Robyn Hannigan, Ph.D. - US grants

The PI requests funding to initiate a summer internship program at Old Dominion University that will focus on biogeochemistry and will be specifically geared to encourage participation from minorities. Collaborative biogeochemistry projects will include (1) trace element chemistry of natural water and (2) biogeochemical processes in marine systems. The program will support 10 students who will be recruited from four-year colleges, including several HBCUs. The program will include weekly seminars on scientific and ethical topics. This proposal is supported by the NSF Ethics and Values (EVS) program. The proposal also contains significant cost sharing from the University.

With this award from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Arkansas State University will acquire a high performance liquid chromatograph. This equipment will enhance research in a number of areas including a) characterization of bio-organic compounds in oxalate rock coatings; b) rare earth element geochemistry using capillary electrophoresis for environmental risk assessment studies; c) development of new post-column chromatographic methods for measuring chemical species in drinking and natural waters; and d) determination of the effects of phystoestrogens on mammalian reproduction.

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an extremely powerful technique used for the separation and analysis of complex mixtures. The results from these studies will have an impact in a number of areas including geochemistry, environmental chemistry and biology.

HANNIGAN
0233661

ABSTRACT
Despite large-scale explorations of connections between water quality and bedrock weathering, large gaps in our understanding of these relationships remain. Contaminants, such as metals extracted from soft sedimentary rocks such as black shales, are released to rivers and groundwaters and subsequently are transported to water supplies. While it is clear that black shales contribute to the metal budgets we lack the basic information necessary to gauge the impact of black shale weathering on water and sediment quality. This study will explore the geochemical behavior of metals during black shale weathering in several catchments (three underlain by black shales, one underlain by limestone and the fifth impacted by agricultural activity). Data collection will integrate several disciplines including geochemistry, mineralogy, hydrology and ecotoxicology. Physical and chemical hydrologic data, metal chemistry of environmental media (precipitation, surface water, groundwater, soil, stream sediments etc.) and bioassay and sediment-water quality testing will be integrated over an 18 month collection period. These data, when considered in concert, are critical to assessing metal loading in black shale regions and the impact of metal release on aquatic ecosystems.

This interdisciplinary investigation will foster a better understanding of the variations in trace element concentrations in fish ear stones (otoliths) and study the utilization of these variations in reconstucting environmental life histories of freshwater fish. A central goal is to develop this technique for use in freshwater fisheries studies by testing the ability of otolith microchemistry to record small variations in water chemistry within a watershed. This research is made possible by recent developments in analytical chemistry. Specifically, the development of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS) makes possible an interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together complementary expertise in field ecology, trace element geochemistry and analytical chemistry. The otoliths of fish are key indicators of fish life history as the layers of the otolith record the chemistry of the water in which the fish lived at the time of otolith deposition. With these layers deposited daily we can use the chemical variations in the otoliths to chemically fingerprint the nursery habitats. The distribution of a suite of elements and isotopes in otoliths (including Ba, Sr, Mg, Ca, the rare earths, Pb, d18O, d13C, and 87Sr) will be studied to determine elemental and isotopic variation within a population of brown trout, Salmo trutta, in the Little Red River watershed of central Arkansas. The major thrust of this project is to develop the technique of using otolith microchemistry to reconstruct environmental life histories of fresh water fish. This study will provide a better understanding of otolith microchemistry which could be applied to a wide range of concerns that may be biological, anthropological or environmental in nature. The project will also train students in these various cross-disciplinary studies.

The Program for Environmental Science at Arkansas State University (ASU) provides a 10-week summer research experience for 10 highly motivated traditionally under-represented minority undergraduate students interested in environmental research. The summer research program focuses on interdisciplinary investigation of aquatic agri-ecosystems in the Delta, Ozark, and Ouachita regions of Arkansas. The land-use in these regions strongly influences ecosystem processes such as runoff, nutrient cycling, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats. In addition, the dominance of agriculture significantly impacts land- and water-use policy, law and economics. Understanding the chemistry, ecology, geology, policy and economics of agri-ecosystems provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to investigate relations between natural and anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystem processes. The principal objectives are to promote the professional development of undergraduate researchers and instill a better appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. The REU scholars, individually and in small groups, work closely with faculty mentors on research projects ranging from ecotoxicology, geochemistry, biogeochemistry, vertebrate and invertebrate ecology, to resource management, policy, law and economics. The program challenges scholars to expand their disciplinary focus and develop an interdisciplinary perspective. Weekly project meetings are used to evaluate progress, examine interdisciplinary linkages between individual research components, and develop new and expanded research plans. Students also participate in ethics seminars where they have an opportunity to debate ethical, gender and minority, and environmental policy issues with the program staff and invited professionals.

Research Internships in Science of the Environment (RISE) Program at Arkansas State University provides students a unique cross-disciplinary research experience under the broad disciplinary umbrella of Environmental Science. The research program is unified through a common research field site, a common set of research objectives, and the inclusion of REU participants in a collaborative research team comprised of two REU participants and two faculty mentors. Research efforts center on the relation between agricultural land-use and impact on the environment including environmental chemistry, contaminant fate and transport, habitat quality, and biodiversity. Research at a centralized field area, the Judd Hill Plantation, and collaborative research training in the field and laboratory provides students with hands-on training in state-of-the-art analytical technologies while providing training in a number of environmental disciplines ranging from chemistry to ecology to geology to social sciences. RISE is specifically designed to provide integrated research and training opportunities to under-represented minority students. RISE particularly encourages the participation of rising sophomore and junior students in biology, chemistry and/or social sciences interested in research. Included in RISE is an ethics component comprised of seminars on topics such as environmental justice, the social dimensions of science and technology, and ethics in science. The program features seminars that include guest lectures from minority scientists in academia, government, and the private sector. RISE students present their research at a national scientific meeting and are provided mentorship by the program after the summer has ended. The goal is to provide young scholars the opportunity to be immersed in the "doing" of science providing the touchstone experience they need to thrive and excel at the undergraduate and graduate level. More information and application materials can be found at http://www.cas.astate.edu/rise or by contacting Dr. Robyn Hannigan (hannigan@astate.edu; 870-680-4360 or 870-972-3269).

ABSTRACT

The goal of the URM program at Arkansas State University (Research Internships in Science of the Environment- University Program, RISE-UP, is to produce highly competent undergraduate students who successfully enroll and complete graduate degrees in the biological sciences. Specifically, RISE-UP seeks to increase access and opportunity for students traditionally under-represented in the biological sciences. Students will be engaged in their first college year in a series of activities dedicated to fostering the following learning outcomes: Problem Identification Skills, Problem Characterization Skills, Communication Competency (oral, written, and technological), Research Skills, and Analytical Skills. Within their first year in the program students will be engaged in meaningful research that leads to presentation at national/international conferences and to publication of their research findings in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. Using an apprentice model, faculty mentors will be engaged in life-long mentorship of undergraduate students in the classroom, research setting and beyond the undergraduate degree. Students participating in RISE-UP will complete their undergraduate degrees and successfully enroll in a research-based graduate program in the biological sciences. To realize these objectives, students will become members of one of 4 collaborative cross-disciplinary research teams. Each team is led by a senior faculty member with significant experience mentoring undergraduate researchers and consists of 3-5 mentors who are focused on a research project that leverages University strengths in the agri-environmental and molecular biosciences. The research focus of these four groups are: Evolution of Streams through Urban and Rural Landscapes, Molecular Diagnostics & High-throughput Technologies, Nanotoxicology and Metabolite Identification. For more information, visit http://programs.astate.edu/rise/rise-up/index.htm .

The ARISE (Accelerated Research into Science of the Environment) program will bring 8-12 upper-level undergraduate students (junior, senior and just graduated), selected from traditionally underrepresented students in the geosciences, to the Arkansas State University campus to attend an intensive three-week summer program that will provide a general review of Earth science topics, including hydrology, soil/water chemistry, ecology and biogeochemical cycles while performing directed research. This program is a collaboration between the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and Environmental Sciences and Chemistry and Physics programs at Arkansas State University. Links between social, historical and scientific issues will be explicitly addressed through field trips and seminars during the program. Faculty mentors from specific areas of expertise (e.g., hydrology, biogeochemistry, agricultural economics) gathered from regional schools will mentor students through cutting edge research.

An award has been made to Arkansas State University Main Campus under the direction of Dr. Steven Green to acquire a suite of elemental analyzers for use in ecological monitoring research and education. The instruments will be used to measure levels of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in agricultural ditches and stream habitats to study the dynamics of chemical cycling in these ecosystems. The measurements will aid in understanding effects pesticides in field runoff, nutrient cycling in freshwater mussels, and chemical weathering in freshwater habitats. The instruments will be integrated into teaching of graduate and undergraduate students in the use of these instruments for careers in scientific research.

This five-year project funds the continued efforts by the hydrologic science community to develop infrastructure for the integrated study of the water cycle. Four major project areas are in informatics, instrumentation, synthesis, and observatory design. In informatics, the focus of the effort is moving a developmental effort in web services to provide seamless access to water data services to an operational status through outreach and engagement of the academic research community and collaboration with government agencies which collect water data, such as the US Geological Survey, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Department of Agriculture. Workshops will also be held for the development of a Community Hydrologic Modeling Platform. Training workshops for advanced instrumentation will be held annually that will bring together academic developers, industry, and field scientists. Interdisciplinary research can be advanced through synthesis of data sets from multiple perspectives. Two summer synthesis institutes will be held to enable broader community participation in existing synthesis activities underway at the University of Illinois and City University of New York. CUAHSI will also participate in the on-going design of the WATERS Network, a major capital project for field observatories being developed jointly with the environmental engineering and social sciences communities.

Effective management of water resources in the coming century will require a more complete understanding of water in the earth system, its interactions with biota, and its economic role in food, fiber, and energy production, particularly as we are faced with climate change and increasing population pressures on this vital resource. This project seeks to develop tools and services to permit more integrated water research to be done more quickly and more efficiently.

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) received funds from the Major Research Instrumentation Program to support acquisition of an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IR-MS) to support ecological, biogeochemical, and geochemical research. The instrument is incorporated into the UMass Boston Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) enabling broad transdisciplinary research such as (1) isotopic analysis of water, dissolved organic carbon, and carbonate materials, (2) measurement of delta 13-C in dissolved organic carbon and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), (3) isotopic analysis of individual compounds (e.g. fatty acids and polyaromatic hydrocarbons), and (4) isotopic measurements in tissues, whole rocks and organic macerals from rocks. Results from the research enabled by the new equipment will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated through student and faculty presentations at regional and national meetings. UMass Boston is the only public university in the greater Boston area and is the most diverse public 4-year institution in New England. The instrumentation significantly enhances research and training of underrepresented minority students through integration into environmental courses throughout the College of Sciences and Mathematics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition a significant number of our students gain additional depth in experience and expertise through independent research projects, and presentation of their findings at scientific meetings.

An award has been made to the University of Massachusetts Boston to organize a workshop for NSF BIO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Directors. The workshop is scheduled for March 18-20, 2010 in Arlington, VA. The goals of the workshop are to (1) address the challenges and opportunities presented by a common assessment tool; (2) share best practices in developing, implementing, and assessing Ethics/Responsible Conduct of Research training; (3) share ideas for improving individual program implementation; and (4) discuss best practices in student recruitment, development, and tracking, and mentor training. The goals will be accomplished through presentations and panel discussions by experts, through opportunities for discussion and networking among participants, through a poster session, and through a final report to be submitted to NSF summarizing the workshop findings. An existing website (http://www.bioreu.org) will be used to register participants, solicit poster abstracts, collect information from participants that will inform the development of a final agenda, and to identify individuals who volunteer to become facilitators, reporters and scribes for the breakout sessions. Over 150 participants are expected, and a Leadership Committee has been formed to assist in the planning. The PI, Robyn Hannigan, may be contacted at Robyn.Hannigan@umb.edu.

An award has been made to the University of Massachusetts Boston to manage, in collaboration with the BIO REU Leadership Committee, the BIO REU Travel Scholarship program. Travel scholarships will be provided to students who have participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, especially those programs funded or co-funded by the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO). These travel scholarships will ensure that students experience the full scope of "doing science" by affording them the opportunity to present their work to their scientific peers. The goal of the Travel Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to undergraduate researchers to enable them to present their work at a national scientific meeting. Students will apply for funds on-line at http://www.bioreu.org. A committee of REU mentors will review the applications, which include the student's abstract of the research, letters of recommendation from the research mentors and/or REU site directors, and an essay on the anticipated professional development outcomes of attendance and presentation. Awards will be based on the application and the potential impact of the travel scholarship on the student's career, with priority given to participants of BIO funded or co-funded REU programs. Selected papers will be featured in the http://www.bioreu.org website in order to communicate the results of the research to the broader scientific community and the public. This project will assess the impacts of the activity on the students' career choice. Additional information is available at http://www.bioreu.org or by contacting Dr. Robyn Hannigan (Robyn.Hannigan@umb.edu).

This award to the University of Arkansas will allow the PIs, Marty Matlock and Robyn Hannigan, to develop readily available resource for ethical and responsible conduct of research (ERCR) training of undergraduates participating in the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The PIs plan to 1) Inventory and review at least 40 existing ERCR educational materials; 2) Evaluate their appropriateness and completeness for application in the NSF REU program; 3) Develop new modules for specific use of the BIO REU Program; 4) Pilot test modules at three REU programs; and 5) Develop and implement assessment tools to evaluate effectiveness of the pilot modules.
Intellectual Merit: Teaching ethics to undergraduate students is an integral part of the NSF REU program. This requirement for ethics training provides an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of delivering directed curricula to large and diverse students. The modules and assessment tools will represent new knowledge.

Broader Impacts: This project will benefit all NSF REU programs by providing standardized educational materials to support training in research ethics, and will provide assessment of the effectiveness of developed new modules. Instruments for assessing student learning will be published through the NSF REU program. The results of the project will be posted at the http://www.bioreu.org website.

Award 1359242 provides renewed funding for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston)and will support a total of thirty students during a summer research internship. The program is called the Coastal Research in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) REU site and is planned as a 10-week research/educational program designed to expose 10 undergraduates per year to cutting edge, integrative, coastal environmental science research. The research or educational niche filled by CREST deals with the transdisciplinarity of coastal research, which closely parallels the strengths of the School for the Environment at UMass Boston. Each CREST scholar will work with a research mentor to develop and conduct a research project in an area of coastal environmental science or technology appropriate to each scholar's background and interests. Students will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge instrumentation, field experiences, and training in coastal marine data collection and will participate in professional development activities that will develop skills in data interpretation and scientific writing, teamwork and leadership skills, and scientific ethics. Because of the trans-disciplinary approaches of the mentors and the inherent diversity of disciplines represented in the coastal environmental sciences, scholars will gain necessary skills in working across disciplines. The primary broader impacts of CREST are the recruitment and training of future researchers and educators in the coastal environmental sciences.

An award has been made to the University of Massachusetts Boston to organize and conduct a workshop for the NSF BIO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program Directors. The workshop is scheduled for April 12-14, 2012, in Arlington, VA. Over 150 participants are expected to attend, and a Leadership Council has been formed to assist in the planning. The goals of the workshop are to (1) enhance the opportunities presented by the BIO REU Common Assessment Tool (2) advance Ethics/Responsible Conduct of Research training at the undergraduate level, (3) share ideas for improving individual program implementation including reporting; and (4) discuss best practices in student recruitment, international and interdisciplinary research experiences, and mentor training. These goals will be accomplished through presentations and breakout groups and through opportunities for discussion and networking among participants. A final report will be submitted to NSF that will summarize the workshop findings. A website for BIO REU program directors, faculty, and students has been developed and launched (http://www.bioreu.org) and will be used to facilitate implementation of recommendations from this workshop. The PI, Alan Christian, may be contacted for more information at Alan.Christian@umb.edu.

If a larval fish cannot avoid predators and cannot orient itself in three-dimensional space, the consequences to the individual and the population are dramatic. Otoliths (ear stones), formed precipitation of calcium carbonate from a bicarbonate-rich and alkaline pH fluid, are critical to fish movement and orientation. Although marine fish compensate for carbon dioxide levels in the surrounding waters little is known about how increased dissolved carbon dioxide and changes in bicarbonate concentrations will impact the formation of otoliths. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, leading to decreased ocean pH (ocean acidification) may have profound impact on the deposition, growth and function of these critical structures, particularly in larval fish. Focusing on pre-settlement age larval reef fish (Amphiprion clarkii and Chrysiptera parasema), this research integrates expertise in carbonate mineralogy, otolith development, and reef fish biology and leverages this unique combination of expertise to answer fundamental questions regarding the impact of ocean acidification on the structure and function of otoliths. Specifically, the research will answer two fundamental questions: What are the natural morphological and mineralogical variations within growing otoliths? How do these change when larvae are exposed to high dissolved carbon dioxide concentrations? Larvae will be hatched and reared under high carbon dioxide-induced low pH and three types of otoliths (sagittae, lapilli, asterisci) will be extracted over the duration of the experiments. Changes in calcium carbonate mineralogy from aragonite (most common) to vaterite (less common, less dense) as well as changes in crystal habit (well formed to poorly formed) will be evaluated using a combination of microscopic and morphometric techniques. The gap in understanding of otolith morphology and mineralogy precludes our ability to accurately evaluate the impact of ocean acidification on larval fish survival. Given that we know very little about the morphology and mineralogy of all three otolith types in larval marine fish, this research will provide fundamental data regarding natural variability. Data from unexposed and exposed larvae will inform our understanding of the development of otoliths and structure-function relationships. Additionally, otoliths provide long-term records of environmental life histories that could be better exploited if we understood the relation between environmental conditions and otolith morphology and mineralogy.
This research represents a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty and students at the University of Massachusetts Boston (a minority-serving institution), New England Aquarium (NEAq; not-for-profit research aquarium), and, through a formal partnership with NEAq, Roger Williams University (primarily undergraduate institution). NEAq is one of the premier visitor attractions in Boston, with over 1.3 million visitors a year, and a major public education resource. In addition to significant research outcomes this project also supports the development of informal science education materials that will be distributed to the public and displayed at the NEAq Harborside Learning Lab and NEAq Ocean Center. The project also supports the training of 1 PhD student and 1 undergraduate student.

An award has been made to the University of Massachusetts Boston to manage, in collaboration with the BIO REU Leadership Committee, the BIO REU Travel Scholarship and Just-in-Time review programs. Biology REU programs are dynamic and multi-disciplinary. To ensure that students appreciate the full scope of "doing science" it is crucial that students are able to present their work to their scientific peers. To enable students to present their work in poster, oral, or written form this program will offer electronic submission and rapid review of research products. BIO REU student research materials will be reviewed by graduate research students from across the US providing not only content review but also an expanded network of near-peer mentors, further strengthening the impact of the BIO REU experience. In addition the program provides travel scholarships for students to attend and present their research at scientific meetings. These meetings are the ideal venue to ensure that students fulfill the research experience which culminates in peer-review of their work. The goal of both programs is to support undergraduate researchers to publish and/or present their research to the scientific community ensuring that research results are disseminated broadly. Students will apply for funds and/or submit their research materials for review on-line at http://www.bioreu.org. Just-in-Time review will utilize cutting-edge real-time editing and response tools ensuring that students receive feedback quickly. Applications for travel will be reviewed by a selection sub-committee of the BIO REU Leadership Council and will include the abstract submitted for presentation, letters of recommendation from REU mentors and site directors as well as an essay from the student regarding the anticipated professional development outcomes of attendance and presentation. Travel awards will be based on student application materials with priority given for one student award per REU site. Students will, in addition to presenting their research, have the opportunity to share their presentation/poster with the broader REU community through the BIO REU website. For additional information visit http://www.bioreu.org or contact Dr. Robyn Hannigan (Robyn.Hannigan@umb.edu).

Networking and mentoring are critical to scientific training. This is particularly the case for undergraduate students. Undergraduate students participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) programs are often able to present only to their REU peers or at their home institutions. Moreover, if they do present at a national/international meeting they often do so without the support of their REU mentor. To enable REU participants in Biology and Oceanography REU programs to present the results of their research and to enable REU mentors to attend these meetings and facilitate professional development of their REU student, we propose a Networking and Mentoring Travel Scholarship program that supports student-mentor teams to attend and present the REU student's research at a national/international meeting. Central to our efforts is longitudinal tracking of the scholarship awardees. Results from previous travel scholarships showed significant learning gains. Moreover the travel scholarship program supported a significant number of underrepresented minority students and students from primarily undergraduate institutions enabling them to attend scientific meetings and present their research thereby reinforcing the value of diversity in biological and ocean science research. To ensure that the Travel Scholarship program meets the goals of enhancing participation of undergraduate researchers at scientific meetings we will use the data collected to assess the impact of the program on the number of BIO and OCE REU students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to present their research. These data will enable us to evaluate the impact of the Travel Scholarship program, particularly the mentoring of students at meetings by their REU mentor, on the students as well as evaluate which programs/disciplines actively seek and participate in these opportunities. All data will be reported, in aggregate form, to the National Science Foundation in annual reports as well as disseminated in aggregate form to the BIO REU community through the website as well as at PI meetings. More information is available by contacting the PI, Dr. Robyn Hannigan at robyn.hannigan@umb.edu.

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award prepares Ph.D. students at the University of Massachusetts Boston with the skills to understand the interactions between natural and human systems and to develop appropriate policy solutions for urban and urbanizing environments. By emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, this program aims to enable trainees to apply their innovative and sustainable solutions across geographical, political, and economic contexts.

Intellectual Merit: This program aims to increase understanding of the ways in which human activities impact coastal systems as well as the ways in which changes in coastal ecosystems affect human systems. Trainees will conduct research both in the Boston Harbor watersheds and in the Horn of Africa, in order to assess and address the environmental risks that emerge when natural and human systems interact. The program will engage four Ph.D. programs at the University of Massachusetts Boston ? environmental science, environmental biology, global governance and human security, and organizations and social change ? in the study of these two world regions.

Broader Impacts: This traineeship will promote environmental stewardship and innovation on a global scale by supporting comparative research in the Horn of Africa and in Boston. Trainees will learn from a diverse range of disciplines and perspectives as they become effective problem solvers of complex global environmental issues. Additionally, as a minority-serving institution, the University of Massachusetts Boston will attract underrepresented students to this program.

IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to establish new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, and to engage students in understanding the processes by which research is translated to innovations for societal benefit.

Existing larval transport models focus mainly on along-shelf transport and have done little to explicitly incorporate the effects of cross-shelf mixing and transport processes. Yet cross-shelf transits (both outgoing and incoming legs) are critical components of the dispersal paths of coastal invertebrates. This project will explore the role of cross-shelf mixing in the connectivity of blue mussel populations in eastern Maine. Previous work has shown that the Eastern Maine Coastal Current (EMCC) begins to diverge from shore southwest of the Grand Manan Channel and creates a gradient in cross-shelf mixing and larval transport, with cross-shelf mixing being more common on the northeastern end, episodic in the transitional middle area, and then becoming rare in the southwestern half of the region of the Gulf of Maine. As a result, the investigators predict that northeastern populations of mussels are seeded mostly from up-stream sources, while a significant component of self-seeding (local retention) exists in southwestern populations. Larvae settling in the intervening bays are expected to be derived from a mixture of local and up-stream sources. Using a combined empirical and theoretical approach hydrographic, current profile, and larval vertical migration data will be collected and used to develop and validate a high-resolution coastal circulation model coupled to a model of larval behavior. The investigators will model simulations in different years using the empirical data from mussel reproductive output and spawning times. Connectivity predicted from this model will be then tested against independent empirical estimates of connectivity based on trace element fingerprinting for larvae which can be connected to specific natal habitats. Regions of agreement and discrepancy in the model will be identified to guide additional data collection and model refinement. This iterative process will ensure an understanding of both larval transport patterns and processes, and provide estimates of inter-annual variability in connectivity for blue mussel populations in the Gulf of Maine.

The project will provide interdisciplinary training for a number of undergraduate and graduate students. All three investigators have established track records of training students at either the undergraduate or graduate level, or both. Inter-institutional and interdisciplinary exchange will be fostered by a twice per year mini-symposium/retreat at which all project participants from the three laboratories will present and discuss results from their portions of the project. This project also has important implications for the commercial mussel aquaculture industry in Maine, which relies heavily on natural settlement and desires a better understanding of larval supply patterns to facilitate site selection for collecting newly settled spat.

The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) will build on its existing Water Data Center (WDC) facility to provide a range of services to the multidisciplinary water science community. Specifically, CUAHSI will offer training in instrumentation and host specialty conferences in field instrumentation and hydroinformatics. CUAHSI will continue its successful activities from the past, including Pathfinder graduate student travel grants, Research Cyberseminars, Let's Talk about Water outreach events, and the Biennial Water Science Symposia. A new initiative is the development of a community governance process and community modeling resources designed to enable the water science community to more readily contribute its knowledge of continental water processes to Earth Systems models. This will be a collaborative effort with NCAR to develop a water-oriented branch of the Community Land Model (CLM), that would be supported by the Water Data Center, and empower the community toward improving the model realism in large-scale water storages and fluxes in climate and Earth system simulations. Strategic planning activities are incorporated into the core governance of CUAHSI.

Because water connects the biotic and abiotic components of the Earth system and is a critical economic and ecological resource, CUAHSI services impact multiple disciplines and serve society at large. The WDC will enable new synthetic research, and better sharing and dissemination of research data and results that can be utilized in applied and policy research. The advancement of standards for water data ensures free and better exchange of information between academics, federal agencies and the private sector. CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System is being used by multiple governments around the world (the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Italy). The WDC will also target outreach activities to the Native American community through tribal colleges and tribal government. Water management is a major issue at many reservations and water science provides an attractive career path for Native Americans with jobs available at all degree levels. Training and outreach activities will provide important training and research opportunities for graduate students to explore meaningful and important interdisciplinary questions. Advancement of water science depends on such investments in part because of the many traditional disciplines that are required for an understanding of water in the Earth system. CUAHSI seeks to overcome fragmentation in water science research by supporting interdisciplinary science. The services included in this project have been selected to provide maximum benefit to the community as well as to serve as a foundation for the advancement of the science.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs provide undergraduate students with rich and meaningful research experiences. As "apprentices" to professional scientists, these students receive hands-on mentorship that enables them to attain a high level of scientific sophistication within their field of study. All of these program require students to present results of their research at local on-campus venues, however, REU students benefit greatly from attending specialized meetings where they can meet national and international experts in their field. Moreover they directly benefit by working with their REU mentor in preparing a meeting presentation and, under their mentor's guidance, making connections at national-level conferences with other professionals. It is this "at meeting" networking, facilitated by the REU Mentor, that is often the key component to REU students meeting their future graduate advisor and/or employer.

The goal of the proposed Student and Mentor-Student Travel Scholarship Program is to provide travel support for students and student-mentor teams who have completed research supported by the Diretorate of Biological Sciences and the Division of Ocean Sciences to attend a national-level meeting. This program builds on the results of a prior award that supported student travel scholarships to scientific conferences for 240 students. Results from previous travel scholarships showed significant learning gains for the students who received travel support. Moreover the travel scholarship program supported a significant number of underrepresented minority students and students from primarily undergraduate institutions. These scholarships enabled the students to attend scientific meetings and present their research, and improved their opportunities to meet future scientific advisors or mentors. This award will continue the successful student scholarships and includes a novel focus on supporting student-mentor teams with the goal of further enhancing the networking capacity for students who attend national meetings with their advisors.

Rocky intertidal habitats in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) provide a model system to examine the structure and dynamics of natural communities. Throughout the Gulf of Maine, the same species are often found in these habitats but community structure, dynamics and productivity differ markedly among 3 distinct regions (southern, central and northern GoM). Past influential work, conducted primarily in the southern and central GoM, focused on the local processes driving intertidal community structure but produced very different conceptual models of how these communities are structured. This project examines whether regional differences in rocky shore community processes are driven by differences in recruitment that are shaped by regional variation in temperature and food availability and nearshore coastal oceanography. This project will improve the understanding of how large-scale environmental forces interact with local processes to control the distribution of species and the structure and dynamics of these communities. Understanding the interaction between processes operating at different scales is fundamentally important to developing more reliable models that can be used to predict community dynamics. In addition, data resulting from this project will have important implications for regional dynamics in commercially important species and for ecosystem and fisheries management within the GoM. Students and postdoctoral researchers will be supported and trained as part of this interdisciplinary project.

The overarching hypothesis of this project is that regional differences in community-level processes are driven by very different patterns of population connectivity and recruitment in a few key species and that these differences are ultimately caused by regional variation in temperature and food availability and mediated by physical larval transport processes. Hence, the project will test the following hypotheses with manipulative field experiments, field sampling, connectivity estimates, and integrative modeling: 1) Locally-dispersing species dominate dynamics in regions with a net export of planktonic larvae (Northern GoM), while species with planktonic larvae dominate the dynamics in regions with high settlement and extensive connectivity among populations (Southern GoM). 2) Settlement density of species with planktonic larvae increases from northern to southern regions in accord with regional variation in food availability. 3) Population connectivity varies greatly among regions, with regions differing in the degree to which they are self-seeded or serve as larval sources vs. sinks; self-seeding leads to relatively localized population dynamics in the middle portion of the GoM. 4) Patterns of population connectivity are driven by physical transport processes and can be represented by coupling basic larval behavior models with circulation models. At 18 different sites in the GoM across ~ 600 km, surveys will evaluate variation in recruitment, food availability and secondary productivity and experiments will assess community processes in wave-exposed and sheltered habitats. The project will use hydrographic, current profile, and larval vertical distribution surveys to collect data for coupled larval/circulation models. Population connectivity will be both modeled and empirically evaluated (for one species) using elemental fingerprinting. A spatially explicit metacommunity model will integrate across all project components and test the relative importance of regional and local processes in controlling community organization and dynamics.

An award is made to the University of Massachusetts Boston to acquire an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and laser ablation (LA) system to be used for elemental and isotopic analysis of liquid and solid biological, geological, and chemical media. This award supports researchers and students from a variety of disciplines (physiology, biochemistry, ecology, geology, marine science, engineering) and institutions. This instrumentation is an invaluable resource for University and external collaborators enabling intellectual property development and training the next generation of scientists, from UMass Boston as well as other institutions. Through research and integration with educational programs, the instrumentation empowers our diverse student body (42% minority) by providing them with critical skills for further study and employment. This instrumentation serves as a crucial tool for recruiting faculty and is particularly valuable to several young faculty who are developing novel research projects that take full advantage of the flexibility and sensitivity of this instrumentation.

The ICP-MS and LA instrumentation provides key technological capabilities such as a dynamic mass range, the ability to measure elemental and isotopic compositions in samples from solid to liquid with high precision and accuracy, ultra-low detection limits, and the versatility to allow for direct measurement of seawater elemental composition. The dynamic, multidisciplinary research facilitated by this instrumentation ranges from ecological applications such as using the elemental composition of hard structures in marine and freshwater organisms to understand individual life histories and population dynamics under conditions of climate change and human impacts. The instrumentation enables research on the toxicity of nanoparticle metals on marine organisms and the study of the role of calcium in the development of shell disease in lobsters. In addition, the instrumentation allows for direct measurement of cellular level metal concentrations which are used in the development of novel platinum-based chemotherapies. In addition to biological research the instrumentation supports the study of the paleoocean at the time of the largest mass extinction on Earth (Permian-Triassic, 250 million years ago), the evaluation of groundwater-surface water connections in agricultural regions of the high Himalaya, and the study of how metals are speciated and transferred across the sediment-water interface in coastal oceans.

The Clarkson University ADVANCE Adaptation project, STEM LEAF (STEM Leadership, Equity, and Advancement for Faculty) will improve equity for STEM faculty at Clarkson. The project has three goals: (1) to significantly reduce implicit or unintentional bias associated with gender and its intersections with race and ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, and disability; (2) to support the development of inclusive leadership skills by department chairs, center/institute directors, and deans, and (3) to promote the sustainability of these systemic efforts through university-wide structural and policy changes.

One component of the STEM LEAF project is the adaptation of the Advocates and Allies model developed by North Dakota State University. The adaptation of the model will include the infusion of intersectionality into the model. In addition, new programs to support the development of department chairs and deans and facilitate community building and problem solving among current and future leaders will be implemented. In order to weave these activities into the fabric of Clarkson's climate and culture, a comprehensive revision of policies and practices will be undertaken, starting with chairs' duties to ensure they reflect the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion expected at Clarkson. The adaptation of evidence-based activities combined with structural changes to policies and practices will foster a change in climate and culture at Clarkson University which is a private technological university located in the rural North Country of New York State.

The NSF ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender equity through a focus on the identification and elimination of organizational barriers that impede the full participation and advancement of diverse faculty in academic institutions. Organizational barriers that inhibit equity may exist in policies, processes, practices, and the organizational culture and climate. ADVANCE "Adaptation" awards provide support for the adaptation and adoption of evidence-based strategies to academic, non-profit institution of higher education as well as non-academic, non-profit organizations.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.