Channing Jones
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Marine Sciences Program
rcjones@email.unc.edu

Even though I am a small town country boy from southeastern North Carolina, I have always had a fascination with the ocean and marine life in general. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. I am very grateful for the personalized attention and constant mentoring I received from many of my professors in the Biology and Chemistry departments. I especially encourage anyone interested in advanced study to utilize their college resources (the professors in particular) to help prepare for future endeavors. During the summer prior to my senior year, I was fortunate to participate in an undergraduate summer internship at UNC-Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Sciences. This is where I was first exposed to the exciting and fascinating world of marine ecology.

I am currently a third year graduate student at UNC-CH under the guidance of Dr. Niels Lindquist. During my graduate career I have logged over 500 dives in North Carolina, Florida, California, and Papua New Guinea. I am one of very few Native Americans in the marine sciences and I hope one day to be able to go back and share my experiences and scientific findings with others from my community.

The field of marine science fascinates me, mainly because of the multi-disciplinary approaches that oceanographers use to understand oceanic environments and to solve complex problems. It is a rewarding experience to discover new things, uncover new facts, and ultimately to figure out small parts of the larger ocean "puzzle," especially because we know so little about the ocean realm in comparison to the terrestrial environment.

I am currently interested in the chemical compounds that many marine hydroids (animals that are best described as "jellyfish on sticks') produce to defend themselves against potential predators. Because hydroids are attached to the bottom they can't flee or hide from predators so they defend themselves by producing either chemicals that are nasty that can deter predators (a relatively new discovery) or they have special stinging cells called nematocysts. It was previously believed that hydroids primarily uses their nematocysts to defend against predation but recent research has shown that they can also produce chemical defenses - called secondary metabolites. It appears that these novel compounds have a huge role in protecting hydroids from predation against many fish species.

I am very eager to participate in the September 2003 Aquarius mission and working with the skilled staff of UNCW's National Undersea Research Center in Key Largo, FL. Saturation diving provides a unique opportunity to experience and observe, to collect data, and to conduct manipulative experiments for extended periods of time underwater. The marine environment is a dynamic and amazing place and I look forward to being part of the ocean, if only for a short time. I feel fortunate to have had the training and opportunities as a college student and now a graduate student, from living underwater for to diving in the Indo-Pacific on the other side of the world. For me, being a part of marine science and a great research team has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.