2013 Grant Awardees

Share the Post:

The 2013 Research Alliance awardees represent 18 scientists from 5 research organizations pursuing projects that support of STAC’s partnership with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and address the three research questions related to RINSF EPSCoR: What are the impacts of climate change on marine life?

RI Seaweed Biodiversity Project: Establishing a DNA-Based Framework for Understanding Seaweed Range Expansions in RI Waters

This team is using genomics to identify and catalogue invasive species of algal marine bio-invaders to improve coastal management and biosecurity in Narragansett Bay.

Collaborators

  • Christopher Lane, University of Rhode Island
  • Brian Wysor, Roger Williams University

Temperature-mediated Changes in RI’s Benthic Community: What Are the Implications for Local Food Webs and Fisheries?

This team will work to return winter flounder to RI waters through better understanding the evolving population dynamics of the blue crab and summer flounder, two of its natural predators.

Collaborators

  • David Taylor, Roger Williams University
  • Jeremy Collie, University of Rhode Island

The Pathogenic Cause and Impact of the Local Sea Star Wasting Disease

This collaboration will bring together six researchers with ecological, veterinary, molecular, microbial and aquaculture expertise to determine the mysterious cause of a deadly infectious disease attacking starfish from New Jersey to the Gulf of Maine.

Collaborators

  • Gary Wessel, Brown University
  • Roxanna Smolowitz, Roger Williams University
  • Marta Gomez-Chiarri, University of Rhode Island
  • Edward Baker, University of Rhode Island
  • Niels-Viggo Hobbs, University of Rhode Island

Estimating the Potential for Evolutionary Adaption of Marine Organisms to Climate Change

This team will use native shrimp to study the evolutionary potential of marine species to adapt to warming waters.

Collaborators

  • Jason Kolbe, University of Rhode Island
  • Carol Thornber, University of Rhode Island
  • Jason Grear, US EPA

Electric Microcable Bacteria in Narragansett Bay Sediments

Working in the new area of electromicrobiology, this team will pursue their hypothesis that microbial bacteria are evolving to detoxify sediment in coastal dead zones.

Collaborators

  • Jeremy Rich, Brown University
  • Bethany Jenkins, University of Rhode Island

Ocean Acidification Effects on Plankton Community Composition and Food Web Energy Flow

This team will look at how whole marine communities respond to ocean acidification.

Collaborators

  • Susanne Menden-Deuer, University of Rhode Island
  • Tatiana Rynearson, University of Rhode Island
  • Breea Govenar, RI College
  • Jason Grear, US EP