Check out the new video released by the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbons in the Environment (CARTHE)! It highlights the team’s exciting field work at sea and computer modeling efforts. The video can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/64470122
L-R: SGT Jon Lopez, SGT Ken Severin, Dr. Roni Avissar, Rose Mann, Raul Mas, Susan Gerrish and SSGT Shelby Bixler.
RSMAS received members of the US Army Parachute Team, the famed “Golden Knights”, on Virginia Key where they thanked Dean Roni Avissar and other staff and faculty members for their hospitality. The Rosenstiel School hosted the Golden Knights on a picnic and shark tagging experience at the Broad Key Research Station in February. The event allowed the team to take a well-deserved break from their rigorous training schedule at Homestead Air Reserve Base. In fact, one Golden Knights team member showed up at Broad Key on crutches, not wanting to miss the opportunity to enjoy some sun, sand, surf (and sharks!)
SSGT Shelby Bixler presented Avissar and others with colorful lithographs showing the team executing a wide variety of aerial maneuvers including free-fall formations and canopy relative work. She read a message from Golden Knights Commander LTC Jose Enrique Meléndez and thanked those assembled saying that “as soldiers we’re used to serving and doing so without the expectation of reward; we were humbled by your act of kindness and wanted to say thank you for treating us like family.”
Avissar accepted his gift and thanked the Golden Knights for their military service noting that “we owe our soldiers our appreciation and anything that RSMAS has done pales in comparison to the service you provide to us.”
The Golden Knights have been in existence since 1959. They travel the US and the world doing air show demonstrations, parachuting into stadiums, participating in national and international competitions and performing tandem parachute jumps with distinguished guests such as former President George H.W. Bush. They are the face of the US Army and proudly represent the more than one million soldiers that make up its ranks. http://armygk.armylive.dodlive.mil/
‘Golden Knights’ SSGT Shelby Bixler, SGT Jon Lopez and SGT Ken Severin took a tour of the University of Miami’s research vessel, the F.G. Walton Smith with Captain Shawn Lake.
The Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science and the Ocean Research and Education Foundation have teamed up once again to host distinguished scientists and explorers as part of the 2013 Sea Secrets lecture series. The events are free and open to the public. Programs take place in the Rosenstiel School Auditorium, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway on Virginia Key, Fla. beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the lecture at 6:00 p.m.
The mysterious rock megaliths off the island of Bimini in The Bahamas have interested geologists and New Age thinkers for more than 50 years. Some believe the stones are remnants of the lost city of Atlantis, while geologist have alternative ideas. Geologist Gene Shinn has been involved in the heated controversy over these megaliths since the 1970s when he headed up the US Geological Survey field station on Fisher Island. Gene majored in biology on a music scholarship at the University of Miami, while at the same time becoming a national spearfishing champion, underwater-explosives expert and photographer. His dynamic presentation will illustrate why New Agers feel so strongly about the megaliths origin. The adventure is also described in his upcoming memoir, Bootstrap Geologist.
Plunge into marine science with comedian Brian Malow. From coral reefs to the Marianas Trench, plankton to whales, photosynthesis to climate change, he will discover the lighter side and bring it to the surface. Malow has been featured in Nature, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and in programs such as The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and NPR’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow. He has also performed to rave reviews for NASA, JPL, NIST, NSF, AAAS – and many other acronyms. He creates science videos for Time Magazine’s website and is a contributor to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s radio show. Currently working in science communications at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Malow is widely acclaimed for his workshops and presentations which help train scientists to become better speakers.
Considered by many to be the planet’s final frontier for exploration, the deep sea is home to a wealth of mineral, oil and gas deposits that mankind’s ever- increasing population will need in the future. Biologist Chuck Fisher has been studying the communities that live around natural oil and gas seeps in the deep Gulf of Mexico, and those that live on deep sea hydrothermal vents since their discovery about 30 years ago. This pioneer in the field is an expert on the amazing evolutionary adaptations of giant tubeworms and other strange animals to the extreme, often toxic environments of undersea volcanoes and oil seeps. With the first deep sea mining of hydrothermal vents scheduled for 2013, and drilling in the Gulf moving into deeper and deeper water, much of Fisher’s research is now addressing the ecology of these poorly known communities and their resiliency to human impacts.
We need to tap all of our creative talents to help conserve our vital ocean resources. With this in mind, National Geographic Explorer, Tierney Thys, works closely with photographers, dancers, filmmakers, gamers and other artists to help infuse quality science and conservation messaging into their work. In addition to conducting her own research on the giant ocean sunfish Mola mola, this scientist and ocean conservationist is: the writer/ producer for Stories from the Sea–an award-winning TEDed web series; the lead science advisor for the renowned dance troupe, Capacitor’s, Okeanos Project and; Daily Explorer in AnimalJam.com, an online world for 6-9 year olds with 6 million registered players. She served as Director of Research for the acclaimed Strange Days on Planet Earth PBS documentary series on global environmental change. In this media rich presentation, this TED braintrust member will present examples of what has and hasn’t worked, and discuss the value of reaching both the heart and mind to move conservation issues forward.
Winners of the University of Miami’s 2013 Underwater Photography Contest will be announced after the lecture and winning images will be on display at the Rosenstiel School library.
Gases, cloud droplets and dust exist all around us. This often-invisible ‘stuff’ in the atmosphere plays a major role in driving changes to our climate. The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, for example, has a well-known warming effect on the climate and will continue to raise the planet’s temperature for the foreseeable future. Cloud and dust particles reflect and absorb radiation, which can alter the rate of climate change, but there are large uncertainties in how dust and clouds will change in the future. The implications are global, but they can have major consequences for life here in South Florida by affecting how fast the sea level rises. Award-winning climate scientist Dr. Amy Clement will discuss the current state-of-the-art science that is focused on studying these gases and particles, how we detect them and most importantly, how we can evaluate their impacts.
NOTE: This year the series will offer attendees the opportunity to become a Sea Secrets VIP when they reserve a seat for the entire season. $500 for two seats or $300 for one seat will guarantee premium seating, plus a personalized plaque on an auditorium seat and a VIP dinner. Donations go toward the renovation of the Auditorium and are tax-deductible. For more information, please contact Susan Gerrish at sgerrish@rsmas.miami.edu.
Sea Secrets is sponsored by The Shepard Broad Foundation, The Charles N. and Eleanor Knight Leigh Foundation and Southern Wine & Spirits, and organized by UM Professor Emeritus Robert N. Ginsburg.
On Wednesday, January 9 more than 200 construction crew members attended a ceremony to celebrate the ‘Topping Off’ of the Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Complex on the campus of UM’s Rosenstiel School. The ceremony is a builder’s tradition that marks when the last beam is placed at the top of a building. Speakers at the event included Mr. Dagoberto Diaz and Mr. Rex Kirby of Suffolk Construction; Dr. Michael Schmale of the University of Miami; and Chief Architect Peter Sollogub of Cambridge Seven Associates.
Dean Avissar and co-PI’s Mike Schmale and Brian Haus were among those who signed the beam which was hoisted into place after lunch. The beam was deposited next to an evergreen tree placed upon the structure to bring growth and good luck. Workers were also treated to a raffle with gifts from Gerdau – Tampa Reinforcing Steel, Lotspeich Company, Inc., Meisner Electric, Inc., Maxim Crane, Sun Belt Rental, J & J Caulking and the UM.
The new complex is located amid the thriving science community on Virginia Key, Fla. Funded in part through a $15 million U.S. Department of Commerce American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant awarded by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the project will be completed in late 2013.
The Surge-Structure-Atmosphere Interaction (SUSTAIN) research laboratory occupying one of the two buildings will be the only facility in the world with a wind-wave-storm surge simulator capable of generating Category 5 hurricane force winds in a 3D environment. The 28,000 gallons of filtered seawater pumped into the building will allow scientists to directly observe and quantify critical storm factors such as sea spray and momentum transfers across the ocean’s surface in extreme wind conditions. A sophisticated wave generator will enable simulation of realistic storm surge impacts.
The Marine Life Sciences Center, occupying the other building, will provide a dedicated space for maintaining and studying living marine animals including fish, corals and sea hares. Coral reef research will focus on helping to assess and measure the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on critical reef-building processes. Scientists will also conduct fisheries and biological oceanography research to generate models of the biological and physical processes that affect the distribution of marine organisms. They will also study the impacts of environmental toxicants including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and toxins on fishes and invertebrates, and use marine genomics to better understand how gene expression changes in marine populations chronically exposed to pollution.
RSMAS Professor Lisa Beal was in Cape Town, South Africa in Oct. 2012 for the AGU Chapman Conference on the Greater Agulhas System. The conference was the first of its kind on the African continent and the first conference wholly dedicated to the Agulhas System, which has recently been suggested to play an important role in global climate change (Beal et al., Nature, 2011).
It has been a long grueling season for you Fantasy Football owners. The roller coaster ride of emotions has been full with moments of joy, confusion (anyone owning C.J. Spiller or Jamaal Charles) and bewilderment (Seahawks vs. Packers). Now it is playoff time – Winners move on, losers pack their bags and empty their wallets. But this had us thinking. What would the ultimate Fantasy Football roster look like? And what if this hypothetical roster was composed of sea life? So, in spirit of Fantasy Football playoffs, here is our Pro Bowl roster. Good luck!
Quarterback – Octopus: It makes sense to put a cephalopod with 8 arms behind center. Honestly, who else would you want as your field general? Not to mention, the Octopus is highly intelligent and capable of making those crucial decisions. The Octopus is also able to camouflage himself as a defensive mechanism.
Running ba
ck – Tiger Shark: This is our top point getter – think Arian Foster. This top predator is going to rack up tons of points and eat everything in sight. Sharks are the police of the ocean. If it’s 4th and goal, you are handing it off to the Tiger Shark.
Running back – Mahi-Mahi: Flashy, quick, and strong. Mahi grow quickly and are always ready for a good fight. Their acrobatic moves and ability to change color make them a top pick for any good fantasy team.
Wide Receiver – Sea Otter: Think Julio Jones here. The sea otter is one of the only marine animals that can use his hands, is quick and reliable. The otter is very popular and is going to give you lots of points on a weekly basis.
Wide Receiver – Sailfish: Every team needs a player like AJ Green. Fast, explosive and has a deep threat potential. The Sailfish is arguably the fastest and most aggressive fish out there, and eats smaller fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Chalk up 6, because the Sailfish is going deep!
Tight End – Humpback Whale: Does Rob Gronkowski ring a bell? Much like Gronk, the Humpback Whale is multi-talented. It can block, dive, breach, swim long distances or stay in the same area (Hawaii breeding grounds). The Humpback Whale is our go-to passing option in the red zone.
Kicke
r – Dolphin: Can you think of a better option here? The Rosenstiel School is in Miami, we have the Dolphins, and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to reference Ray Finkle in a blog post. Ace Ventura aside, the Dolphin is a highly charismatic mega fauna, and can score you lots of points if need be. Don’t worry, pressure doesn’t get to ol’ Snowflake during that last second 50 yard field goal for the win.
Defense – School of Blue Fin Tuna: The Chicago Bears defense has had a great fantasy season. Much like the Bears, the Bluefin Tuna are big, fast and it’s hard not to appreciate them. You can’t go wrong with the Bluefin Tuna.
Check out our FantaSEA team in action!
So what sea creatures would YOU have on your FantaSEA team? Think you can beat us? Write a comment below and let us know who you would have picked and why?
Brought to you by Andrew DeChellis & Laura Bracken; Drawings by Kyra Hartog; Animation by Lizzie Bracken. Special thanks to Austin Gallagher and Peter Chaibongsai for their invaluable assistance.