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Drill for Oil Spill Answers

Dr. Peter McCarthy examines the differences in the microbial populations of sponges in clean versus polluted waters.

BULLETIN

After the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion,oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly threemonths before a temporary cap was in place, and itwas another two months before the well wasconsidered “effectively dead” by governmentofficials overseeing the effort. An estimated 4.9 millionbarrels of crude and nearly two million gallonsof chemical dispersants were introduced to theGulf ecosystem, with implications that remainpoorly understood.

Harbor Branch researchers are engaged to advancethat understanding, and those whose projectsreceived Florida Institute of Oceanography approvalin August for BP rapid response research fundinghave been making progress. Vital support in the formof graduate student assistance has been madepossible through many generous donors to theHarbor Branch Research Development Fund,established by the Harbor Branch OceanographicInstitute Foundation. (story continues on next page)

SUMMER 2011

With an eye on Gulf seafood habitats, AssistantResearch Professor Susan Laramore, Ph.D., andResearch Associate Amber Garr are working in theirlab to determine what oil and dispersant exposuredoes to crustaceans and molluscs (attempts byshrimp to jump out of experiment beakers suggestpoor tolerance). Their graduate student is supportedby the Harbor Branch Scholars Award – In Memory ofDonald Antaya.

Associate Professor Ed Proffitt, Ph.D., and post-doctoral investigator Holly Nance, Ph.D., have beenlooking at four oyster reef communities, from thePanhandle south to Rookery Bay, to assess theabundance and size of oysters and associated reefanimals. No oil has been found in oyster tissue to date,and tagged oysters and newly planted shell substratewill be checked periodically to measure growthand colonization, respectively. Graduate studentassistance for this work is made possible by aFriends of Harbor Branch-sponsored Harbor BranchScholars Award.

Going a little deeper is the research of AssistantResearch Professors Sara Edge, Ph.D., and Joshua

Voss, Ph.D., who will be performing moleculardiagnoses on corals to determine the sublethaleffects of oil and dispersant exposure. Early-Junefield collections in the southern Keys will befollowed by gene expression experiments in thelab. Their graduate student is being funded by theHarbor Branch Scholars Award – In Memory of JohnJ. and Cornelia V. Gibson.

Research Professor Peter McCarthy, Ph.D., and hiscollaborators will be examining differences in themicrobial populations of sponges in clean versuspolluted waters and comparing laboratory resultswith field observations. Sponge samples from theHarbor Branch collection are central to this work. Asecond Friends of Harbor Branch-sponsored HarborBranch Scholars Award is supporting Dr. McCarthy’sgraduate student.

To help advance important work such as this throughthe Harbor Branch Research Development Fund,please contact Janet Alford at 772-466-9876 orjmalford@hboifoundation.org.

OIL SPILL ANSWERS, CONTINUED.

Dr. Susan Laramore (L) and Amber Garr prepare beakers for oil and dispersant exposure experiments.

Dr. Ed Proffitt studies the oyster reef communities on Florida’s Gulf coast.

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Report

I’m grateful for this opportunity to address you throughour Bulletin, and I look forward to future chances aswell. Here I will highlight the science, engineering, andeducation initiatives that make Harbor Branch thesingular place that it is.

The primary reasons I joined Harbor Branch are theexcellence of the work being done here and thedepth of Florida Atlantic University’s commitment tomarine and environmental issues as drivers of growthin research, education, and outreach. It’s not only that“Atlantic” is our middle name – it’s the realization thatthe stretch of coastline spanned by FAU is a nexus formany of the issues that confront the oceans and, tovarying degrees, coastal populations: climatechange, sea level rise, ocean acidification, pollution,and over fishing.

The exciting thing is that this also is where answers tothese questions are being developed. Harbor Branchand other FAU researchers are at work tapping thepower of the Florida Current to generate electricity,finding better ways to grow fish for food, using marineorganisms to find cures for diseases, and, as you willsee in this issue, understanding and protecting deepand shallow coral reefs.

So much brilliant and necessary work is happening atHarbor Branch, and I hope you enjoy reading aboutsome of it in these pages.

Margaret S. Leinen, Ph.D.

Eighteen undergraduate and graduatestudents from around the country have cometo Harbor Branch to participate in the 2011FAU Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program.The 10-week internships give participants achance to design, execute, analyze, andpresent the results of their own originalresearch under the mentorship of faculty fromFlorida Atlantic University’s Harbor BranchOceanographic Institute.

This year’s participants come from as far awayas Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, andPennsylvania, and three of the 18 are FAUstudents. Fields of exploration include aqua-culture, ocean technology, marine ecology,and marine biomedical research.

Now in its 38th year, the 2011 FAU HarborBranch Summer Intern Program runs from May23 through July 29. The Program is fundedprimarily through the generosity of the LinkFoundation, with the Gertrude E. SkellyCharitable Foundation providing the supportfor interns in marine biomedical research.

Summer 2011 Harbor Branch Link Interns. Back row (L to R): Amber Stubler, Mark Christian, Timothy Haines,

Ian MacLeod, Peter Cohen, Heather Dupuis,Caitlin Sablotsky, and Stewart Baskin.

Front row (L to R): Natalie Harrison, HannahKolb, Rene Machietto, Elizabeth Fahsbender,Emily Jensen, Jignasa Patel, Kiersten Miller,

and Emily Reynolds. Not shown: MaureenWilliams and Kelly Maers

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Intern Program Underway

Deep coral reefs, such asthis Lophelia discovered lastsummer by Harbor Branchresearchers in the Gulf ofMexico, provide essential

habitat for numerous organisms such as this crab.

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Corals Program Growth

L to R: Dr. Sara Edge, Dr. Joshua Voss, Dr. Dennis Hanisak,Stephanie Farrington, John Reed, Lisa Cohen, and Natalie Harrison

Show most people $1 million and they’ll startimagining things to buy. Show it to scientists,however, and their thoughts turn to the researchprograms they’ve been building in their minds.

In 1999, Bill and John Robertson of the Banbury Fundbecame interested in Harbor Branch. One of theirinterests was to foster coral reef research, due todeclines in coral reefs that were becoming apparentin the Florida Keys. Five years later, to memorialize theuntimely passing of John and his wife Andreija, theBanbury Fund pledged a $1 million unrestricted grantto establish the Robertson Coral Reef Research andConservation Program at Harbor Branch. Developedin collaboration with Research Professor DennisHanisak, Ph.D., the Robertson Program is dedicatedto understanding and preventing losses in shallow-

and deep-water coral communities that result fromboth natural and man-made causes.

The initial plan established two strategic tracks.The first focuses on deep coral research andconservation, and is led by Research Professor JohnReed. A pioneer in deep coral reef studies, Mr. Reedhas documented the changes that these reefs haveundergone over the past 26 years toward the goalof conservation. He has leveraged RobertsonProgram funds to study deep-water corals with 21funded grants since 2007. His deep-water coralsexpertise was instrumental in helping Harbor Branchwin the 2009 competition to host NOAA’sCooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration,Research and Technology.

(story continues on next page)

Strength Through ExpansionThe second track focuses on coral health anddisease and was initiated with the hire of two post-doctoral investigators in 2007 to utilize molecular toolsto assess coral health: Sara Edge, Ph.D., and JoshuaVoss, Ph.D. Attracted by the freedom to innovateusing molecular tools, the two established new areasof investigation and collaboration at Harbor Branch.Today, Dr. Edge and Dr. Voss are Assistant ResearchProfessors, each expanding their research. Theycredit the Robertson Program with providing theflexibility to pursue research that is both cutting edgeand promising.

Dr. Edge has used this latitude to apply her moleculardiagnostics work to other marine invertebrates, mostimmediately sponges, and is focused on developinganalytical capabilities that will enable otherresearchers in Florida to use advanced genomicstools to study marine systems. Dr. Voss has leveragedRobertson Program funds when applying for grants,something granting agencies like to see. He alsovalues the wherewithal provided by the RobertsonProgram to participate in large multi-institutional

research programs, such as this summer’s work in theFlower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary inthe Gulf of Mexico.

Robertson Program funds have also enabled theaddition of skilled positions, including BiologicalScientists Stephanie Farrington, a geographicinformation systems expert, and Lisa Cohen, amolecular biologist. Their expertise has significantlyincreased the productivity of the Program.

“The support of the Banbury Fund has beeninstrumental to building a world-class researchprogram and enabling a number of truly importantconservation initiatives,” says Dr. Hanisak. “Thesupport of the Robertsons is making a significantdifference: identifying and protecting previouslyunknown deepwater coral reefs, developing newways of assessing coral health, and fostering thedevelopment of new scientists who will devote theircareers to this important research.”

Dr. Joshua Voss and sub pilot Phil Santos just before the submersible hatch is shut and secured prior to their dive

John Reed and Dan Rowan carrying out fieldwork on a coral reef in the Florida Keys

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Diseased coral

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Ask Floridians how they beat the summer heat and invariably they’ll tell you about the time they spend onand/or in the water. Harbor Branch researchers are no exception, as shown by the following list of currentscientific and technological endeavors.

• June sea trials of two Deep Worker human-occupiedvehicles under the direction of Senior Engineer Lee Frey areplanned for just off Florida’s east coast near Fort Pierce inadvance of exploratory work in Australian waters later in theyear. The crew will dive the one-person submersibles nearsections of the deep-water Oculina coral reef, usingthe opportunity to obtain video documentation ofreef conditions.

• More tow tests of a new moored telemetry buoy, built forthe Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center(SNMREC) at FAU, will take place in June under the directionof Director of Marine Operations and SNMREC ChiefEngineer Bill Baxley, P.E., and SNMREC Executive DirectorSusan Skemp. The buoy will be used to report sea conditionsin the Gulf Stream, which SNMREC researchers plan to use forpower generation.

OCEAN TECHNOLOGY

AQUACULTURE• Research Associate Amber Garr and BiologicalScientist Helen Lopez are making research trips tothe Loxahatchee Impoundment LandscapeAssessment, an 80-acre model of the Evergladesecosystem located west of Delray Beach, tomonitor the egg production of apple snailsreleased by the researchers in March. Part of aneffort to conserve the Florida snail kite, anendangered bird that feeds almost exclusively onthe apple snail, this work is supported by theAquaculture Florida specialtylicense plate.

Immersions

Immersions

• Following up on May water sampling in the Sharkand the Caloosahatchee Rivers, ResearchProfessor Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., and his team willconduct shallow SCUBA and water columnsampling operations in the Florida Bay/SharkRiver/Everglades region as part of NASA-fundedresearch to track harmful algal blooms in the Gulfof Mexico.

• In June, Marine Mammal Research andConservation Program (MMRC) staff will conductthe two-week Health and Environmental RiskAssessment (HERA) field study in the Indian RiverLagoon near Titusville and Fort Pierce. Under thedirection of MMRC Program Manager and HERACollections Manager Steve McCulloch, theobjective is to safely capture, sample, and releaseapproximately 25 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.The data will be added to an extensive repositorycreated when HERA operations began in 2003.This work is supported by theProtect Wild Dolphins Floridaspecialty license plate.

• Assistant Research Professors Joshua Voss, Ph.D.,and Sara Edge, Ph.D., and Biological Scientist LisaCohen travel to the Mote Tropical Research Labon Summerland Key in June as part of BP-fundedwork to determine the susceptibility of differentcoral populations to disease, oil, and dispersants(see cover story).

• In August, Dr. Voss will serve as co-principalinvestigator on a NOAA-funded research cruise tothe Flower Garden Banks National MarineSanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico to characterizeshallow benthic habitat, coral health, and fishcommunities. The project is a continuation ofMay work aimed at similar characterization ofdeeper habitats.

• Research Professor John Reed will serve asco-chief scientist on a NOAA-funded researchcruise in early June that also will include BiologicalScientist Stephanie Farrington. With the help of aremotely operated vehicle, the South AtlanticDeep Coral Survey will map and sample deepcoral habitats off the coast of Florida andadjacent waters, primarily in an area known asthe Miami Terrace.

• NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Exploration,Research and Technology, headquartered atHarbor Branch under the direction of ResearchProfessor Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D., has a fullcalendar of summer field research projects inthe Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean,and Lake Huron. Missions include coral reefhealth assessment, invasive lionfish studies, andmarine archaeology.

MARINE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

OCEAN EXPLORATION

CIOERT

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On May 10th, nearly200 Harbor Branchsupporters joined FAUBoard of TrusteesChair Robert J. Stilleyand FAU PresidentMary Jane Saunders,PhD. to rededicatethe Edwin A. LinkBuilding on the HarborBranch campus, cap-ping off a $ 9.2 million

comprehensive renovation of the institute’s largestbuilding. Named for the inventor of flight simulationtechnology who, together with J. Seward Johnson, Sr.,developed Harbor Branch after his research intereststurned to ocean exploration, the 35-year old building wasvirtually gutted and re-engineered to maximize energyefficiency and flexibility. The renovations were designedfor compliance with U.S. Green Building Council LEEDGold level standards.

“This renovation is a virtual reinvention of a facility thatalways has been about innovation,” noted HarborBranch Executive Director Margaret Leinen, Ph.D. “Thebuilding that bears the Edwin A. Link name in many ways

is the heart of Harbor Branch, and to have it remade intothis outstanding facility is emblematic of the value thatFAU places on marine science and engineering. Ed wasa true pioneer, and this investment recognizes and buildson his singular legacy.”

L to R: Sister of Edwin Link and HBOI Foundation Board Member Emerita Marilyn Link, FAU President Mary JaneSaunders, FAU Trustees Robert J. Stilley and Dr. Jeffrey P. Feingold, HBOI Executive Director Margaret Leinen, and

medical doctor for Ed Link’s Man in Sea Program, ocean explorer, author, and lecturer Dr. Joseph MacInnis

Marilyn Link

HBOI Foundation Board member John Warner,Jennifer Johnson Duke, HBOI Foundation Board

Vice Chair Joe Duke, and HBOI Foundation Executive Director Janet Alford

EDWIN A. LINKBUILDING REDEDICATION

News

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LINK FOUNDATION RENEWSINTERNSHIPS SUPPORT

Link Foundation Chair Thomas F. Kelly

and Link Foundation special advisor Dr. Richard Murray

We are pleased to announce that the Link Foundation is continuing itssupport of the FAU Harbor Branch Summer Internship Program througha $48,000 grant to fund student stipends and other marine scienceeducation programs for summer 2011. This is the 38th year that theFoundation has supported this popular program for undergraduateand graduate internships in ocean engineering and marine science.

VOLUNTEER REUNIONATTRACTS MORE THAN 100More than 100 Harbor Branch volunteers dating back to the1980s were welcomed back to campus on April 15 for aspecial reunion event. While addressing the group,Executive Director Margaret Leinen, Ph.D., commendedHarbor Branch for developing a program that engagesvolunteers in research and outreach activities, and voicedher commitment to maintaining the program as a valuedpart of the organization. Friends of Harbor Branch ProgramAssistant Patti Gibbons welcomed the guests, and theFriends sponsored a social hour that featured photographsand other materials from past years. The event alsoincluded tours of the newly renovated Edwin A. Link Building.“This was a great opportunity to see old friends and thankour current volunteers,” said Gibbons. “We hope to havethem further engaged with the Friends of Harbor Branchand plan more of these events in the future.”

The Harbor Branch OceanographicInstitute Foundation is pleased toannounce the election of two new boardmembers: Richard M. Carnell, Jr., of VeroBeach and Dean Saunders of Lakeland,Florida.

Mr. Carnell is Senior Vice President/Directorand General Counsel of Bernard Egan andCompany, one of the largest independ-ently owned citrus marketers in the world,and the second largest citrus marketer inthe United States.

Mr. Saunders comes from a sixth-genera-tion Florida agricultural family and owns areal estate brokerage firm that specializesin land and conservation easements.

These gentlemen join fellow boardmembers James L. Seitz, Joe Duke, JohnMcConnell, Jr., William J. Stewart, C. AmosBussmann, Sherry Plymale, Pam Houghten,Michael D. Minton, Karl M. Steene, JohnWarner, FAU President Mary JaneSaunders, Ph.D., Marilyn C. Link (Emerita),and HBOI Executive Director MargaretLeinen, Ph.D. (Ex Officio).

Friends of Harbor Branch Program Assistant Patti Gibbons,former Harbor Branch receptionist Nancy Pascarelli

and former Harbor Branch employee and volunteer coordinator Pauline Crahan

NEW FOUNDATIONBOARD MEMBERSELECTED

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News

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News

PLANNED GIFTSFriends of Harbor Branch now have theability to complete planned giving programsthrough the FAU Foundation, which canprovide assistance in the construction oftrusts, wills, gift annuities, named beneficiaryprograms, and other options. Among theseveral planned gifts received during thepast year are those from Eleanor Sexton andBen Robinson, M.D., which will benefit theHarbor Branch Research DevelopmentFund. Printed information on planned givingis available through the Harbor BranchDevelopment Office, and a planned-givingseminar will be held in November. For moreinformation, call 772-466-9876.

The Friends of Harbor Branch is promoting acampaign for naming opportunitiesassociated with the new marine sciencebuilding. Scheduled to open this fall, this $22million, 40,000 sq. ft. research facility isdesigned to accommodate 18 laboratoriesand associated offices and meeting areas.Also part of the project is an expansive parkarea connecting the new structure, theEdwin A. Link Building, and the Harbor Branchchannel. The park space will consist of abrick paver area with tables and seating, alarge grass expanse, landscaping, and view-ing areas for manatees, dolphins, waterfowl,and other Harbor Branch fauna. Namedopportunities include $5,000 for landscapedarea, $2,500 for seating area, $1,000 for abench/seat, and $500 for inclusion on anamed recognition display. Multiple giftsmay be accepted for naming areas.Additional opportunities within the new build-ing are available, and may be structured aspart of permanent endowments or researchprograms. For more information, visithttp://fauf.fau.edu/friendspark or call 772-466-9876.

FRIENDS FOR THEPARK CAMPAIGN

SENIOR CLASSGRADUATES

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Harbor Branch has long been aninspirational place to launch amarine science career, butwhat about the young peoplewho have yet to choose a col-lege major? Since August 2007,Harbor Branch has been hometo Westwood High School’sMarine and OceanographicAcademy (MOA), a magnetschool with a diverse studentbody from across the St. LucieCounty School District. MOA’sfirst senior class has just graduat-ed. The school, formed througha partnership between HarborBranch and the school district,infuses a marine and oceano-graphic focus into the core highschool curriculum. For the firsttwo years, classes were held inportable trailers, Harbor Branchteaching laboratories, and avariety of makeshift spaces.

“The close-knit atmosphere hasbeen there from the verybeginning,” observed MOAmath teacher Robert Ayres.“There were no custodians,bells, or intercoms, so thestudents handled everything asa family -- cleaning up afterthemselves, taking out thegarbage -- and formed a realsense of belonging to theirschool and to Harbor Branch.”

In 2009, MOA moved into newaccommodations at the northend of campus, and althoughthe facilities have beenupgraded, the same sense ofcommunity remains. SeniorClaudia Jean notes, “MOA is asmall learning community whereeveryone knows each other,and it brings out a strongersense of family not found atother high schools.”

THE EXPOSURE TOHARBOR BRANCH SCIENTISTS

AND EDUCATORS HAS TAUGHT METO LOVE LEARNING

NEW THINGS. _ VICTORIA HERRICK, GRADUATING MOA SENIOR

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FIRSTEVERFIRSTEVER

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Claudia, who will study international business atthe University of Pennsylvania on full scholarship,was the top-ranked student in both the MOAprogram and Westwood High. In fact, seven ofthe top 10 Westwood 2011 seniors areMOA students.

MOA integrates ocean literacy into a high-schooleducation. The unique Harbor Branchenvironment allows MOA faculty and students tolearn about oceanography and marine scienceat a working oceanographic research institution.Harbor Branch scientists and educators provide20% of the scientific programming, and manystudents cite the hands-on laboratory and fieldactivities as a highlight. MOA instructors agree,noting that students develop a true knowledgeand respect for their local marine environmentsthrough these experiences.

Harbor Branch educator Tracy Griffin is quick topoint out that MOA’s success is a team effort.“After working with the students and teachers, yourealize that they’re the ones who set their schoolapart by all the things they do. Teachers go aboveand beyond to ensure the success of eachstudent, providing them with activities inside andoutside the classroom to really inspire andmotivate them.”

Six of the graduates have been accepted toFlorida Atlantic University for the fall term. One of

these, Moriiha Henderson, has been awarded an$8,000 scholarship to the Harriett L. Wilkes HonorsCollege, where she plans to major in marinescience. Asked if she would recommend the MOAprogram to future high school students, sheaffirmed, saying, “If you love the ocean andscience, there really isn’t a better program to be apart of.”

Two weeks before the official graduation, seniorsand their families and teachers came together fora “MOA Senior Night” to celebrate the successand accomplishments of the inaugural MOAclass. Reflections shared by students, teachers,parents, St. Lucie County Schools SuperintendantMichael Lannon and Assistant SuperintendentOwen Roberts, Ph.D., and inspirational remarksfrom FAU Harbor Branch Executive DirectorMargaret Leinen, Ph.D., were among the highlightsof a memorable and emotional program.

Research Professor Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D., who hasled the Harbor Branch portion of this partnershipsince MOA’s conception, says, “We are lucky tohave a school board in St. Lucie County that issupporting some very innovative educationinitiatives, such as MOA. It is wonderful to see ourpioneering group of students graduating after fouryears, which flew by! I am sure that students in thisfirst graduating class will do well in their futureacademic endeavors and that they will alwaysremember their four years at Harbor Branch.”

THE EXPERIENCE HEREIS UNLIKE ANY OTHER.

_ ROBERT BOURNE, GRADUATING MOA SENIOR

BEING INTRODUCED TO REAL SCIENTISTSHAS ENHANCED MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

BY PROVIDING ROLE MODELSTHAT INSPIRE ME TO LEARN.

_ SAMANTHA BOLDUC, GRADUATING MOA SENIOR

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5600 US1 NorthFort Pierce, FL 34946

Florida Atlantic University, a member of Florida’s StateUniversity System, was established by legislative act in1961. in addition to its original 850-acre campus in BocaRaton, FAU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Davie,Dania Beach, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce. Fullyaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools, FAU is currently servicing 28,000 regularly enrolled,degree-seeking students through its 10 colleges.

FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is dedicatedto exploring the world’s oceans--integrating the scienceand technology of the sea with the needs of humankind.Harbor Branch is involved in research and education in themarine sciences; biological, chemical, and environmentalsciences; marine biomedical sciences; marine mammalconservation; aquaculture; and ocean engineering.

Gift Shop and Friends of Harbor Branch program office located on site.Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Phone: 772-242-2293 • For group tours, please call 772-242-2417 for scheduling.

Harbor BranchFlorida specialty license platessupport research, conservation,

and education.Visit hboi.fau.edu for details.

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You can help fund dolphin researchby sponsoring a dolphin researchpublic information sign, with proceedsbenefiting marine mammal researchprograms at Harbor Branch. The signsgive information about bottlenosedolphins to promote public awarenessfor dolphin health and safety. Each2’ x 3’ sign can be placed outdoorsposted at a dock, or indoors, andinstallation can be funded for anadditional charge. Sponsors of $1,000or more will be recognized by name or

logo. “Our first placements will be nearthe Indian River Lagoon, but we cancustomize the message to any dolphinhabitat,” said Marine MammalResearch and Conservation ProgramManager Steve McCulloch. “Weencourage our friends in communitiesalong the Indian River Lagoon tobecome sign sponsors and promotethe dolphin message.” For more infor-mation, contact the Harbor BranchDevelopment Office at 772-466-9876 orjmalford@hboifoundation.org.

SHOW A SIGN OF SUPPORT!

Ocean DiscoveryCenter!