Amanda Dedicatoria - Guam EPSCoR

December 16, 2021March 14, 2022

UOG researcher discovers new diatom species in Micronesia

Christopher Lobban, a University of Guam professor emeritus of biology, has discovered a new species of diatom from the Marshall Islands. The screen of the SEM shows the tilted view of the new species.

The new species of diatom, Licmophora complanata, was named for its flattened cell wall. According to Lobban, the diatom was found in a sample of algae from Majuro Atoll that he collected in 1990.

Christopher Lobban, a University of Guam professor emeritus of biology, has discovered an interesting new species of diatom from the Marshall Islands. His discovery is in addition to two potentially new diatom species found earlier this year by UOG student Gabriella Prelosky and five potentially new species by UOG student Britney Sison. The study, which was funded by the university’s National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant, was accepted in October for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Diatom.

Diatoms are single-celled algae found in oceans, lakes, and rivers. They are considered important primary producers on Earth. According to Lobban, diatoms produce an estimated one-fifth of oxygen in the air we breathe.

The new species of diatom, Licmophora complanata, was named for its flattened cell wall. According to Lobban, the diatom was found in a sample of algae from Majuro Atoll that he collected in 1990. Licmophora is a genus of benthic diatoms. Diatoms within this genus are common and epiphytic — meaning that they perch on seaweeds, like orchids perch on trees.

“It’s a really odd-looking Licmophora,” said Lobban. “Licmophora are sort of people-shaped. They have a top and bottom and a front and back. The dead shells can usually be seen in the front and back views, but this one was always giving me a side view.”

Lobban was able to thoroughly examine the specimen once the Microscopy Teaching & Research Laboratory, which he runs, received a new Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) through the EPSCoR grant in May 2021.

“The microscope has a stage that allows you to tilt it up to 80 degrees while examining a specimen,” said Lobban. “When I did that, I was able to see its shape, which is actually kind of complicated.”

According to Lobban, this is not the first time he has named a species of Licmophora.

“It’s not a huge genus and there are not many people working on it in the world. Most of the species here seem to be new to science. This is the 16th Licmophora I’ve named,” said Lobban, “and I’m not done with them yet. I’m working on a paper now with seven more species. It and several of the others have student coauthors.”

November 29, 2021March 14, 2022

Study explores evolutionary stability of coral photosymbiosis

A study by University of Guam researchers has examined the evolutionary stability of photosymbiosis in scleractinian corals. The study, which was funded by the university’s National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant, was published in September in the peer-reviewed Science Advances journal.

Scleractinian corals, also called stony corals, are the hard corals that are typically seen as reef-building corals found in shallow, tropical waters that receive nutrients from the photosymbiotic algae living in their tissues. In exchange for nutrients, the algae support the calcification of coral skeletons, encouraging the growth of expansive reefs in shallow tropical and subtropical waters. Photosymbiosis is a type of symbiotic relationship between two organisms that includes one that is capable of photosynthesis.

However, half of the order’s members are non-photosymbiotic and tend to be small, not colonial, and are found in deep waters.

“The origin of the order has been shrouded in mystery. When scleractinian corals first appeared in the fossil record, they were already highly diversified,” said lead author Jordan Gault, a UOG alumnus who wrote the paper for his master’s thesis. “There’s evidence that some of them were photosymbiotic, but where did they all come from? If they’re diversified already, there’s evolutionary history that goes further back that you cannot see in the fossil record yet. That’s one thing we’ve set out to understand with this study.”

Coral Photosymbiosis Photo 2 — Scleractinian corals, also called stony corals, are the hard corals that are typically seen as reef-building corals found in shallow, tropical waters that receive nutrients from the photosymbiotic algae living in their tissues. This photo of a scleractinian coral was taken in Apra Harbor by David Burdick, Guam NSF EPSCoR’s Biorepository collections manager.

The study reconstructed the evolutionary history of photosymbiosis in Scleractinia by applying mathematical models to phylogenetic trees, which are diagrams that show evolutionary relationships. The phylogenetic trees included 1471 of the 1619 recognized species in Scleractinia.

“There are certain groups where the association seems to be almost irreversibly stable. Those two partners are bound to each other for the whole group and they thrive and die together while others may be more flexible,” said UOG Associate Professor Bastian Bentlage, the co-author of this study. “There may be some lineages – if they’re not as tightly integrated with the photosymbionts – that may be less susceptible to a breakdown of these relationships. That’s really cool in terms of understanding the dynamics of what we see on our reefs in a changing climate.”

At first, the project faced delays because the initial simulation studies took a long time to run on the computational resources that were available at the time. To address these issues, the research team used the Open Science Grid, a network of computers spread nationally that allows open access to high throughput computing for research in the U.S.

“Facilitating this study meant relying on this grid that was able to run hundreds of thousands of individual simulations,” said Bentlage. “That wouldn’t have been possible with a desktop computer. Having access to this high-speed computing grid was very essential to finishing it off.”

As part of the Guam NSF EPSCoR’s strategic plan, the program is working on establishing a computation hub at UOG.

Prior to pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Oldenburg, Gault spent eight years at the UOG Marine Laboratory pursuing his thesis research and working for the long-term coral reef monitoring program. He said that getting the paper published feels like closing a chapter in his life.

“It’s nice and a little bittersweet. I’m proud of the work that we did and I’m happy to have it out there. The question is now: is it useful for other scientists? Does it matter going forward? The best outcome is if it somehow shapes some research down the road. If people address our results and ask questions further down the line, I think that would be excellent,” said Gault.

November 23, 2021December 22, 2021

UOG alumnus creates mural for professor

The University of Guam Marine Laboratory has a new addition to its collection of murals — an assortment of giant clams (Tridacna maxima) in the office of UOG Assistant Professor Sarah Lemer.

The mural was painted by Constance Sartor, a University of Guam Master of Science in Biology. Sartor has been under the mentorship of Lemer since 2018 as part of the university’s Guam NSF EPSCoR Graduate Research Assistantship.

According to Sartor, Lemer wanted a mural in her new office that was related to the work being done in the Lemer Invertebrate Genomics Lab, which is studying various marine invertebrates to better understand how they response to climate change and reef degradation.

“I chose giant clams because I find them so naturally beautiful with their vibrant colors and different patterns — there are so many different phenotypes within a single species — so I thought they’d be perfect for her new lab,” said Sartor.

Sartor worked on the mural while Lemer was off-island, hoping to surprise her once she arrived back on Guam. The mural took 10 hours to complete.

“When I came back and saw the extent of what she did, it was fantastic,” said Lemer. “I’m really happy that I’ll always have this. Wherever she goes, I’ll always have this from her.”

October 24, 2021December 22, 2021

Graduate student participates in artist-at-sea program

Constance Sartor, a Master of Science in Biology, went on a 33-day voyage to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area as part of the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea program over the summer.

As part of the Artist-at-Sea program, Sartor worked with researchers onboard research vessel Falkor.

During the expedition, Sartor created upcycled magazine collages of the specimens collected by the ROV such as this glass octopus.

This collage of a corallivorous sea star was created using magazine images of flowers, eggs, and clothing.

Constance Sartor, a University of Guam Master of Science in Biology and a Guam NSF EPSCoR Graduate Research Assistant, participated in the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea program over the summer, which provides artists an opportunity to work side-by-side with marine scientists during a research expedition.

From June 5 to July 9, Sartor spent 34 days onboard research vessel Falkor with 39 researchers and crew members as it traveled to the Phoenix Islands Archipelago, a group of coral atolls in Kiribati.

During the expedition, the Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) SuBastian descended as far as 2000 meters to collect deep-sea organisms within the Phoenix Islands Archipelago.

“When you’re in a shallow reef, there’s so much diversity like fish and corals but when you get down where there’s no light, everything is kind of like a desert,” said Sartor. “It takes a while to find a tiny coral. There are not many fish so it’s like a treasure hunt. It’s surprising when you find something cool.”

Sartor worked with the scientists to photograph and measure the samples collected by the ROV.

In preparation for the voyage, Sartor brought more than 50 magazines with her to create upcycled collages based on the photos of the samples.

“I advocate ‘upcycling’ because it helps keep some of the items out of landfills,” said Sartor. “Rather than using paint, which comes in disposable plastic or metal tubes, I like to give a ‘new life’ to magazines that would otherwise be thrown into landfills.”

Out of the hundreds of samples collected over the course of the voyage, Sartor created 8 magazine collages of the unique starfish, crabs, corals and other deep-sea organisms collected by the ROV using magazine images of flowers, a sunset, and clothing.

The body of works Sartor created are now a part of the Artist-at-Sea program’s traveling exhibit, which features art made and inspired by the work done on the Falkor.

October 23, 2021December 22, 2021

Students win community-funded scholarships

Therese Miller, a Master of Science in Biology and a Guam NSF EPSCoR graduate research assistant, received $500 in academic assistance from the James A. Marsh Scholarship in Marine Biology or Water Resources.

Britney Sison, an undergraduate chemistry and biology student and a research fellow of the NSF INCLUDES: SEAS Islands Alliance, received a combined total of $2,000 from the JFK High School of 1969 and the Palau Women’s Club Scholarships.

Two Guam NSF EPSCoR students have been awarded community-funded scholarships through the University of Guam Endowment Foundation in October 2021.

“I’m really grateful. It feels really validating to receive this scholarship and get the affirmation that what I’m doing is worthwhile even in the eyes of other people,” said Therese Miller, a University of Guam Master of Science in Biology and a Guam NSF EPSCoR graduate research assistant.

Miller received $500 in academic assistance as the recipient of the James A. Marsh Scholarship in Marine Biology or Water Resources, which was started by its namesake to support graduate students in pursuing thesis research.

Britney Sison, an undergraduate chemistry and biology student at the University of Guam as well as an NSF INCLUDES: SEAS Islands Alliance research fellow, received a combined total of $2,000 dollars from the JFK High School of 1969 and the Palau Women’s Club Scholarships.

“I feel fortunate and extremely grateful to the Palau Women’s Club and the JFKHS Class of 1969 for supporting students and their academic and career goals,” said Sison.

As for what advice she would give to anyone who is considering applying to scholarships, Miller said to just try.

“Go ahead and apply,” she said. “If you see something and you think it’s too competitive or hard, I would say just go for it because you never know. Your shot is as good as anybody else’s.”

October 8, 2021December 22, 2021

UOG study to examine genetic connectivity of fish, snails, and shrimp native to Guam and Marianas rivers

In an effort to manage and conserve diadromous fish, snails, and shrimp that are native to rivers in Guam and the Marianas, a researcher from the University of Guam will be working over the next four years to collect and genetically analyze species found in the region’s watersheds.

Diadromous animals are those that transition between freshwater and saltwater environments at different stages of their life cycles.

“Effective conservation management of these aquatic communities starts with discerning their historical genetic connections and/or isolation,” said Associate Professor Daniel Lindstrom, who holds a doctorate in zoology and is overseeing the project.

The work is being funded by the university’s National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant.

Nature of diadromous animals

Many of the fish, snail, and shrimp species that live in the streams of Southern Guam are spawned in freshwater before drifting into the ocean as larvae before migrating back to freshwater to grow into adults and spawn.

“When the eggs of these species hatch, they get washed out into the ocean,” Lindstrom said. “There is a possibility that the animals you find in freshwater in the island region may all be connected because of this larval marine phase.”

‘Rewriting the book’ on these organisms

Lindstrom plans to collect specimens from each of Southern Guam’s 14 main watersheds and then eventually expand to Saipan and Rota to augment the collection. An initial collection has already been conducted in the Asmafines and Sella Rivers.

As the specimens are collected, they will be photographed, dissected, and then undergo DNA extraction.

“By looking at the genetics of these animals, I can check how similar they are to the same species found in another river on Guam and check the genetic similarity to see the patterns in their population,” Lindstrom said. “Even though those two rivers flow into the ocean less than 50 meters apart, they have different species in them. That’s really strange and I hope our genetic and survey work will find answers for that.”

He is targeting approximately 60 species that have not been genetically confirmed as existing or distinct species and have been referred to with tentative names or listed only by genus but without a species name.

“There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that goes: ‘The first step on the path to true knowledge is getting the names of things right,’ so I’m really excited about that, and I’m hoping that’ll be my scientific legacy on Guam,” he said. “We’re pretty much rewriting the book on the island’s native diadromous organisms.”

Potential to discover new species

It’s possible the research team — including EPSCoR-sponsored graduate students Khanh Ly and Karina Mejia and undergraduate student Louise Pascua — may uncover a few new species along the way.

“I’m excited to see what species we can describe and to find new species – whether they’re here or on other islands,” Ly said. “I’d like to publish research about them for other people to use.”

This project will contribute to 30 years of collecting and genetically analyzing specimens from watersheds all over the tropics, including Guam, Saipan, Rota, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

All of the preserved specimens and tissues collected over the course of the project will go to the GECCO Biorepository, a physical and cyber warehouse of records and images operated by the Guam NSF EPSCoR program. The biorepository can be accessed online at https://specifyportal.uog.edu/.

September 16, 2021December 22, 2021

Two GECCO summer math students accepted to graduate school

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Two University of Guam alumni who participated in the first ever GECCO Summer Math Research Experience (SMRE) have been accepted into grad school!

The GECCO Summer Math Research Experience was held from June 7 to July 23, 2021. Participants addressed issues such as overfishing parrotfish, coral bleaching, and coral diseases using mathematical modeling.

Henry Song, a recent computer science graduate, says that the Summer Math Research Experience equipped him with the tools and skills to pursue a graduate education.

“I have considered applying to grad programs prior to the program, but it was through the advice and guidance of the faculty mentors, research assistants, and overall experience that convinced me to apply to my target school: Seattle University. I hope to follow my dream of becoming a software engineer, and potentially pursue a Ph.D. in the future!” said Song.

Song will attend Seattle University this month.

Regina Mae Dominguez, one of two research assistants who served as mentors for the SMRE students, will attend the University of Washington for graduate school.

Students wanting to participate in the next Summer Math Research Experience can email epscor.smrp@triton.uog.edu or visit our website for more information.

#GuamEPSCoR #NSF #STEM #math #coral

September 13, 2021December 22, 2021

University of Guam biology student wins prize for diatom discoveries in Micronesia

Britney Sison, an undergraduate biology student at the University of Guam, discovered more than five potentially new species of diatoms as a research fellow in the NSF INCLUDES: SEAS Islands Alliance program at the university.

This potentially new diatom species discovered by University of Guam student Britney Sison will be named Nitzschia biseriata in reference to the double rows of pores on its body. The species will be officially considered new once a paper about the diatom has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication.

Britney Sison, an undergraduate biology and chemistry student at the University of Guam, has won an award for her discovery of five potentially undocumented diatoms in mud samples from the Micronesian Islands of Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, and the Marshall Islands. Her discoveries are in addition to two potentially new diatom species found earlier this year by UOG student Gabriella Prelosky.

Diatoms are single-celled algae found in oceans, lakes, and rivers. They are primary producers in the food chain as photosynthetic organisms, according to UOG Professor Emeritus of Biology Christopher Lobban, who mentors the student researchers in the Microscopy Teaching & Research Laboratory on the UOG campus.

Sison’s discovery happened during her research fellowship under the NSF INCLUDES: SEAS Islands Alliance program, a $10 million initiative funded by the National Science Foundation to broaden participation in STEM fields of students in U.S. territories and affiliated islands.

Her presentation — “New species of conopeate Nitzschia in the Pacific Islands” — won third place in the student poster competition at the 26th International Diatom Symposium, held virtually from Aug. 23 to 25 out of Yamagata, Japan. The symposium brought together hundreds of diatom researchers from around the world.

The species Sison focused on in her presentation were just five of many potentially new species of diatoms she found while examining microbial mat and mud samples.

Diatom samples from Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, and the Marshall Islands were collected and mailed to the UOG lab by interns in the 2021 NSF INCLUDES Bridge-to-Bachelor’s summer program: Kebang Ngiraklang, a student at the Palau Community College under the mentorship of Vernice Yuki, and Iverson Aliven and Marlin Lee Ling, from the College of Micronesia-FSM under the mentorship of Brian Lynch.

Using the laboratory’s new Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), which was funded by the university’s Guam NSF EPSCoR grant, Sison and Lobban were able to examine the samples intensively.

Sison is now in the process of naming the potentially new species. One of them will be named Nitzschia biseriata because of its unique characteristic of having double rows of pores on its body instead of one.

“‘Two rows’ translated into Latin is ‘biseriate,’” Lobban said. “If there’s an obvious characteristic like that, it’s useful to name it that way because then it will tell people something about the species.”

Sison’s findings will officially be new species once a paper about the diatoms has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication.

“It’s been really interesting to study diatoms,” Sison said. “In the words of Dr. Lobban, it’s like an adult treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find.”

Both Sison and Prelosky will present more complete results of her project at the 2021 National Diversity in STEM Digital Conference, which will be held by SACNAS from Oct. 25–29. The NSF INCLUDES: SEAS Islands Alliance is administered by the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant programs in partnership with the School of Education at the University of Guam. UOG faculty members Austin Shelton, Cheryl Sangueza, and Else Demeulenaere serve as investigators of the grant award. NSF INCLUDES collaborates closely with the Guam NSF EPSCoR program, also funded by the National Science Foundation.

September 13, 2021December 22, 2021

Diatom herbarium upgrades archival equipment for long-term accessibility

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To ensure the long-term accessibility of the diatom collection, UOG Professor Emeritus of Biology Christopher Lobban acquired archival paper, special adhesives, and custom templates to catalog 3,000 existing slides and label new ones.

UOG Professor Emeritus of Biology Christopher Lobban started cataloging diatoms found in the Marianas in 1988 as part of a research project. The project was put on hold for nearly two decades and was renewed in 2007.

The diatom herbarium, which is part of the University of Guam (UOG) Herbarium and the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans (GECCO) Biorepository is getting new, archival labels in recognition of its permanent value as a repository of diatom samples from the Marianas. The GECCO Biorepository is a physical and cyber warehouse of records and images that is operated by the Guam NSF EPSCoR program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Diatoms are microscopic single-celled algae found in oceans, lakes, and rivers.

“Diatoms produce two-fifths of the oxygen we breathe and are used as water quality indicators in freshwater studies,” said UOG Professor Emeritus of Biology Christopher Lobban. “But for the marine species to be useful as indicators, we first have to find out what species live here and under what conditions.” The collection is a legacy project that was started by Lobban in 1988 and includes samples collected in Guam, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. The collection was paused for nearly two decades, but was rekindled in 2007 when new equipment, collaborators, and online access to old literature became available.

As the project grew, it became apparent that it needed to be curated as a collection for long-term accessibility. Once the self-sticking slide labels from its start in 1988 began to fall off from age, Lobban found best practices for museums and acquired archival paper, special adhesives, and custom templates to catalog 3,000 existing slides and label new slides.

“If the slides are to be useful in the future the labels need to stay on,” said Lobban. “The label indicates the sample number, which refers to the collecting information in the lab notebooks and database. Not knowing where and when the samples were collected significantly decreases their scientific value.” There are over 3,300 slides and 1,600 scanning electron microscope stubs, along with raw materials and remainders in the diatom herbarium, which is located in the Microscopy Teaching and Research Lab.

The list of cataloged materials has been entered into the Guam NSF EPSCoR Biorepository online database. A long-term project is underway to get all of the imaged specimens added along with their images. The online database can be accessed at https://specifyportal.uog.edu.

September 7, 2021December 22, 2021

Students in GECCO’s first summer math program study overfishing, coral disease

5R5A7641 — (From left) GECCO SMRE Research Assistant Jaron Bautista helps Henry Song with his modeling project.

5R5A9449 — (From left) Michelle Luces, Aaron Bumagat, and Henry Song speak about their project, which was about studying the effects of overfishing parrotfish on coral reef ecosystems.

5R5A9472 — (From left) Ethan Vargas and Loreto Paulino Jr. Speak about their summer math project, which involved modeling coral disease and resilience.

The effects of overfishing parrotfish, coral bleaching, and coral diseases are some of the local issues that students sought to address using mathematical modeling this summer. The students — five undergraduate students and one recent graduate — were part of the first-ever Summer Math Research Experience held from June 7 to July 23 at the University of Guam.

“The more I dove into modeling systems in this program, I’ve realized that math can actually do a lot,” said Henry Song, a recent computer science graduate. “I didn’t realize that something like coral reefs were able to be modeled by math. It was a really good learning experience.”

The summer program was part of the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals & Oceans (GECCO) project, funded by the NSF EPSCoR grant. Part of the project’s aim is to increase the number and diversity of students who pursue careers in STEM.

“All of the projects this year were focused on local issues, so I was excited to help out this summer,” said Regina Mae Dominguez, one of two research assistants who served as mentors for the students.

The Summer Math Research Experience was held in conjunction with two other research experience programs: the Young Research Experience in Mathematics and the National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program. Students in these programs investigated the effects of pathogens on the population dynamics of the coconut rhinoceros beetle while the other group developed models to study the population dynamics of the Mariana eight-spot butterfly and parasitoid wasps.

The students’ work from this first GECCO summer program will assist modeling efforts in the Common Garden Project, a four-year EPSCoR-funded study launched in August that will examine three habitat-forming coral species over a multi-year span and their responses to environmental change.

“By Year 2, we should have a dataset ready,” said Dr. Bastian Bentlage, associate professor of bioinformatics. “Halfway through this year’s math program, we collected the first two data points for the Common Garden. Since we’re interested in seasonal dynamics, having data from a full season should allow them to apply that data to their models.”

Once the models have been developed, they will be used to support reef management and intervention strategies.

“We’re going to model disease transmission and the corals’ responses to environmental stress,” said Dr. Leslie Aquino, associate professor of mathematics. “The math faculty will look at what the students this year have done, and our next set will continue to build on these models or expand on them.”

Participate in the Summer Math Research Experience

Students wanting to participate in the next Summer Math Research Experience can email epscor.smrp@triton.uog.edu or visit https://guamepscor.uog.edu/smre/ for more information.