Uncategorized - Guam EPSCoR

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 20, 2021December 22, 2021

Conservation Corps explores circular uses for invasive vine

With its pink and white blossom, the cadena de amor or “chain of love” has been a ubiquitous part of the island’s landscape, but not in a good way. The invasive vine’s canopy of flowers and tendrils choke native forests, preventing the growth of native understory plant species.

But the University of Guam G3 Conservation Corps found a way to fight back by repurposing parts of the invasive plant into viable products for the circular economy. As part of their training, the G3 Conservation Corps members cleared portions of Yona land overrun by the invasive vine in September. After that, they turned the harvested plant materials into a variety of products, from edible food items such as pesto, furikake, tea, to nonedible products such as clothing dye and bath bombs.

The corps members presented the products at a circular economy workshop. “The reason we did this workshop was to encourage the members to think of how to prolong the life of resources. The discussion that we had was how to get the community to come back to the idea of the circular economy,” G3 circular economy coordinator Myracle Mugol said.

Guam currently follows a linear economic model where resources are extracted, turned into products, and then disposed of after use. The circular economy, in comparison, closes the loop by prolonging the product life cycle and finding another purpose for waste that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Doing so keeps materials in use and, in the long run, lessens the burden on natural resources and regenerates natural systems.

At the workshop in Santa Rita, participants showcased the products made from parts of the plant.

Amanda Dedicatoria, science communicator for NSF EPSCoR prepared a pesto recipe using the chain of love leaves. “The leaves are a little bitter, so it was a little tough to think of what to make out of it. But pesto came to mind. I thought that the basil and the garlic — which are two very strong flavors used in pesto — would mask the bitterness or even complement it. It took two nights of recipe testing to see if it would work,” Dedicatoria said.

20210910 140143 — Sustainable Snack: Amongst the new ideas to use the vine was Pesto, prepared by G3 team member Amanda Dedicatoria.

Meanwhile, Joseph Certeza, a conservation corps member, prepared a textile dye using plant tubers. “As conservation corps members, we are tasked and challenged by each other as well as the project to create products out of the chain of love. I am a textile designer, someone who likes to use natural dyes,” he said.

Jasmine Flores-Cantrell of Numa’lo Refillery also lead a workshop that incorporated the leaves and flower of the invasive plant in a bath bomb recipe that aimed to reduce waste in an ecological way.

“We know that invasive species do harm to native species, and to remove them is one thing, but what do you do with that waste,” said Flores-Cantrell. “To use them and reuse them in a product that is beneficial to the body, is also beneficial to the core.”

The G3 Conservation Corps program prepares the community for the emerging green economy. The program is aligned with the current island-wide efforts to achieve sustainability and other UN SDGs.

The implementation of a circular economy on the island contribute to achieving multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 8 (economic growth), SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate change), among others.

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

Meet the Team: Dirige does her part to keep the Guam NSF EPSCoR program moving forward

After spending her entire career working with and helping program leads and researchers as the Director for Contracts and Grants at the University of Guam (UOG) Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Janet Dirige took a leap into the ocean known as EPSCoR and has been swimming since.

Following her retirement from UOG in the summer of 2020, Dirige made her return to the workforce and is now the Associate Director/Project Administrator of Guam NSF-EPSCoR.

According to Dirige, her main goal is to make sure that the program and all its components stay on track.

“I work with project management,” explained Dirige. “I ensure that Guam EPSCoR stays within the rules and regulations of the National Science Foundation to ensure we are in compliance with expenditures and project scope of work.”

When the mother of two is not spending time with her children or two grandchildren, you can find her listening to music, catching a movie or spending time outside gardening.

Her strong connection to the environment and sense of family leaves her hopeful for the future and thankful for the work the EPSCoR research team is conducting.

“I hope with all the research our research team is doing they find the solution to the coral bleaching problem,” said Dirige. “(They can) make it better for Guam and the region so we can have a better ecosystem and better environment for everyone.”

Dirige says that she is excited to work with team members to accomplish tasks and make things happen as efficiently as possible.

“I like to get things done,” said Dirige. “Tomorrow there is going to be another project or event that we need to take care of, so as long as it is within our budget and in compliance, let’s get it done.”

Dirige can be found in the main EPSCoR house in Dean Circle alongside the administration team and can be reached via email at <jtdirige@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 15, 2021December 22, 2021

S/T committee explores pandemic recovery opportunities to move priorities forward

At the University of Guam EPSCoR Science and Technology (S/T) Committee meeting earlier this month, members looked at addressing its priority challenge areas by tapping into resources that recently opened to support the recovery of communities during the pandemic.

The S/T committee’s priority challenge areas include IT and cybersecurity, biosciences and technology transfer, medical and healthcare, and sustainability (food-waste-energy nexus).

Robert Underwood, committee vice-chair and voting member, said possible funding sources include the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration grants. The EDA grant received around $3 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act to reinvest in communities across the US. The program can support both the development of pandemic recovery strategies and the implementation of recovery projects.

The recovery projects under the grant are aligned with the focus of the S/T committee. The list of eligible projects includes construction and development of technology-based facilities, wet labs, science and research parks, workforce training facilities, and telecommunications infrastructure. The EDA grant could potentially generate anywhere between $500 thousand to over $5 million in funding.

With the committee’s mandate to expand the University’s research capabilities, tapping into statewide planning, research, and network grants supported by EDA was also discussed during the meeting.

The meeting also highlighted several gains achieved by committee members which address the priority challenge areas. For example, Melanie Mendiola, GEDA administrator and committee voting member, provided updates on the government’s plan to build a medical campus facility, which addresses the medical and healthcare challenge area. According to Mendiola, the first phase of the project includes constructing a Center for Disease Control laboratory on Guam. She said the Office of Island Affairs (OIA) under the CDC has approved around $30 million for the project.

At the start of the meeting, UOG President Thomas Krise also provided updates on the University’s infrastructure projects such as the School Engineering, the Student Center, and the Guam Cultural Repository building. He anticipates the repository to open by the end of this year. Krise also highlighted the importance of delivering the message that research advances can help the community, and activities relating to science and technology are investments that yield returns.

For the next few months, the S/T steering committee will be developing a new Guam Science and Technology plan focusing on the following areas: Micronesia/international research collaboratorium; STEM capacity-building; STEM infrastructure; communication, and; diversified economy.

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.

August 31, 2021December 22, 2021

G3 Conservation Corps helps plant more than 2,000 trees to prevent erosion

The growing reforestation movement was in full display as more than 2,000 trees were planted in the hills of Malesso’ on July 24 by the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps, a joint program of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability, the Office of the Governor, and Guam NSF EPSCoR’s Education and Workforce Development objective.

The Corps worked alongside the Department of Agriculture Forestry Division, and more than 200 interns and volunteers.

The effort was part of the As Gadao Manell Watershed Restoration Project and one of several Island Beautification Task Force activities organized by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Guam to commemorate Guam’s 77th Liberation Day.

“[The Forestry Division] is trying to plant trees to prevent erosion, to put back and recover native and endemic species, and try and solve some environmental issues out there,” Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio said. “Tree planting this morning is one of the very critical pieces in the plan.”

The G3 Conservation Corps members spent the week prior working alongside the DOA team preparing the land for the planting event.

“We spent about four days bush-cutting in a very specific manner, taught by the forestry team, to prepare the land for this event, and it made it so easy for the volunteers to come in and plant so many trees,” said G3 Conservation Corps member Joey Certeza. “Preparing the land, and now seeing it with so many people helping out, is very satisfying and gratifying.”

The corps members created contour lines in the southern ridge to create space for trees to be planted and pruned previously planted acacia trees (Acacia auriculiformis) to prepare for the introduction of understory natives to develop a native forest.

“We are working to convert the highly fire-prone landscape, which is dominated by invasive grass species, to forested lands,” said Christine Fejeran, the Forestry and Soil Resources Division chief at the Guam Department of Agriculture. “The acacias help amend soils and shade out the grasses giving native trees a chance, once planted.”

The G3 Conservation Corps is a newly launched workforce development program preparing the local community for the emerging green economy. It is part of the Guam Green Growth initiative, the island’s most comprehensive public-private partnership ever created to achieve a sustainable future for the island.