REUfest

Hello…my name is Molly Mikan and I am an undergraduate student in the Biology Department at the University of Colorado, Denver.  I have come to the Marine Science Institute as an REU student to learn about biology in a new ecosystem – the bays and estuaries of southern Texas.  I am lucky to be working in Dr. Ken Dunton’s lab along with a very active and supportive group of people.  My project is a small part of a long-term seagrass monitoring program that will eventually encompass all of the Texas coast. 

I am looking at a number of parameters within three out of the five ecological seagrass regions over the next several weeks.  More specifically, I am collecting tissue samples to measure carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N) and to conduct stable isotope analyses to determine the origin of nitrogen sources.  Also, I am measuring chlorophyll concentrations in the water column and epiphytic biomass on seagrass blades, along with light environment conditions in seagrass beds. Using vegetative samples from 10-20 years ago will be useful for observing changes in C:N ratios over that time period.  Analysis of this data will be used to further identify community characteristics based on light availability and requirements, as well as nutrient ratios within the ecological regions.  The information gathered from this research project will hopefully aid in conservation efforts into the future for the unique and dynamic seagrass communities of coastal Texas.

Charlotte Heron

Hi everyone!  My name is Charlotte Heron, and I am a student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. This summer and fall I will be working with Dr. Pablo Munguia studying benthic community ecology and the mechanisms that drive biodiversitySpecifically, I will be creating metacommunities that have different types of habitat heterogeneity between patches, based of age of the community, and biotic structure of the community, and watching the changes that take place in species compisition through time. There will be lots of boat trips to the surrounding bays to anchor PVC into the mud to give these marine invertebrates a hard substrate on which to build their communities. Hopefully, there will be a visible difference between the effects of age heterogeneity and structural herterogeneity, so that there can be a better basis for building models of biodiversity that include not just habitat heterogeneity as one factor, but possibly as many seperate factors, giving us a more precise way to monitor biodiversity in ecosystems.

Becca Pizano

Hey all!  I’m Becca Pizano.  I’m an Animal Biology major from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.  This summer I’m studying with Dr. Pablo Munguia, an assistant professor at UTMSI.  We’ll be doing behavioral studies on a possible invasive crab species, Petrolisthes armatus, aka- the Green Porcelain Crab (I say “possible” because it is debateable among the science community whether or not this species is an invasive species or native to the Gulf of Mexico).  Very little has been done to study them in the Gulf of Mexio but these crabs have been found in VERY high densities (as high as 16,000 individuals per meter square) along the coast of the Eastern US and at wide salinity ranges; one of the behavioral studies we’ll be conducting is obsverving their feeding behavior at different densities to see if these flourishing numbers are adversely affecting them.  We’ll also be observing their feeding behaviors at different salinities, prey numbers, and temperature levels.  With regards to salinity levels, we assume they may spend less time foraging and moving around while salinity levels are set very low or very high; this assumption is based on the fact that, at these extreme levels, they may be expending much energy on osmoregulation and less on feeding and moving.  Observing their preferred ranges on salinity and temperature will help understand their ability to adapt and invade areas.  Wide ranges of both may be what helps them become such successful invaders.

July Enriquez

HELLO!!!My name is July Enriquez, I am Chemistry major from UTB-TSC. This summer, I will be working with Dr. Min, an assistant professor at Marine Sciences Institute. I’m doing a research about The Distribution of fluoride concentrations in freshwater and seawater of the south Texas bays and near shore Gulf of Mexico region as an indicator of mixing behavior and potential pollution of marine environment. My purpose is identify High concentrations of fluoride in any south Texas bay , river or Gulf of México to make comparisons  between their levels of fluorides , identify main sources of possible pollution and to answer several questions concerning the distribution of fluorides in South Texas Bays, Gulf of Mexico, and Rivers such as What are the distribution and mixing behavior of dissolved fluoride in south Texas bays and near  shore Gulf of Mexico?, What factors may contribute to the development of high concentrations of fluoride in these local environments? Can high concentrations of fluoride be an indicator of pollution in estuarine and sea water?. I will use analytical methods such as Colorimetric and spectrophotometer to determine and quantify concentrations of fluorides in water. I expect to find High Concentrations of halides in these Local environments!!!