Dr. Gerry Plumley (a PI on this proposal) focuses on marine phytoplankton primarily using biochemical/molecular approaches. He is PI on a NOAA-funded project that seeks to identify the genes involved in the synthesis of saxitoxin (a "red tide" toxin). He is also engaged in three grants left in Alaska in 2004 when he joined BIOS: one grant is aimed at developing a molecular understanding of the role bacteria play in the physiology of marine algae, the other two are regional in nature and pertain to the severe saxitoxin-related problems that plague Alaska. Current projects for REU students include:

• Effects of environmental growth conditions on saxitoxin production in cyanobacteria
• Genome analysis of saxitoxin producing strains of cyanobacteria
  
• Development of molecular protocols such as Tn5 mutagenesis for marine organisms
• Characterization of bacterial genes involved in bacterial-algal interactions

Dr. Samantha de Putron (a P.I. on this proposal) is a benthic ecologist with a focus on the ecology, biology and vulnerability of coral reef and other near-shore sub-tropical and tropical ecosystems. Current research areas include: an assessment of variability in coral larval settlement success across Bermuda's different reef zones; lunar periodicity to coral larval release; coral gamete, larval and juvenile coral development; and coral condition monitoring to determine disease and bleaching susceptibility. Projects suitable for a 12 week period include:

• Population dynamics and size frequency distributions of selected coral species across the Bermuda platform
• The effect of increased carbon dioxide and temperature on coral growth
  

Dr. Michael Lomas is a phytoplankton eco-physiologist with a focus on marine phytoplankton. At BIOS, he is a PI on several NSF-funded projects that seek to understand 1) physiological control of dissolved organic phosphorus utilization, 2) the role of short-term physical forcing on floristic structure and ocean biogeochemistry, and 3) long-term (decadal scale) changes in floristic composition in response to global change and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Current projects with relevant short-term components include:

• Effects of growth conditions on alkaline phosphatase expression in naturally occurring phytoplankton
• Taxon-specific carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake rates in marine picoplankton
• Phytoplankton species succession under manipulated carbon dioxide environments
• Development and validation of new flow cytometric sensors

Dr. Nick Bates is a marine biogeochemist whose primary interests include the oceanic carbon cycle and global climate change. He work on several different projects, most of which include components suitable for REU student projects:

• Experimental evaluation of the role of DMS as a factor in coral reef bleaching.
• Studies on how ocean biology, physics and chemistry influence the sink and source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the North Atlantic Ocean. A synthesis of oceanographic and climate related datasets
• Analysis of the carbon cycle and biological production in the Arctic Ocean: A synthesis of observations from 2002-2004.
• Experimental studies on how coral reef biology influences the diurnal cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide and feedbacks to the climate system
• Experimental evaluation of how ocean biology influences production of DMS and the subsequent impact on climate
• Experimental studies on the influence of ocean acidification (due to the ocean absorbing fossil fuel carbon dioxide) on coral reef and other marine calcifying organisms.

Dr. Ross Jones is PI of the BIOS, Inc. Marine Environmental Program (MEP). Current projects include long-term assessment of the health and status of Bermuda's coral reefs, water quality monitoring of the inshore basins, and ecotoxicological assessments of the effects of xenobiotics on corals and seagrasses. Other activities include: surveys of freshwater lenses for the presence of pesticides and hydrocarbons; identifying trends associated with antifouling paint usage in Bermuda waters, assisting with environmental impact statements for the construction of a New Causeway. Possible projects include:

• Assessing thermal tolerance of corals & hydrocorals from different locations via PAM fluorometry;
• Determining optimal conditions (light, temperature, etc) for corals in the BIOS seawater system;
• Chemical and microbial assessment of human fecal contamination of freshwater and nearshore waters (in conjunction with Dr Andrew Peters);
• Examining the nature of yellow blotch disease in corals using PAM chlorophyll fluorometry.

Dr. Jeannette Loram is an algal molecular ecologist. She is currently a postdoctoral research scientist at BIOS. Her short-term goal is to identify the genes necessary for the synthesis of saxitoxin. She also has interests in coral-algal symbioses which formed the focus for her PhD thesis, primarily the ecological significance of algal molecular diversity. Projects suitable for a 12 week project would be available in both areas of research. Available projects working on coral-microbial associations include:

• Development of in situ hybridization techniques for identification of algal clades in corals/anemones
• Nutritional interactions between algae and animal in coral-algal symbioses.
• Microbial diversity associated with healthy/diseased Bermudian corals

Dr. Andrew Peters is the PI of the Bermuda Environmental Quality Program, a long-term program assessing the impact of local and distant emissions on Bermuda's air quality. Other activities include: surveying Bermuda's freshwater lenses for the presence of pesticides and hydrocarbons; conducting environmental impact assessments for the local municipal waste incinerator; and undertaking investigations of emissions from local industrial activities. Available projects for REU students include:

• Short-term and episodic behavior of contaminants and pathogens in rainwater collection tanks.
• Chemical and microbial assessment of human fecal contamination of freshwater and nearshore waters.
• Organic geochemical markers in the atmosphere and their application as tracers of pollution sources.

Dr. Peter Sedwick's current research interests include: the marine geochemistry of trace metals, particularly iron, and their role in regulating marine primary production, ecosystem structure and carbon cycling; the atmospheric deposition of trace metals into the ocean; and the paleoenvironmental records contained in marine sediments and Antarctic ice cores.

• Interested students should contact Dr. Sedwick about REU projects in 2007 and beyond.

Dr. Alex Venn works within the Marine Environmental Program, monitoring water quality and examining natural, climate-related and contaminant induced variations in the relationship between corals and their symbiotic zooxanthellae. He is a potential co-supervisor with Dr. Ross Jones on projects in the following areas:

• Assessing the effects of herbicides on coral growth rates using the buoyant weight technique;
• Assessing the thermal tolerance of coral and hydrocorals from different locations across the Bermuda platform using PAM chlorophyll fluorometry and determination of symbiotic algae density;
• Assessing the physiological status of symbiotic algae (= zooxanthellae) expelled from corals in response to heat stress, copper and herbicides using chlorophyll fluorometry and flow cytometry (in conjunction with Dr Mike Lomas and Dr Ross Jones).

Dr. James B. Wood's research specializes on cephalopod behavior, physiology and life history. Dr. Wood also works on other marine invertebrates, bioinformatics and biodiversity and is active with the Census of Marine Life. He has also developed online education and outreach projects since 1995 including CephBase and The Cephalopod Page. As a researcher early in his career, Dr. Wood is able to spend considerable time with his REU students and he strives for a publication with each of them.

• Visual communication in Caribbean Reef Squid
• Quantifying camouflage in octopuses
• Invertebrate biodiversity in Bermuda
• Growth rates of squid in the wild.