Research News

Patricia Kelley, Geography and Geology, and co-PI Gregory Dietl, Cornell University, received $119,999 from NSF for "REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation."

photo of Caribbean coral reef at left by Joseph Pawlik

 

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Preserving an Icon of Carolina Coastal Culture: Restoring Oyster Reefs

Guests at a North Carolina oyster roast are more likely to enjoy this staple of Carolina cuisine and culture shipped in from elsewhere, rather than caught in local waters. Martin Posey, professor and chair of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology, and Troy Alphin, research associate, are part of a national group examining methods of regional oyster restoration. read more...

 

The Nature and Nurture of Coral Reefs

Having grown up in the Caribbean, professor Alina Szmant is passionate about coral preservation. "Reef-building corals are long-lived, but there is always reproduction to replace the ones that get old and die," says Szmant, "In the Caribbean, coral recruitment rates are very low. In many areas, corals have been lost, and you basically end up with algae, sponges, soft corals and other things, but not hard corals." read more...

 

The Caribbean's Master Chemists

" Sponges often rival hard corals in diversity and abundance on coral reefs, where they play many functional roles. They filter large volumes of water, harbor photosynthetic bacteria and provide refuge to numerous cryptic species of fishes and invertebrates," says Tim Henkel, Ph.D. candidate in marine biology and member of Joseph Pawlik's marine chemical ecology laboratory. read more...

 

How Much is a Coral Reef Worth?

Economist Peter Schuhmann is working to estimate the economic value of natural resources related to recreation and tourism in the Caribbean. His current work in Barbados and Tobago is part of a larger interdisciplinary effort with fishery biologists, resource managers and island government officials. "More and more governments are realizing that their economies are heavily dependent upon the quantity and quality of their natural resources. Without an understanding of the nature and scope of that value, it is difficult to analyze the trade-offs inherent in any policy," says Schuhmann. read more...

 

Hamlet Fish 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 investigation 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. read more...

 

Monitoring and Assessing 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. Geologist Nancy Grindlay's research focuses on the trench's complex plate tectonics that has the potential to cause devastating earthquakes, submarine landslides and tsunamis. read more...

 

$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. read more...

 

In Uncharted Territory

Graduate Student 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. "It's pretty cutting edge as far as ocean science goes," says Maness. Using the Eagle Ray, Maness should be able to get more accurate data, more quickly. read more...

 

Learn more about water-related research at UNCW

 

Oceans Research Archive

 

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: Aquarius named top 100 info project

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...