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Graduate student awarded Knauss Fellowship
Steve McMurray, a Master of Science candidate in marine biology, has been awarded the prestigious SeaGrant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. The fully paid fellowship will allow McMurray to spend a year in Washington, D.C...Story...
Research scientist documents the diversity of macroalgae
Wilson Freshwater, whose specialty is large marine algae or macroalgae (seaweeds) and marine plant taxonomy, is conducting the largest effort to date to document the diversity of macroalgae in the oceans off the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of southern Central America. He is working with colleagues from Roger Williams Univeristy, the University of Lousiana at Lafayette and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution in Panama. Story...
Learn more about water-related research at UNCW
Oceans Research Archive
2007: Marine Biology researchers investigate best reef design to save oysters
Martin Posey, professor and chair of the Marine Biology and Biology department, and Research Associate Troy Alphin are part of a national group examining how to proceed with regional North Carolina oyster restoration. Their research has shown that reefs designed primarily for the enhancement of habitat for fish, crabs, and shrimp should be built as several closely spaced reefs with highly convoluted edges... Story...
2007: Student and professor study effects of water temp on coral larvae
Under the guidance of Biology professor Alina Szmant, marine biology student Carly Randall conducted an experiment to test whether or not elevated temperatures have an effect on the survivorship and settlement of larvae of the the Caribbean coral, Favia fragum. Story...
2007: Pawlik teaches students about relationship between sponges and coral
Since 1997, marine biologist Joseph Pawlik has monitored 12 Caribbean Coral Reef sites off Key Largo, Fla.. Grant funding has allowed Pawlik and his students to study the complex relationships between predators and competitors in these environments. Story...
2007: Economist estimates value of Caribbean natural resources
Professor Peter Schuhmann is employing non-market valuation methodologies to estimate the value of coral reef, reef fish, hawksbill turtles and green turtles. He is also working to estimate the value of wide clean beaches and the potential costs of coastal development. With these findings in hand, leaders in Caribbean nations can better develop sustainable and informed managment policies. Story...
2007: Biologist investigates Hamlet Fish evolution and speciation
In the world of evolutionary biology, the discovery of a species that is in the process of evolving into multiple species, known as speciation, provides eye-witness insight into the mysteries of evolution. For a number of years, UNC WIlmington biologist Michael McCartney has been investigating small, colorful reef fish known as hamlets. The dozen or so known species of hamlets intermingle throughout the reefs of the Caribbean. Though closely related, each species has a strikingly different color pattern. Through his research, McCartney found that color patterns and mating preferences evolve more quickly than other species signifiers, such as skeletal differences. Story...
2007: Geologist's research helps monitor tsunami risk in Puerto Rico
About 75 miles north of Puerto Rico and extending eastward into the Atlantic Ocean lies the Puerto Rico Trench. Plunging more than five miles below sea level, it creates the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean. The narrow trench extends eastward for more than 1,000 miles, forming a long, deep gash in the sea floor. Professor Nancy Grindlay's research focuses on the trench's complex plate tectonics that has the potential to cause devastating earthquakes, submarine landslides and tsunamis. Story...
2007: $7.53 million grant fuels study of red tide toxins
Red tide, naturally occurring algae that "bloom" along Florida's Gulf Coast, emits harmful toxins that can irritate the eyes and lungs of beach goers. It poisons fish and marine mammals. But it may also contain compounds that can treat cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases. UNC Wilmington received a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to continue its study of the chronic effects of red tide brevitoxins and their potential as a therapeutic agent. Story...
2007: Grad student maps coral reefs
Amanda Maness is one of the first to use the Eagle Ray, a one-ton, $1.5 million autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to map out the Oculina coral reefs off the coast of Florida. Using the Eagle Ray, Maness should be able to get more accurate data, more quickly. Story...
2006: Metabolism, Muscle, Oxygen & Work: Molecules in Motion
Did you know that a blue crab's back fin muscle grows in the same manner as a human muscle? Muscle tissue grows by increasing the size of individual muscle cells rather than their number. This developmental pattern means that juvenile blue crabs have muscle cells that are very similar in size to those of a small child. However, as a blue crab grows into adulthood, its body mass increases more than 3,000 times. read more...
2006: InfoWorld Magazine named Aquarius in top 100 info projects
InfoWorld Magazine named Aquarius, the world's only undersea research lab, one of the top 100 informational projects of the year. Orthogon Systems, a wireless connectivity company, bestows the annual awards to projects that use cutting-edge technologies to further business goals. Aquarius uses Orthogon's wireless technology to broadcast data, including video and voice transmissions, from the ocean floor.
2006: Dr. Chris Dumas Studies Waterway's Impact on Local Economy
Thousands of boaters, fishermen and watercraft enthusiasts use the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway every year. While residents and state officials know this brings business and wealth to the region, no one knows exactly what this means to the state's economy. read more...
2006: Undersea Explorers Map Coral to Save it
Researchers aboard the NASA support ship Liberty Star spent nine days in October 2005 using high tech methods to examine a coral bed older than modern civilization. Using sonar, a remote control submarine and the 170-foot vessel, Andrew Shepard, director of the NOAA Undersea Research Center, and a team of researchers explored the Oculina coral reef bed. read more...
2005: Coastal Ocean Research & Monitoring Program
Since 1999, UNC Wilmington has conducted a sustained, long-term program of coastal ocean observations and research off North Carolina shores. The Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program (CORMP)'s main purpose is to study and monitor the dynamic environment of the Cape Fear River Plume and the coastal Carolina ocean. CORMP also promotes sound public policy supported by research, which leads to wise coastal use, sustainable fisheries and improved health of the ecosystems. read more...
2005: On Being the Most Popular Fish in the Tank
The ornamental trade industry handles over $900 million annually in the sale and transport of hundreds of species of fish and marine invertebrates for aquarium. The majority of the animals that enter the trade are collected directly from the wild, which has a vast impact on coral reefs. Aaron Watson, an undergraduate honors student in biology, studies how to raise popular hobby fish, such as clownfish, without detrimenting some of the world's most fragile ecosystems. read more...
2005: When Mollusks Fly
What can a lowly marine mollusk tell us about how our nervous system controls our legs during walking and how it controls the switch from walking to running?The pteropod mollusk, Clione limacina, has a locomotive system with many of the same features as our own, and that is where biologist Richard Satterlie's interest in this creature lies. read more...
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