PHYCOLOGICAL NEWSLETTER A PUBLICATION OF THE PHYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA PSA 2011 in Seattle, July 13-16, University of Washington campus! summer Message from PSA President Paul Hayes write this message, my last as President, at a fall 2010 time that presents interesting challenges and I exciting opportunities for phycologists. Many Editor: of the major issues facing society have a phyco- Juan Lopez-Bautista VOLUME 46 logical dimension. To give just a few examples, no one can have failed to notice the substantial Department of Biological Sciences interest in using both macro and microalgae as a University of Alabama potential source of biofuels, and now phycologists need to engage in improving the yield of oils if this Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 potential is to be realised. Sustainable access to [email protected] freshwater is becoming a major global issue, and one that is impacted significantly by toxic algal and 1 cyanobacterial blooms. The phycological commu- Co-Editor: nity must generate the biological understanding needed both to underpin the management prac- Dale Casamatta tices necessary to prevent bloom formation and to Department of Biology NUMBER 2 provide early warning systems that allow contami- nation to be detected before it causes problems. In University of North Florida the post-antibiotic era we need to find new ways to Jacksonville, FL 32224 arrest the growth of pathogenic organisms. The in- credible diversity and long evolutionary history of [email protected] algae is reflected in the production of a multitude of secondary metabolites. Phycologists need to be actively involved in the extensive bioprospecting INSIDE THIS ISSUE: needed to identify and characterise these com- pounds. Message from the President 1 I realise that this is both a very superficial and a very incomplete romp through the potential Awards and Nominations 2 impacts of phycological research, but it serves Courses 6 to illustrate what we already know, i.e. that the study of eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria is not Trailblazer No 33 9 something that should just be of interest to a few Past and upcoming events 16 specialists, it is important. PSA members have a News 21 major contribution to make in driving forward this applied research agenda and in the broader ad- Accolades 24 vancement of our understanding of all aspects of Books 26 algal biology, but what is the role of the PSA itself? At the moment the PSA concentrates its energies Fundraising 29 on the publication of the Journal of Phycology and Business Meeting Minutes 30 the Newsletter, on organising an annual scientific Deadline 33 meeting, on supporting students, on promoting publications in phycology, including via the web, and on recognising and rewarding excellence through its various prizes and awards. Should we support its membership and to ensure that as a Society be doing more, and if so, what? These phycology has a voice and that phycolo- are questions that we have started to debate with- gists are able to contribute appropriately to in the Executive Committee and the Board of Trus- addressing major global challenges, then tees, but we would greatly appreciate input and please do contact me so that your views can suggestions from the wider membership. So, if you help shape the future development of this have ideas about what the PSA should be doing to great Society. summer fall 2010 volume 46 AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS 2010 PSA Award of Excellence: Michael D. Guiry 2 Number 2 Paul Hayes presenting Mike Guiry with the PSA’s Award of Ex- cellence, in East Lansing, Michigan, July 13, 2010. Masters project, he has been captivated by the algae. It was during his doctoral research that he discovered a distinct morphological development of tetrasporangia in Palmaria, a generic name that he resurrected. This led to his proposing the new order of red algae, the Palmari- Paul Hayes presenting Mike Guiry with ales. He was not afraid to go up against some entrenched the PSA’s Award of Excellence, in East views on ordinal classification in the red algae, that were Lansing, Michigan, July 13, 2010. anchored in the Kylinian system, and he was among the first to break down the barriers with fresh ideas, ready to challenge the status quo. After doctoral and postdoctoral studies in England, Michael took up a post at University College, Galway, Mike Guiry seems happiest when he is in the intertidal overlapping with the Professor of Botany at the time, the with Alaria. phycologist Máirín De Veléra (for whom he named the genus Devaleraea). He has carried on the phycological t the banquet of the July meetings at Mich- tradition there ever since. As one of his letters of nomina- igan State University, PSA President Paul tion points out, he has been instrumental in the continu- Hayes announced that this year’s recipient ation and development of the subject in a global con- A text. Despite being heavily involved with administrative of the Society’s Award of Excellence is Michael D. Guiry of the National University of Ireland, Galway. responsibilities, that include his long service as Chair of Mike was there to receive the award in person, the Botany Department and 12 years service as Director and two of his former Ph.D students, Juliet Brodie of the Martin Ryan Marine Science Institute, Mike man- and Chris Maggs, were on hand to make some aged to maintain his scholarly productivity and frequent remarks, both humorous and serious, about their collaboration with colleagues around the world. former mentor, easily offering evidence why Mike is a most deserving recipient of this year’s pres- Mike kept active in undergraduate teaching, includ- tigious honor. Ever since the time when he got ing classes on the algae, and he supervised a series of into a boat to row out into the sea off the south- PhD students (including Maggs, Brodie, Cunningham, west coast of Ireland to collect seaweeds for his Alvarez, Ní Chualáin, Kraan and Wilkes). Mike’s record of service to the phycological community has indeed been remarkable: President of the International Phycological Society, President of the British Phycological Society, edi- summer tor of Phycologia, and web-master for the International Seaweed Association, the IPS and BPS. But by far the most fall 2010 significant impact that he has made has been as creator libraries to obtain. Yet Mike still continues his of AlgaeBase, an invaluable on-line resource on marine, own hands-on research on red algal taxonomy, freshwater, and terrestrial algae. Mike, presently with the Volume 46 morphology and unraveling life histories. involvement of his wife Wendy, continues to maintain this site, which now includes 125,000+ names of taxa, 44,000+ AlgaeBase has been expanding to include bibliographic references, almost 10,000 algal images and more and more images, databasing, map- 162,500+ distributional records. This resource has been a ping and other web-based activities, giving it fantastic tool for phycologists around the world because a uniquely important impact. As one of Mike’s it provides an up-to-date presentation of taxonomic nominators remarked: “I believe Mike could judgments, showing which names of species are “Cur- be the world’s best-known phycologist today 3 rent”, which ones are “Synonyms”, and which ones are of because of his unswerving devotion to bringing “Uncertain” status. It is dynamic, ever changing, always these databases into the public domain and mak- being added to and enriched. It is a wealth of information ing them fully accessible.” So this year the Selec- Number 2 on literature, both old and contemporary, more and more tion Committee concluded that Michael Guiry providing PDF files of literature that is often otherwise is the most deserving recipient of the Society’s impossible for our colleagues lacking well-established 2010 Award of Excellence. Wendy and Mike Guiry at a well fortified watering hole in Ann Arbor. CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE GUIRY FOR A WELL DESERVED 2010 PSA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE! 2010 BOLD AND PSA POSTER summer AWARD WINNERS The 2009 Bold Award was given to J. Jeffrey Mor- fall 2010 ris from The University of Tennesee. Jeff gave an outstanding talk on the evolution towards depen- volume 46 2010 PROVASOLI AWARD WINNERS dency in a free-living organism. Jeff demonstrated the “helper” effect from heterotrophic organisms to increase resitance of Prochlorococcus to hydrogen peroxide. Jeremy C. Nettleton, from the University of New Hampshire was the recipient of the 2010 PSA poster award. He presented his work on using macroalgae 4 to track environmental changes in the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Number 2 In general, both the Bold Award and Poster Award sessions were excellent. All students were commend- ed for outstanding work on their research projects. Advisors were also commended for their great work on mentoring these fine students. PSA EXECUTIVE MEMBERS RECOGNITION During the PSA Banquet and Award Ceremony on Bob Sheath presenting the 2010 PSA Provasoli July 13, 2010 at the Big Ten Room of the Kellog Hotel Award to Peter Kroth & Conference Center, several PSA members of the Executive Committee were recognized. The Luigi Provasoli Award for the outstand- ing paper published in the Journal of Phycol- The following members were acknowledged with ogy during 2009 was presented to Arne C. a commemorative plaque for their service to the PSA Materna, Sabine Sturm, Peter G. Kroth, and during 2008-2010: Johann Lavaud for their paper “First induced plastid genome mutations in an alga with Chuck Amsler: PSA past-president secondary plastids: psbA mutations in the dia- TJ Evans: Program Director tom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bacillario- Roy Lehman: Membership Director phyceae) reveal consequences on the regula- Juan Lopez-Bautista: Communications Director tion of photosynthesis” [J.