Students grow bacteria gardens

Often students grow vegetable gardens for a science project, but some local students took on an entirely different task. They grew bacteria cultures. It was one of several educational activities at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography’s annual open house — Skidaway Marine Science Day — on Saturday, October 10.

The bacteria project was the brainchild of Skidaway Institute scientist Marc Frischer and student assistant LaGina Frazier.

Marc Frischer (right) and LaGina Frazier at their Skidaway Marine Science Day exhibit

“Microbes get a bad rap,” said Frazier, who is also a biology student at Savannah State University. “We wanted to show the students that bacteria are all around them, and most bacteria are beneficial.”

Visitors to the Frischer lab exhibit at Skidaway Marine Science Day were given a cotton swab and told to wipe it anything they wanted to collect some bacteria. A total of 98 students participated. They roamed the campus, swabbing plants, trees, buildings and each other.

After a quick demonstration, Frazier and the Frischer lab volunteers let the students “streak” (spread) their sample onto a culture dish. Each dish had an ID number which was given to the student. Following the collection, Frazier grew the bacteria cultures in Skidaway Institute’s microbiology lab. After a week, the cultures were photographed and posted on Skidaway Institute’s Web site. The participants used their ID number to view their dish and compare their results with the other participants.

One student's fast-growing bacteria culture

“The great thing about using our Web site is the students don’t have to come back out here to see the results of their exercise,” said Frazier. “They can see the results of their microbe collection by visiting our Web site.”

Frazier said she could tell the students obtained a wide variety of different microbes just from a visual inspection. There are no plans to test the cultures any further and specifically indentify each one.

“We hope this exercise taught the students a little about a part of their world they can’t usually see with the naked eye,” said Frazier. “Maybe some of them may be inspired to study science seriously as they advance in school.”

The results of the project can be seen here.

Skidaway campus open house a success!

We had a great open house on Saturday. Close to 2,000 braved the 88 degree heat and threatening rain to visit the campus  for Skidaway Marine Science Day.

The event featured exhibits, programs and activities sponsored by the campus partners, including the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the University of Georgia (UGA)Marine Extension Service Aquarium, the UGA Marine Extension Service Shellfish Laboratory, the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and WSVH Georgia Public Radio.

This year, a number of outside environmental organizations also participated.

Below is a sample of some of our photos. Look here to see the entire collection.

Visitors build their model plankto for the Plankton Sink Off Race

Tours of the Research Vessel Savannah are always popular.

Young visitors get up close and personal with marine life at the Aquarium touch tanks.

The horseshoe crabs attracted interest.

Skidaway Institute scientists, like Clark Alexander shown here, explained their research to visitors.

"Put 'em to work!" Young visitors bag oyster shells for future use restoring an oyster reef.

Plankton World was busy all afternoon.

Skidaway Institute receives research grant to study ocean currents

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography professor Dana Savidge has been awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation for $207,450 to study ocean currents called Langmuir Supercells.

Langmuir circulation cells occur during strong winds and waves, and appear as long lines of bubbles or floating material aligned with the wind on the ocean surface.

“These lines are the surface expression of currents beneath the surface,” said Savidge. “The Langmuir cells are like huge counter-rotating jelly-rolls, aligned longways with the wind, with currents spiraling from the ocean surface into the deep and back up, while also moving downwind.”

Savidge has been observing Langmuir circulation on the Georgia shelf using a custom built acoustic Doppler profiler, which uses sound waves to monitor the movement of the ocean water. When Langmuir cells reach the sea floor, the so-called ‘supercells’ can pick up sediment and organic material, transport it high up into the water and carry it long distances horizontally. While Langmuir currents have been studied for years, they have only recently been observed reaching the sea floor.

“Our measurements suggest this process may affect sediments all across Georgia’s shelf, from the shallow near-shore environments out to the shelf edge in 50 meters of water,” Savidge said.

Savidge will use the new grant to define how these cells interact with strong tides and surface heating in Georgia’s ocean waters. She will be working closely with scientists and computer modelers from Old Dominion University (Virginia) and the University of South Florida to develop ways of including these turbulent processes in models used to predict ocean circulation and horizontal transport of the material it contains.

Skidaway Marine Science Day Schedule

Saturday, October 10

Noon-4 p.m.

CONTINUOUS ACTIVITIES NOON-4 PM

• University of Georgia Aquarium Open – Free Admission
• Invertebrates Up-close (Aquarium Invertebrate Lab,)
• What is really in our water? (Aquarium Phytoplankton Lab)
• Tours of Sea Dawg (Aquarium Dock)
• Touch Tanks (Aquarium)
• Marine Animal Touch Tanks (Aquarium K-4 Classroom)
• Science Exhibits (Skidaway Institute Quad)
• Environmental Group Exhibits (Skidaway Institute Quad)
• Small Boat Display (Skidaway Institute Quad)
• Tours of Research Vessel Savannah (North Dock)
• Plankton World (Roebling House)
• Build a Plankton (Roebling House)
• Gray’s Reef ROV Activity (Roebling House Pool)
• Oyster Reef Restoration Displays and Activities (Shellfish Lab Patio)
• WSVH Georgia Public Radio – Open

SCHEDULED PROGRAMS

12:20-12:50 p.m. — Horseshoe Crabs the Living Fossil — In this hands-on program Dodie Sanders will demonstrate how to “read” and interpret the exoskeleton of a horseshoe crab (Aquarium Lecture Hall)

12:30-1:15 p.m. — Reptile Show with John “Crawfish” Crawford (Cafeteria porch, next to Aquarium)

12:30 p.m. – Plankton Sink-Off Preliminary Round (Roebling House)

1:00-2:00 p.m. – Science Career Information Program (Library Auditorium)

1:00-1:10 p.m. — Fish Feeding — Watch the aquarium staff feed the animals in multiple tanks.  (Aquarium Lobby)

1:00-1:50 p.m. — Coastal Sharks — Devin Dumont (Curator of Exhibits) will give a talk on the ecological importance and local species of sharks.  This is sure to be a great experience for all involved. (Aquarium Lecture Hall).

1:30 pm-2:00 p.m. — Behind the scenes tour of the Aquarium Maximum 10 persons. (Aquarium Lobby.)

1:30 p.m. – Plankton Sink-Off Preliminary Round (Roebling House)

2:00-2:50 pm- The Lives of Fishes. Maryellen Timmons will introduce unique and strange fish adaptations of fishes (Aquarium Lecture Hall).

2:00-2:30 p.m. — Behind the scenes tour of the aquarium. Maximum 10 persons. (Aquarium Lobby.)

2:30 p.m. – Plankton Sink-Off Preliminary Round (Roebling House)

2:30 p.m. – Crab Crawl Race (4 years old and younger) – North end of campus.

2:45 p.m. – Dolphin Dash Race (5-7 years old) – North end of campus

3:00 p.m. – Shark Shuffle Race (8-11 years old) – North end of campus

3:00-3:45 p.m. — Reptile Show with John “Crawfish” Crawford (Cafeteria porch, next to Aquarium)

3:30 p.m. – Plankton Sink-Off Final Round (Roebling House)

Information: www.skio.usg.edu

Skidaway Institute’s Alexander selected for prestigous leadership institute

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography professor Clark Alexander has been selected as a scholar to participate in the 2009-10 University System of Georgia Executive Leadership Institute.

The Executive Leadership Institute is the flagship System-wide leadership development program. The development program will be conducted by leading experts in leadership. Scholars will enhance their leadership skills to prepare for potential high-level advancement within the University System. The institute will address the need for succession planning by identifying and developing high potential employees to equip them to become the next generation of exemplary leaders.

Alexander will join 70 other faculty and staff members from other University System institutions in the seven-month training program.

“Dr. Alexander has nearly 20 years experience in the University System, and also serves as the director of Georgia Southern University’s Applied Coastal Research Laboratory, located on the Skidaway campus,” said Skidaway Institute Director James Sanders. “In this role, he serves as a facilitator for coastal research and education experiences for Georgia Southern.  I believe that he is an excellent candidate for the Leadership Institute.”

Skidaway Marine Science Day, Saturday, Oct. 10

An afternoon of marine science programs, displays, tours and activities — Skidaway Marine Science Day 2009 — will be held on Saturday, October 10, from noon to 4 p.m. on the campus of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography at the north end of Skidaway Island.

The Skidaway Marine Science Day is a campus-wide open house with activities geared for all ages from young children to adults. These will include programs, tours, displays and hands-on activities, primarily related to marine science. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

The event will be presented by the campus’s marine research and education organizations, including the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the University of Georgia (UGA) Marine Education Center and Aquarium, the UGA Shellfish Research Laboratory, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and WSVH Georgia Public Radio.

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography will offer a variety of activities for adults and children, including tours of the Research Vessel Savannah and smaller research vessels, science displays on current research programs and hands-on science activities.

Research vessels will be open for tours.

The UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium will be open with no admission fee. In addition, the aquarium education staff will offer visitors a full afternoon of activities including science talks, a reptile show, boat tours, touch tanks, and behind-the-scene tours of the aquarium.

Touch tanks are fun for all ages.

The UGA Shellfish Laboratory will provide visitors with displays and information on marine life on the Georgia Coast. Children will be given the opportunity to help protect the marine environment by bagging oyster shells used for oyster reef restoration projects.

WSVH Georgia Public Radio will be open for visitors.

For the second year, campus scientists will present a career information session for high school and college students who are interested in exploring a career in science. The informal question-and-answer program will be presented at 1 p.m. in the McGowan Library Auditorium on the Skidaway Institute campus.

For the first time, Skidaway Marine Science Day will also be open to non-campus scientific and environmental groups. Organizations such as the Georgia Conservancy and the Dolphin Project will present displays and activities for visitors.

The Savannah Arts Academy SkyLite Jazz Band will perform throughout the afternoon on the bluff behind the UGA Aquarium.

School classes or other large groups wishing to attend Skidaway Marine Science Day can be accommodated only through advance arrangements. For additional information, call (912) 598-2325.

All activities at Skidaway Marine Science Day will be free. For additional information, call (912) 598-2325, or visit www.skio.usg.edu.

Alexander lab takes delivery of new research vessel.

The Alexander lab is gearing up for mapping the intertidal morphology of Groves Creek.  The non-vegetated, soupy areas cannot be surveyed by foot, so a new research vessel was purchased that, along with a survey grade echosounder tied into the lab’s new RTK-GPS, will be used to map the bottom elevations at higher tides.

A similar boat

The new, very stable vessel, a 4 feet wide by 10 feet long pontoon boat with an electric motor in each hull, will allow them to collect data in areas as shallow as one foot deep.  To see a video of the vessel in action go to this link.

Skidaway Institute to present career program for future scientists

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography will present an informal career information program for future scientists as part of Skidaway Marine Science Day on Saturday, October 10, at 1 p.m. in the McGowan Library Auditorium on the Skidaway Island campus.

Faculty, research and education staff, and graduate students from Skidaway Institute, the University of Georgia (UGA) Marine Extension Service and NOAA’s Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary will be available in the auditorium for a question-and-answer session and one-on-one discussion.

“There may be high school or college students who are interested in pursuing a career in science, but aren’t aware of the opportunities or even where to start,” said Peter Verity, a Skidaway Institute scientist and education coordinator. “We would like to tell them about the careers that are available and the educational paths they should take.”

The information session will cover career opportunities in a wide range of scientific fields.

The career information program will be a part of Skidaway Marine Science Day, an open house presented by the campus’s marine research and education organizations, including the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, the UGA Shellfish Research Laboratory, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and WSVH Georgia Public Radio.

Skidaway Marine Science Day will feature activities geared for all ages from young children to adults. These will include programs, tours, displays and hands-on activities, all related to marine science. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

For additional information, contact Michael Sullivan at 598-2325 or mike.sullivan@skio.usg.edu.

Skidaway’s new business officer

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography has hired Natalie Higley as assistant director and chief business officer.

Natalie Higley

Higley joins Skidaway from Bainbridge College, where she spent the last five years as the Vice President of Business and Finance. Prior to higher education, she served as Chief Financial Officer for First Allied Corporation, a real estate holding company that consisted of 46 shopping plazas, 12 mobile home parts, five nursing homes, a major television station, a bio-patent company and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and served as Controller for Nationwide Precision Products, a second-tier automotive manufacturer.

Higley has a master’s degree in business management and bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Roberts Wesleyan College.

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Skidaway Institute awarded NSF grants

The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography has received two research grants from the National Science Foundation totaling more than $761,000. The awards are being funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Dr. Marc Frischer

The first grant for $356,139 was awarded to Skidaway Institute scientist Marc Frischer to investigate how a warming climate will affect the food web dynamics in the Arctic Ocean.

“We are most appreciative to the National Science Foundation for funding this significant research,” said Skidaway Institute Director James Sanders. “A warming climate is causing significant changes in the Arctic marine environment, including reduced sea ice and increased terrestrial discharge from rivers of nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen. It is very important that we understand the way these changes will affect food web dynamics and, ultimately, the entire Arctic marine ecosystem.”

Frischer will work with collaborators Deborah Bronk from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Patricia Yager from the University of Georgia Research Foundation on the project.

Dr. Elizabeth Mann

The second grant for $404,833 was awarded to Elizabeth Mann of Skidaway Institute, along with collaborators Eric Stabb of the University of Georgia and Hongwei Wu of Georgia Tech. They will investigate the way some marine bacteria obtain and utilize the key nutrient iron in environments where this metal is scarce.

According to Mann, it is important to understand how organisms produce the compounds that help keep iron in solution in the surface ocean. Iron is a key nutrient for the growth of microscopic algae, known as phytoplankton, which absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“In many areas of the world’s ocean, iron concentrations are so low that phytoplankton growth is reduced,” Mann said. “An increase in iron availability will lead to the removal of more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis.”