FantaSEA Football Furor Takes Over UMiami Rosenstiel School

Posted on December 13, 2012 by RSMAS

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 back – 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 4^th 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.

Kicker – 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.

RSMAS Science Highlights of 2011

Posted on December 29, 2011 by RSMAS

RSMAS was a busy place for cutting-edge science this year. Here’s a look back at the top research studies that made headlines in 2011 and the latest science and education from Virginia Key and beyond.

Dr. Neil Hammerschlag’s study of one hammerhead shark’s lone journey to New Jersey made headlines in early 2011 as did Dr. Lisa Beal’s ongoing research on the Agulhas Current and its link to global change change.

Coral reefs made news this year, including from a newly published study by Dr. Diego Lirman that showed Florida’s reefs cannot endure a ‘cold snap’ and from a study of Papua New Guinea reefs by Dr. Chris Langdon that suggests ocean acidification may reduce reef diversity.

Before the year closed, Dr. Shimon Wdowinski presented a new study at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco that showed tropical cyclones could trigger earthquakes.

RSMAS scientists and student were part of many new and ongoing research expeditions. Researchers and students from RSMAS joined an international team on a six-month field campaign in the Indian Ocean, known as DYNAMO. They are studying how tropical weather brews over the region and moves eastward along the equator, with reverberating effects around the entire globe. Follow the ongoing work from the scientists.

Meanwhile, it was a busy end of the year for Lisa Beal and her research team who embarked on a month-long expedition to the waters off of South Africa to understand how one of the world’s strongest ocean currents – the Agulhas Current – is both affected by climate change and also has an effect on climate change.

On the academic side of RSMAS life, the Masters of Professional Science program was in full swing this year and the newly acquired Broad Key Research Station welcomed its first cohort of students to study the coral reef ecosystems of the Florida Keys. Finally, joint degrees in law and marine affairs was launched at UM to provide students with a unique educational opportunity to tackle environmental issues.

As 2011 comes to a close, RSMAS faculty, researchers and students are looking forward to another busy and exciting year in 2012 filled with new scientific discoveries and educational opportunities.

Tell us about your research plans for 2012.

One Tiny Fish’s Struggle for Survival

Posted on December 13, 2011 by RSMAS

The most important fish in the sea is facing an uphill battle for survival.

The Atlantic menhaden—a type of herring—is highly sought after by both fish and fisherman. Menhaden, also known as “bunker” or “pogy” to many anglers, is being fished at unsustainable rates and its population has plunged down below 10 percent of historic levels.

RSMAS Marine Biology & Fisheries Professor Jerry Ault is worried about these little plankton-eating fish and the ripple effect their dwindling numbers could send through the entire U.S. Atlantic coast marine ecosystem.

The coastal migration of menhaden schools intersects with the movements—and stomachs—of many larger and more highly valued predators. In Florida, the “Silver King” (Atlantic tarpon), king mackerel, sharks, cobia, and birds like brown pelicans, bald eagles, and ospreys, as well as Royal and Sandwich terns all rely upon these tiny fish to fuel their migrations.

“Wherever they travel, Atlantic menhaden feed on plankton, converting it into fatty, high-nutrient tissue that larger fish then readily consume to fuel their own migrations,” Ault explains. “All of these larger fish need the rich menhaden flesh for sustenance and reproductive power.”

In Chesapeake Bay, they are the primary diet for striped bass, bluefish and weakfish. As they head south for the winter, they cross paths with Atlantic tarpon off the Florida coast. When they head north again in late spring and summer, as far as the waters off Cape Cod, they become prey to bluefin tuna as well as many other ocean giants.

“If allowed to continue unchecked, the unsustainable fishing of menhaden could create a domino effect that cascades throughout east coast fisheries, potentially forcing the collapse of not only this fishery, but also other economically critical fisheries,” says Ault.

More of these tiny fish are caught per ton than any other fish on the East Coast, all for their rich, nutritious meat. Hundreds of millions of menhaden are hauled in annually, ground up, and reduced to fish meal and oil for human dietary supplements, such as like omega-3 fatty acid pills or processed into pet foods, fertilizers, and feed for agricultural animals, as well as farm-raised fish.

During a critical meeting in November, Ault urged the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the inter-governmental body that manages the fishery and sets fishing levels, to support the science to better protect the small but mighty fish that plays a vital role in keeping our oceans healthy.

In an overwhelming vote of 14 to 3, the commission took the first step by agreeing to reduce harvest of Atlantic menhaden by 37 percent compared to 2010 levels.

“The action by the commission sets limits on the fishery and with the new reference points they adopted over the next few years the amount of menhaden left in the ocean will quadruple,” said Ault.

Watch this video to learn more about Ault’s fisheries research in the Dry Tortugas.

–Annie Reisewitz
Follow Annie on Twitter @annelore

Oyster stuffing and other Thanksgiving traditions

Posted on November 22, 2011 by RSMAS

When you think of Thanksgiving dinner does turkey and green bean casserole or oysters and shrimp cocktail come to mind? What you may not realize is that early celebrations to give thanks for a bountiful harvest included oysters and seafood among its traditional dishes. Today, oyster stuffing, shrimp cocktail, crab and even smoked fish dip still have a place alongside (or inside) the traditional turkey and green beans on many dinner tables.

If your Thanksgiving menu includes seafood this year, choose sustainably. There are several free sustainable seafood guides that can become your personal shopping assistant. The most popular, Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch Guide, is available as a smart phone app as is the Blue Ocean Institute’s FishPhone. Another reference guide is NOAA’s FishWatch Facts, which also provides information on the national standards that goes into sustainable seafood assessments.

What determines a fish’s sustainability is a complex formula that takes into account, among other things, current fish population levels and how effective management measures are in preventing overfishing and population declines. This assessment starts with good science.

Lucky for us, much of this good science is being done here at RSMAS. There are many RSMAS scientists working to collect the fishery population data and management that can be used to determine sustainability assessments.

If you want to learn more about how the science collection process works, check out the research being done by Dr. Jerry Ault and team in the Fisheries Ecosystem Modeling and Assessment Research (FEMAR) group and researchers studying fishery management, fish population dynamics and aquaculture.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

– Annie Reisewitz

Follow Annie on Twitter @annelore

Make a Splash with Ocean Kids!

Posted on November 18, 2011 by RSMAS

200 elementary school students will be given a “passport” at the University of Miami green this Saturday, November 19th, in order to begin their expedition through 15 marine science themed stations. Before they begin their journey, the University of Miami’s President, Dr. Donna E. Shalala, will kick off the event at the opening ceremony. Afterwards, Dr. Roni Avissar, Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science will give some inspirational words to the young explorers, along with the speaker Danni Washington, a Rosentstiel School alumnus and founder of The Big Blue & You Foundation. In order to get these kids ready for an experience including adventure and learning, Washington will start with some stretches to get them excited and energy levels high.

Once all of the kids are wound up, a rotation begins where every child visits each marine science themed station for approximately 10 minutes which also includes a Caribbean or Latin American country incorporated into the learning materials. One of the favorite stations at the annual event is the squid dissection, where kids use their hands (of course, with gloves on) and delve into the squid’s anatomy with help from station educators. Some other special stations include: “The Hunted Hunters”-Shark Conservation in Cuba, “Marine Mammal Rescue”-Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation in Venezuela, and “Category 5”-Hurricane Preparedness and Awareness in Belize. After every station visit, the kids are given a flag sticker to stamp onto their “passport.” These kids will leave the event with a passion for environmental awareness, along with a sense of accomplishment. So that they aren’t too revved up on their trip home, we make sure to end the event with the annual dance competition and some ocean and conservation trivia to remind the kids about everything they learned.

Ocean Kids is free of charge for the invited elementary schools but is not open to the public or to additional elementary schools. To learn more about F.I.N.SEA Foundation, Ocean Kids, or how to get involved in future events, please visit the website.

- Melanie Jackson

Follow Ocean Kids on Twitter: @OceanKidsFINsea

Can Corals Adapt to a Warming World?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by RSMAS

In the Coral Reef Conservation Research Lab at RSMAS we are conducting experiments on coral bleaching and recovery. Coral bleaching is the breakdown of the relationship between corals and the symbiotic algae that live inside their tissues and provide them with energy through photosynthesis. As the corals lose the algae they also lose their color, hence the term, ‘bleaching.’

In our study, over 600 small coral ‘cores’ were drilled out of larger coral colonies and then experimentally ‘bleached’ by exposure to seawater at 32°C. The different coral cores were bleached to different levels of severity to simulate mild and severe bleaching events in nature.

The corals were then allowed to recover at two different cooler temperatures (24°C and 29°C) for several months, where they regained their algae and their color. As corals recovered, the photosynthetic performance and density of their symbiotic algae was monitored in order to see how both bleaching severity and recovery temperature might affect the speed of recovery, and the types of symbiotic algae they recover with. Some of the corals recovered after the first bleaching experiment with different kinds of symbiotic algae known to be more tolerant to high heat. Now they are being exposed to high heat again to observe how past bleaching history and changes in symbiont communities affect bleaching sensitivity.

– Ross Cunning, RSMAS graduate student

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