Congratulations to the SEASPACE 2005 Scholarship Winners!

These students have demonstrated excellence in their academic records and need for financial assistance. This year sixteen university students were chosen to share proceeds this year generated by the hard work of our SEASPACE staff and volunteers. The scholarship committee members were Claudia Ludwig, Barbara Stiranka, Robyn Rhea, Jean Truax, Jim Ward, Jesse Cancelmo, Dick Zingula, and Carolyn Peterson.

Undergraduates

Michael Andres is majoring in Marine Biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston. While studying at A&M, he has been involved in a variety of projects. His most recent research attempts to calculate the growth rate of the Giant Pacific octopus by examining specimens kept in captivity at the Seattle Aquarium. Michael plans to attend graduate school and earn his doctorate.

Lauren Cooney is a student in Mechanical/Ocean Engineering at M.I.T. At present she is designing the joystick control system for the Flapping Foil Vehicle (ROV) and has worked on the redesign of the power/on-board computer housing for this vehicle. Lauren would like to enter graduate school at M.I.T. Her dream career involves designing innovative underwater vehicles that will explore the depths of the oceans.

Meagan Dunphy-Daly will be entering graduate school this fall. Her research topic involves bottlenose dolphins. Do they respond to sounds of echolocation produced by other foraging dolphins and, if so, how? Previous studies of this type have been carried out on captive dolphins so her approach would be unique. After graduate school, she would like to become a college professor.

Jason Helyer studies Marine Affairs/Biology at the University of Rhode Island. His project involves monitoring coral growth and health at sites situated adjacent to potential environmentally hazardous areas. Instead of using large corals, Jason uses minute fragments of corals (explants) that behave like adult coral colonies for this ecotoxicology study. Jason is considering whether to pursue a graduate degree in Environmental Law/Marine Affairs or to continue his research on coral reefs.

Graduates

Julie Barr is in the MS program at Oregon State University in the field of Marine Resource Management. The subject of her research is the development and initiation of a monitoring program and management plan for the sea turtles of Helen Reef in Palau. Her study will identify a sustainable harvest level for the local fishermen in order to prevent depletion of this valuable resource. Julie would like to work for an international agency where she could help developing nations devise and implement programs for the wise management of their marine resources.

Nicolas Farmer is pursuing his doctorate in Marine Biology and Fisheries at the University of Miami. He is collecting information regarding the patterns of habitat use and movement of the red grouper and black grouper. This information is then introduced into simulation models providing insights into grouper population dynamics that will be used in the effective design of marine reserves. After graduation Nicolas would like to work for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Roberta Garcia is a PhD candidate at the University of Baltimore with her major study area in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences (MEES). The purpose of her project is to measure the bioaccumulation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and its effects on photosynthesis and plant growth. OTC is an antibiotic that is widely used in the aquaculture of catfish, salmonids, lobsters, and Pacific salmon, but its long-term environmental impact has not been studied extensively. Post graduation, she envisions a career exploring how aquatic pollution and environmental degradation affect fisheries and ecosystems, particularly in estuaries.

Katherine Mansfield, a doctoral candidate and 2004 SEASPACE award recipient, studies Marine Science at the College of William and Mary. Her research project identifies sources of local sea turtle mortality, estimates gear-based mortalities from fisheries surveys, quantifies turtle populations via aerial census, and examines seasonal differences in the dive behavior using radio and satellite telemetry. Katherine would like a position that would allow her to translate scientific information generated by sea turtle populations studies into management plans that reduce human-induced sea turtle mortality at all stages of their life cycles.

Katherine Mills is working towards a PhD in Natural Resources at Cornell University. In her dissertation research she will analyze temporal and spatial trends in fish community characteristics, environmental conditions, and commercial fisheries. Her data will identify features that may serve as useful indicators of the state of the marine ecosystem and to establish quantitative reference points that may prompt and guide fishery management decisions. Katherine, a 2003 SEASPACE award recipient, would like a career as a research ecologist working as part of a fishery management, habitat protection, or policy development team.

Heather Mostman, also a PhD candidate, attends University of California-Santa Cruz where she studies Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Because she is interested in the ways in which thermal physiology influences the ecology and evolution of aquatic mammals, she is studying the differences between fur and blubber insulation in fur seals and sea lions. These studies will provide thermal profiles for two related marine mammal species that use different forms of insulation and will put these profiles into an evolutionary context. Eventually, Heather would like to become a university professor.

Deborah Purce is a Masters student at Western Washington University in the field of Marine Biology. Her research explores potential alternatives to destructive fishing practices in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. She is trying to determine the suitability of native scallops in various aquaculture scenarios hoping to increase the economic yield for small scale fisherman who are interested in alternatives to traditional, unsustainable fishing practices. Deborah plans to pursue her PhD with the goal of working as an administrator and educator in an international marine conservation organization.

Linda Roehrborn is pursuing her Masters at Texas A&M University-Galveston in Biological Oceanography. Her project is studying harmful algae blooms (HABs) in Offatts Bayou, their causes, and possible methods of controlling them. HABs can cause decreased a level of oxygen in a water column to the detriment of fish, shellfish, and benthic organisms. Linda will continue her education working towards a doctorate with the ultimate goal of joining the Astronaut Program at NASA.

Erin Seney, a PhD candidate, studies Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M-Galveston. The subject of her thesis is the ecology of the Ridley sea turtle. She will examine the size of the nesting population and its at-sea life history. This study should provide data for the characterization of the Ridley distribution, habitat use, foraging site fidelity, and preferred environmental conditions in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. After graduation she would like to continue her field-based research at a university, government agency, or a conservation-oriented non-government organization.

Yousria Soliman is a PhD student Oceanography at Texas A&M-College Station. Her research uses amphipods to access the cumulative effects of the oil and gas industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Since the amphipods are sensitive to pollution from oil and other compounds, a study of their dynamics is necessary for monitoring purposes in the deep Gulf of Mexico. After finishing a post doc, she plans to return to Egypt and become a assistant professor at the University of Alexandria.

Benjamin Walther carries out his doctoral research in Marine Biology at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. He is trying to determine the origin of migrating American shad caught at sea and those returning to spawn by examining the composition of their ear bones. This data will yield information on shad migratory dynamics that, in turn, will aid in conservation and management efforts of this important species. His ultimate goal is a position in academics so he can teach and continue his research.

Shaye Wolf is working towards a doctorate at University of California-Santa Cruz in Ecology/Environmental Biology. Global climate changes present a looming conservation problem with unknown consequences for many marine species. For this reason she is investigating the linkages between current oceanography variability, predicted climate change, and the population dynamics of a seabird (Cassin’s Auklet). She would like to design and improve programs that form policy for threatened marine ecosystems and then work with coalitions to implement it.

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