PHYCOLOGICAL NEWSLETTER A PUBLICATION OF THE PHYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA WINTER INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 2008 PSA Meeting 1 SPRING 2008 Meetings and Symposia 2 Editor: Courses 5 Juan Lopez-Bautista VOLUME 44 Job Opportunities 11 Department of Biological Sciences Trailblazer 28: Sophie C. Ducker 12 University of Alabama Island to honor UAB scientists 18 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Books 19 [email protected] Deadline for contributions 23 ∗Dr. Karen Steidinger (Florida Fish and 1 2008 Meeting of Wildlife Research Institute) presenting The Phycological Society of America a plenary talk entitled “Harmful algal blooms in North America: Common risks.” New Orleand, Louisiana, USA NUMBER 27-30 July The associated mini-symposium speakers will be Dr. Leanne Flewelling (Florida Fish he Phycological Society of America (PSA) will and Wildlife Research Institute) present- hold its 2008 annual meeting on July 27-30, ing a talk entitled “Unexpected vectors of 1 T2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The brevetoxins to marine mammals” and Dr. meeting will be held on the campus of Loyola Jonathan Deeds (US FDA Center for Food University and is being hosted by Prof. James Wee Safety and Applied Nutrition) present- (Loyola University). The meeting will kick-off with ing a talk entitled “The evolving story of an opening mixer on the evening of Sunday, 27 July Gyrodinium galatheanum = Karlodinium and the scientific program will be Monday through micrum = Karlodinium veneficum. A ten- Wednesday, 28-30 July. The PSA banquet will be year perspective.” Wednesday evening at the Louisiana Swamp Ex- hibit at the Audubon Zoo. Optional field trips are *Dr. John W. Day (Louisiana State planned before the meeting and a work day with University) headlining a session on the Habitat for Humanity is being explored for the day ecology and management of coastal and after the meeting. Low-cost dormitory accom- wetland ecosystems, particularly in the modations will be available on the Loyola campus. Mississippi Delta region in the aftermath Room blocks have also been reserved at two nearby of major hurricanes. Dr. Day will present hotels. a talk entitled “Climate change, energy scarcity, and sustainable management of Continuing with the new meeting format begun the Mississippi delta.” One of the associ- in 2006, PSA will again sponsor Plenary talks and ated mini-symposium speakers will be associated mini-symposia with participants identi- Dr. Sibel Bargu (Louisiana State Univer- fied by the Plenary speakers. Contributed papers sity) presenting a talk entitled “Harmful related to the mini-symposia topics will be solicited Algal Blooms (HABs) and their impact on and scheduled in “featured contributed talk” ses- Marine Environments in the Northern sions immediately following each mini-symposium. Gulf of Mexico,” and Dr. Paul Kemp (Vice- President, Gulf Coast Initiative National The Plenary Speakers and session topics for 2008 Audubon Society) presenting a talk on are: the ecological implications of wetland versity. Topic: “Early Evolution of Eukaryotes” Minisymposium: Paleolimnology (Christian Kamenik, WINTER convener) -Sergi Pla (Loughborough Univ.) – Paleoclimatology with SPRING 2008 a focus on the Pyrenees -Andrew Paterson (Ontario) – Improving Lake manage- volume 44 restoration and flood protection. ment: Linking the Past & Present *Dr. Bill Barclay (Martek Biosciences -Jordi Catalan (Univ. Barcelona), tentative - Climate Recon- struction Corporation) will headline a session on -Peter Siver (Connecticut College) - Chrysophytes in the algal biotechnology and present an ad- Eocene dress entitled “Commercial production of highly unsaturated fatty acids by microal- Tuesday, June 24th gae: Lessons for biofuels production.” The Keynote Presentation: Mitch Sogin, Marine Biological Lab- associated mini-symposium speakers will oratory, Woods Hole. Topic: Microbial Population Structure 2 be Dr. Craig Weaver (Martek Biosciences) of the World’s Oceans: an underexplored “rare biosphere” presenting a talk entitled “Manipulation of Minisymposium: Evolution of Heterokonts (Robert Ander- Number Schizochytrium genes for improved fatty sen, convener) acid production” and Dr. Casey Lippmeier -Rose Ann Cattolico (University of Washington) - New (Martek Biosciences) presenting a talk perspectives on stramenopile chloroplast genome 1 entitled “Schizochytrium as a viable produc- -Robert Andersen (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sci- tion platform for biotechnology.” ences) - Heterokont algal phylogenies derived from multi- gene analyses. -Hwan Su Yoon (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences) Molecular evolution of the brown algae and kelps -J. Craig Bailey (University of North Carolina - Wilmington) Plastids and colorless stramenopiles: implications for the 7th International Chrysophyte Symposium origin of heterokont algae Connecticut College Stom@ocyst WIKI workshop led by Christian Kamenik Other Workshops are still being planned June 22-27, 2008 New London, Connecticut, U.S.A. Wednesday, June 25th Taste & Odor Workshop- The Senses of Taste and Smell, and Water Tentative Keynote and Mini-Symposia Schedule Gary Burlingame, Philadelphia Water Supply his is a reminder notice that plans continue Thursday, June 26th to move forward for this year’s International Keynote Presentation: James Rohlf, SUNY-Stony Broo. TChrysophyte Symposium. We’ve heard from Topic: “Use of Geometric Morphometrics in Biology” many of you and anticipate a great crowd and an Minisymposium: Signals & Smells: Chemical Ecology exciting series of talks. Listed below are the key- &Taste and Odor (Sue Watson, convener) note talks and tentative minisymposia speakers. -Sue Watson (National Water Research Institute, Burling- In addition, we’ll have open sessions each day for ton, Canada) – Chrysophyceae & Other Taxa: Signals & the presentations and posters that we hope many Smells in Drinking Water and Foodwebs of you will present. Please check our conference -Gary Burlingame (Philadelphia Water Supply) – The Case website for regular updates of the Cucumber Flower http://www.conncoll.edu/academics/departments/botany/ICS.html T-homas Wichard (Princeton) - Chemical Signals & Harm- ful Algal Blooms Sunday, June 22nd -David Domozych (Skidmore College) – tentative title, Arrival & Registration Didymosphenia geminata: Invasive or Opportunist? Monday, June 23rd We look forward to seeing you in June! Keynote Presentation: Andrew Knoll, Harvard Uni- WINTER SPRING 2008 ISAP 2008 June 21-27 Galway, Ireland Volume 44 he 3rd Congress of the International Society for Applied Phycology and the T11th International Conference on Ap- plied Phycology will be held at the National University of Ireland, Galway 21st to 27th of 3 June 2008 and will be hosted by the Martin Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway. “Eocene Chrysophyte Cyst” taken by P.A. Siver Number The Fifth Asian Pacific Phycological Forum Since the early 19th century, when scientif- November 10-14, 2008 ic investigations of Irish marine algae began Wellington, New Zealand in earnest with William Henry Harvey (1811- 1 1866), over 600 different species of seaweed he Fifth Asian Pacific Phycological Forum will from Irish waters have been identified. Given be held on November 10-14, 2008 in Welling- the small area of the island, this is a very high Tton, New Zealand. biodiversity. No wonder as Ireland has an extensive coastline of about 7,500 km and This meeting is jointly sponsored by the APPA a north-south span of almost 4 degrees of (Asian Pacific Phycology Association) and ASPAB latitude. Seawater temperature range from 6- (Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic 8 ºC in February and from 15-16 º C in August Botany), and local organizations (NIWA and VUW). and the mean range of spring tides varies The web page is up and running at from 2.2-4.5 m (Marine Institute 2002). www.appf2008.com and a flier is downloadable from this site. Please cir- Seaweed harvesting is an ancient tradition culate it to all your students and associates. Various in Ireland and the usage of dulse for food mini-symposia are scheduled (see web site), as are (Palmaria palmata) in Ireland first appears in workshops. a stanza of a poem now thought to be 12th century (Ó Madagáin 1994). Other edible spe- This is the first international phycological meeting cies that have traditionally been harvested in New Zealand. are Chondrus crispus and Mastocarpus stella- tus (carrageen), and Porphyra species (laver). A call for papers and registration details will be an- Different types of fucoids and kelps have nounced in January 2008, with registration/abstract been used as fertilizer by coastal dwellers for due about May/June. The page will be updated as hundreds of years. During Ireland’s potato information becomes available. famines of the 19th century, many commu- nities were forced to rely on seaweed and Please book this exciting meeting at this great site other seafoods. Ireland has a tradition of kelp into your calendar. harvesting dating back to the 17th century. Coastal communities would collect and We look forward to seeing many of you! harvest kelp, particularly storm-cast, plants which were burnt in kelp kilns (oval circles tours to view these magnificent sea creatures up close. Bird-watching is a real highlight in some of the WINTER country’s more remote areas and majestic seacliffs, with fulmars, puffins and razorbills all making an ap- SPRING 2008 pearance. Inner Galway (the Claddagh) is well known volume 44 of stopes in the foreshore). The burnt ash-re- for its rare waders and gulls. Also, unspoiled