January 2007

DEPARTMENTAL SEMINARS

Vielka Salazar (Major Advisor: Philip Stoddard) will present her Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Seminar entitled “The effect of male-male interactions in the regulation of the EOD circadian rhythm and its neuroendocrine mechanisms in a pulse-type gymnotiform fish” on 12 January 2007 at 3:30 pm in WC 130.

Steven Whitfield (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) will present his Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Seminar entitled “Enigmatic Faunal Declines at La Selva, Costa Rica: Pattern and Process in a Collapsing Tropical Herpetofauna on 16 January at 10:00 am in WC 130.

Susan Allee (Major Advisor: Philip Stoddard) will present her Doctoral Dissertation Defense Seminar entitled “Neuroendocrine regulation of a dynamics communication signal” on 23 January 2007 at 12:30 pm in WC 130.

NINTH ANNUAL BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM

Several of our students presented oral papers and two presented posters at the 2007 Biology Symposium. As previously reported by the Department, Meagan Dunphy-Daly (Major Advisor: Mike Heithaus) was awarded first place, Jason Somareli (Major Advisor: Rene Herrera) was awarded second place, and Flavio Brito (Major Advisor: Lidia Kos) was awarded third place. The symposium was a great success and thanks to all who helped make it happen!

Caroline Peyer (Major Advisor: Craig Layman) presented: Peyer, C.M., J. Quattrochi, and C.A. Layman. Effects of fragmentation on prey availability and trophic niche width of gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus.

Flavio Brito (Major Advisor: Lidia Kos) presented: Brito, F.C. and L. Kos. The origin of melanocytes in the murine heart.

Brett Jestrow (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega): Jestrow, B., G. Proctor, and J. Francisco-Ortega. Lasiocroton trelawniensis (Euphorbiaceae), a critically endangered species from the cockpit country of Jamaica, belongs to Bernardia (Euphorbiaceae).

Jed Redwine (Major Advisor: Suzanne Koptur): Redwine, J. Nutrient cycling features of nine subtropical tree species with contrasting abundances in forests of different ages.

Meagan Dunphy-Daly (Major Advisor: Mike Heithaus). Dunphy-Daly, M.M., M.R. Heithaus, and D.E. Claridge. Temporal variation in dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima) habitat use and group size of Great Abaco, Bahamas.

Nora Oleas (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega): Oleas, N., A. Meerow, and J. Francisco-Ortega. Phylogenetics of Phaedranassa herbs based on nrDNA ITS.

James Valdés (Major Advisor: Ophelia Weeks): Valdés, J.J. and O.I. Weeks. From behavior to molecules: Preliminary observations of lithium’s effect on learning, memory and neuroprotection.

Jeremy Moynihan (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega): Moynihan, J., A.W. Meerow, J. González-Astorga, M. Osentoski, and J. Francisco-Ortega. Microsatellite data reveal low levels of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of the Dioon edule Lindl. species complex (Zamiaceae, Cycadales).

Clayton Williams (Major Advisor: Frank Jochem): Williams, C.J. and F.J. Jochem. Relative contribution of microbial communities to organic matter cycling in a subtropical seagrass estuary.

Jason Somareli (Major Advisor: Rene Hererra): Somareli, J.A. and R.J. Herrera. Exploring the link between immunosuppressive drug binding proteins and RNA splicing.

Cassandra Quave (Major Advisor: Brad Bennett): Quave, C.L. Zootherapy: some unusual cases from south Italy.

Anya Goldina (Major Advisor: Philip Stoddard): Goldina, A., M.R. Markham, and P.K. Stoddard. The evolution of electrifying diversity: mechanisms of signal plasticity in weakly electric fish.

John Geiger (Major Advisor: Suzanne Koptur): Geiger, J.H. Preliminary population genetic diversity of a Caribbean Basin vine.

Bryan Delius (Major Advisor: Mike Heithaus): Delius, B.and M.R. Heithaus. The use of stable carbon isotopic analysis to elucidate the movements of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Florida coastal everglades.

Karen Laubengayer (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega): Laubengayer, K.M. Aiphanes in the Lesser Antilles.

Christine Hunker (Major Advisor: Alejandro Barbieri): Hunker, C.M., A. Galvis, Z. Villasana, A. Conde, and M.A. Barbieri. The identification and characterization of rab5 activating protein 6 (rap6), a novel human multidomain protein.

Brian Sidoti ((Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega): Sidoti, B.J. Morphological variation in Tillandsia fasciculata Sw. (Bromeliaceae).

Clifton Ruehl (Major Advisor: Joel Trexler): Ruehl, C.B., N.J. Dorn, and J.C. Trexler. Experimental venue and spatial scale in food web manipulations.

Richard Chang (Major Advisor: Frank Jochem): Chang, R.Y. Paracalanus parvus population structure in South Florida: A preliminary look.

Theresa Meis Chormanski (Major Advisor: Jennifer Richards): Chormanski, T.M. and J.Richards. Morphology and anatomy of three common Everglades Utricularia species: U. gibba, U. Subulata, andU. cornuta.

Two students presented posters:

Matt Graham (Major Advisor: Sylvia Smith): Graham, M., D-H. Shin, and S.L. Smith. Analysis of a C5-Like cDNA from the Nurse Shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum.

Sam Whitcraft (Major Advisor: Craig Layman): Whitcraft, S., W. Richards, J. Lamkin, and N. Davis. Applying micro-acoustic tagging and telemetry methods to juvenile snapper habitat-use studies.

GRANTS & AWARDS

Cassandra Quave (Major Advisor: Brad Bennett) was awarded a $500 honorarium to present a talk at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens on 6 January 2007. The symposium was hosted by Botany in Action and the title of the talk was: “Botanical remedies for the skin: A south Italian pharmacopoeia” in Philadelphia. Congratulations Cassandra!

Rudolf von May (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) was awarded $2,478 from APECO (a Peruvian Conservation NGO) and Conservation International to support a project examining the diversity of amphibians in montane forest in central and southern Peru. Congratulations Rudi!

CLUB ACTIVITIES

The LTER student group held the first semester meeting this Friday, 19 January 2007. in the Ecotank room (Outside door of ECS near FOC loading dock).

The Comparative Immunology Club held its first meeting of the Spring Semester on 16 January 2007.

The Molecular and Cellular Biology Club held its first Spring Semester meeting on 17 January 2007. You can learn more about the club and their activities at:
http://bioserv.fiu.edu/%7Ebiolab/labs/MCB/MCB%20main%20page.htm.

The Comparative Immunology Club held a meeting on 23 January 2007 to discuss an article entitled: Rab22a Regulates the Sorting of Transferrin to Recycling Endosomes by Javier G. Magadán, M. Alejandro Barbieri, Rosana Mesa,Philip D. Stahl, and Luis S. Mayorga1.

PUBLICATIONS

Rudolf von May (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently published a paper: New species of Eleutherodactylus(Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the eastern Andes of central Peru with comments on central Peruvian Eleutherodactylus. Herpetological Monographs 20:105-128. Congratulations Rudi!

Alice Warren Bradley (Major Advisor: Brad Bennett) recently had a chapter accepted for publication: Snow, R.W., K.L. Krysko, K.M. Enge, L. Oberhofer, A. Warren-Bradley, and L. Wilkins. Natural History and Distribution of Boa constrictor (Serpentes: Boidae) and Python molurus (Serpentes: Pythonidae) in Florida. In: Henderson, R.W. and R. Powell (eds.). The Biology of Boas and Pythons. Eagle Mountain Publ., Eagle Mountain, Utah. In Press. Congratulatioins Alice!

Laura May-Collado (Major Advisor: Doug Wartzok) recently published a chapter of her dissertation: May-Collado, L.J. and D. Wartzok. 2007. The freshwater dolphin Inia geoffrensis produces high frequency whistles. Journal of the Acoustic Society of America 121:1203-1212.

FORMER STUDENTS

Alessandro Catenazzi (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) was recently featured in the Bulletin of the Museum of Natural History in Madrid. His research on maritime lizards was the focus of the article: http://www.mncn.csic.es/periodico01.pdf.

Alessandro Catenazzi (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently published a chapter from his dissertation: Catenazzi, A. and M.A. Donnelly. 2007. The Ulva connection: marine algae subsidize terrestrial predators in coastal Peru. Oikos 116:75-86. Congratulations Ale!

Jeff Wozniak (Major Advisor: Dan Childers) recently accepted a postdoctoral position at Texas A & M University working with Dr. Steve Davis (Ph.D. 1999 with Dan Childers). Congratulations Jeff!

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