Author: Guam EPSCoR

Are you an undergraduate student interested in ensuring the sustainability of coral reefs and the marine environment? If you’re self-motivated, well-organized, and trained in basic lab procedures and microscopy, Guam EPSCOR has a valuable student research experience for you — and it’s paid!

The Student Research Experience program, which will take place from January-December 2021, is designed to train undergraduates in scientific research specific to coral reef ecosystems. Selected students will benefit from research training, faculty mentorship, possible travel opportunities, and a stipend of $500 per month.

The program may involve hands-on fieldwork to investigate coral reefs or to deploy and retrieve oceanographic instruments as well as work in the UOG Marine Laboratory’s Molecular Lab. Students will learn about DNA extraction and sequencing and/or how to read and analyze data to characterize marine environments.

The program seeks to increase the number and diversity of students who choose careers in STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). All qualified students are encouraged to apply, in particular women, minorities, and students with disabilities.

The University of Guam and the Research Corporation of the University of Guam are equal-opportunity employers that have received National Science Foundation funding to broaden the participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2020, and accepted students will be notified by Dec. 18.

Requests for applications may be directed to Sho Hammond at hammonds@triton.uog.edu. For more information, visit www.guamespscor.uog.edu.

About Guam EPSCOR
The Guam EPSCOR program at the University of Guam is funded by a five-year, $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The program aims to develop Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals & Oceans (GECCO) to ensure the sustainability of coral reef ecosystems in the face of environmental change. Guam EPSCoR aims to situate Guam as a premier research and STEM education hub bolstering sustainability, economic development, and informed decision-making by engaging communities in 21st-century science.

Link to original article: https://www.uog.edu/news-announcements/2020-2021/2020-uog-undergrads-epscor-program.php

The University of Guam has been awarded $20 million to expand its research capabilities on coral reef survival in rapidly changing environmental conditions. The five-year grant is from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, more commonly referred to as EPSCoR, and will considerably expand upon work undertaken during the previous five-year, $6 million Guam EPSCoR grant project, the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium.

“This is a major grant award which not only validates and expands on the research work of Guam EPSCoR, our Marine Laboratory, and our partners, but it also further establishes the University of Guam as an emergent research institution in the Pacific region,” said UOG President Thomas W. Krise.

Starting July 1, the new grant project — titled the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans, or GECCO — will increase the collection, documentation, integration, and analyses of complex genetic and oceanographic data from reefs within the region. These research activities are necessary to understand the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive resilience in coral reefs under stress from climate change and other factors and could provide valuable insight into the development of
viable management strategies.

Dr. Terry J. Donaldson, professor of ichthyology at the UOG Marine Laboratory and the principal investigator and project director, said the need for modern, cutting-edge studies on reef ecosystems is urgent.

“Island communities of the Western Pacific and all around the world depend on coral reef ecosystems, but the reefs are struggling to survive amid our rapidly changing climate,” he said. “Guam has the nation’s most diverse and complex coral reefs, so the UOG Marine Lab is the best place to do this research and inform how we can better protect this vital ecosystem.”

Data collection

The research team, led by Dr. Bastian Bentlage, assistant professor of bioinformatics at the Marine Lab, will collect and analyze genetic, genomic, oceanographic, and ecological data sets. New collections of marine biodiversity from the region will be curated, imaged, and mapped, and specimens — including cryo-preserved tissues for genomics research — stored in the UOG Biorepository along with historical collections dating back more than 50 years. Specimens and field collection data will be digitized and posted in the biorepository’s online-accessible database that was established during the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium, providing the scientific community with an invaluable resource for marine biodiversity research.

Big-data analyses

Mathematical models will use the data gathered to better predict changes in our reef ecosystems. To facilitate this ambitious research project, UOG’s ability to conduct big-data analyses will be expanded by establishing a high-performance computing cluster on its campus and by strengthening its collaborative network with other research institutions.

Techniques and technology

The new grant will utilize cutting-edge instrumentation and innovative techniques, including:

• hyperspectral scanning to automate mapping of reef communities;
• DNA barcoding to facilitate identification of reef organisms, including coral microbiomes, and their role in the stress response of coral reefs;
• seascape genomics, integrating genomics, and oceanographic modeling to trace connectivity between coral reefs within the region; and
• micro-CT scanning techniques within the Biorepository to further the understanding of the morphology of marine organisms on reefs and promote a greater understanding of their taxonomic diversity.

“Coral reefs in the Marianas Archipelago are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, and Guam represents the United States’ only foothold in the region. This award provides researchers the opportunity to explore these coral reef systems and understand current biodiversity challenges concerning how they respond to climate change,” said NSF EPSCoR Program Manager John-David Swanson. “In addition to improving infrastructure in the jurisdiction, this project aims to target underserved communities and develop innovative programs for STEM education and workforce development.” 

Education and collaboration

The grant will grow UOG’s research capacity by funding new and visiting faculty positions and post-doctoral fellowships to conduct research, teach specialized courses at the university, and engage graduate and undergraduate students in research.

Beyond research, the GECCO project will develop innovative STEM education and community engagement programs — an effort that will led by Dr. Austin Shelton, assistant professor of extension and outreach — and collaborations within the national and international research communities, an effort that will be led by Dr. Rachael Leon Guerrero, vice provost for research and sponsored programs.

Link to original article: https://www.uog.edu/news-announcements/2019-2020/2020-university-of-guam-secures-20-million-to-expand-coral-research.php

Professor Terry J. Donaldson of the University of Guam has been voted president-elect of the Western Association of Marine Laboratories. Donaldson serves as the principal investigator and project director for Guam EPSCoR, a $6 million research grant to study the effects of climate change on coral reefs, and was the former director of the UOG Marine Laboratory.

WAML, a regional subsidiary of the National Association of Marine Laboratories, is a network of nonprofit marine laboratories in the Western United States and Pacific Islands that aims to stimulate research and promote education in the marine sciences and to identify problems unique to nonprofit marine laboratories within its jurisdiction.

“My service as president-elect of WAML will be beneficial to the University of Guam, the UOG Marine Laboratory, and Guam EPSCoR in that the linkages, collaborations, and joint research funding opportunities I help to develop and participate in will promote Guam as a premier destination for coral reef research,” Donaldson said.

Additionally, he said, the association works to represent the interests of its member laboratories on both a regional and national scale.

The UOG Marine Lab has been a member of both WAML and NAML since 1986. Donaldson first represented the university in WAML when he was the director of the Marine Lab from late 2013 to early 2016 and maintained the role afterward.

In addition to his duties as president-elect, Donaldson will simultaneously serve as vice chairman on the board for a two-year term. He will then take the role of president in October 2021. He was elected during the associations’ Fall Biennial Meeting, held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore.

His appointment comes as the UOG Marine Lab ushers in its 50th anniversary year.

Link to original article: https://www.uog.edu/news-announcements/2019-2020/2020-coral-research-director-at-uog-elected-to-head-regional-association.php

The University of Guam has been awarded $20 million to expand its research capabilities on coral reef survival in rapidly changing environmental conditions. The five-year grant is from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, more commonly referred to as EPSCoR, and will considerably expand upon work undertaken during the previous five-year, $6 million Guam EPSCoR grant project, the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium. 

“This is a major grant award which not only validates and expands on the research work of Guam EPSCoR, our Marine Laboratory, and our partners, but it also further establishes the University of Guam as an emergent research institution in the Pacific region,” said UOG President Thomas W. Krise.

Starting July 1, the new grant project — titled the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans, or GECCO — will increase the collection, documentation, integration, and analyses of complex genetic and oceanographic data from reefs within the region. These research activities are necessary to understand the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive resilience in coral reefs under stress from climate change and other factors and could provide valuable insight into the development of viable management strategies.

Dr. Terry J. Donaldson, professor of ichthyology at the UOG Marine Laboratory and the principal investigator and project director, said the need for modern, cutting-edge studies on reef ecosystems is urgent.

“Island communities of the Western Pacific and all around the world depend on coral reef ecosystems, but the reefs are struggling to survive amid our rapidly changing climate,” he said. “Guam has the nation’s most diverse and complex coral reefs, so the UOG Marine Lab is the best place to do this research and inform how we can better protect this vital ecosystem.”

The research team, led by Dr. Bastian Bentlage, assistant professor of bioinformatics at the Marine Lab, will collect and analyze genetic, genomic, oceanographic, and ecological data sets. The research team consists of Dr. David Combosch (genetics), Dr. Atsushi Fujimura (oceanography), Dr. Sarah Lemer (genomics), Mr. David Burdick (Biorepository Collections Manager), Dr. Laurie Raymundo (coral ecology), Dr. Tom Schils (phycology), Dr. Dan Lindstrom (genetics), Dr. Leslie Aquino (modeling), Dr. Hyunju Oh (modeling), and Dr. Jaeyong Choi (statistics).

New collections of marine biodiversity from the region will be curated, imaged, and mapped, and specimens — including cryo-preserved tissues for genomics research — stored in the UOG Biorepository along with historical collections dating back more than 50 years. Specimens and field collection data will be digitized and posted in the biorepository’s online-accessible database that was established during the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium, providing the scientific community with an invaluable resource for marine biodiversity research.

Mathematical models will use the data gathered to better predict changes in our reef ecosystems. To facilitate this ambitious research project, UOG’s ability to conduct big-data analyses will be expanded by establishing a high-performance computing cluster on its campus and by strengthening its collaborative network with other research institutions.

The new grant will utilize cutting-edge instrumentation and innovative techniques, including:

• hyperspectral scanning to automate mapping of reef communities;
• DNA barcoding to facilitate identification of reef organisms, including coral microbiomes, and their role in the stress response of coral reefs;
• seascape genomics, integrating genomics, and oceanographic modeling to trace connectivity between coral reefs within the region; and
• micro-CT scanning techniques within the Biorepository to further the understanding of the morphology of marine organisms on reefs and promote a greater understanding of their taxonomic diversity.

“Coral reefs in the Marianas Archipelago are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, and Guam represents the United States’ only foothold in the region. This award provides researchers the opportunity to explore these coral reef systems and understand current biodiversity challenges concerning how they respond to climate change,” said NSF EPSCoR Program Manager John-David Swanson. “In addition to improving infrastructure in the jurisdiction, this project aims to target underserved communities and develop innovative programs for STEM education and workforce development.”

The grant will grow UOG’s research capacity by funding new and visiting faculty positions and post-doctoral fellowships to conduct research, teach specialized courses at the university, and engage graduate and undergraduate students in research.

Beyond research, the GECCO project will develop innovative STEM education and community engagement programs — an effort that will led by Dr. Austin Shelton, assistant professor of extension and outreach — and collaborations within the national and international research communities, an effort that will be led by Dr. Rachael Leon Guerrero, vice provost for research and sponsored programs.

Dr. Terry Donaldson, Guam-EPSCoR principal investigator and project director, was voted president-elect of the Western Association of Marine Laboratories (WAML). 

His election was held at WAML’s meeting held in conjunction with the National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML) Fall Biennial Meeting from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. In addition to his assigned duties, he will also serve as vice chair of WAML’s Board of Directors for a two-year term. 

WAML is a regional subsidiary of NAML and its membership includes non-profit marine laboratories operated by federal, state, university and other non-profit organizations in the Western United States and Pacific Islands.  WAML’s mission is to stimulate research, promote education in the marine sciences, and provide a forum for the resolution of problems common to non-profit marine laboratories in the United States.

The association encourages the wise use and conservation of marine and coastal resources. For more information about WAML and NAML, please go to www.naml.org.

Former Guam-EPSCoR Research Fellow and University of Guam Marine Laboratory graduate student Mildred Kelokelo has been admitted to the doctorate program at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.

Kelokelo will study coral farming techniques towards developing, implementing and managing reef restoration efforts in the western Pacific. Her research, which begins in January 2020, will be supported by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).  

A native of Alotau, Papua New Guinea, Kelokelo worked at the UOG Marine Laboratory’s Biorepository with support from the National Science Foundation-EPSCoR grant to UOG.  Her thesis research focused upon sexuality and sex change in the arc-eye hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus).  She earned her Master of Science in Biology degree in Fañomnåkan (January-May) 2019.   

Kelokelo is a co-author of one publication and one manuscript on gonad histology and sex change in reef fishes. She is also preparing to submit for publication a manuscript based upon her thesis research.  Her advisor was Dr. Terry Donaldson.

The University of Guam’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (Guam EPSCoR), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa-PacIOOS (UH Mānoa), were recently featured in the September 2019 edition of the Regional Studies in Marine Science Journal for their assessment of the oceanographic processes and patterns of Pago Bay.

The study, “Physical Dynamics of the reef flat, channel, and fore reef areas of a fringing reef embayment: An oceanographic study of Pago Bay, Guam,” examined circulation, thermal environment, and rainstorm impacts on the coral reef system in the bay. Observations were conducted for one year, with an array of sensors deployed to measure ocean temperature, wave height, and wind speed and direction, among other variables.

“Long-term observations of oceanographic patterns and processes provide necessary context for integrative ecological studies and for assessing and mitigating anthropogenic impacts to coastal ecosystems,” according to the study.

The collaborative project between the two universities was funded primarily by Guam EPSCoR, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. Researchers in the study include Guam EPSCoR’s Dr. Terry Donaldson, principal investigator, and Dr. Atsushi Fujimura, assistant professor of oceanography and researcher, as well as Dr. Margaret McManus, Christina Comfort, Gordon Walker, and Chris Ostrander from UH Mānoa.

The full article of the study can be read at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100740.