiveness, quality of the experimental design, clarity of the conclusions and its innovation and scientific insight. Only to the top seven percent in each individual category earned awards. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Adrienne Sponberg, Ph.D., ASLO Director of Communications & Science

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