Nicholas Fisher Honored for research in Marine Sciences
STONY BROOK, N.Y., May 6, 2004—A Stony Brook University professor has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors in academia. Nicholas Fisher, Ph.D., a Professor in the University’s Marine Sciences Research Center, received a fellowship for his research relating to the biomagnification of metals in contrasting marine food chains.
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation made 185 awards in the U.S. and Canada totaling $6,912,000 million. The recipients were selected from more than 3,200 applicants.
“We do not currently have a clear idea of whether the concentrations of certain contaminant metals can increase in biological tissues as one progresses up from the bottom of the marine food chain toward the top—say, from small, plankton-eating fish to larger, predatory fish,” Dr. Fisher said. “We do know that this occurs with mercury, one of the most toxic metals, and as a consequence, seafood consumption is by far the largest source of mercury for human populations, where it is a growing concern for public health. The extent to which it occurs with other metals is still quite uncertain.”
Dr. Fisher’s work will evaluate the degree to which other potentially toxic metals get transferred in pelagic and benthic food chains. While some information is known about this issue for temperate marine ecosystems, there is very little known about contaminants and their interactions in tropical systems, which are increasingly under stress from human activities.
“Being granted a Guggenheim Fellowship is an extraordinary honor,” said David Conover, Dean of the Marine Sciences Research Center. “It says a lot about the importance of Dr. Fisher’s work and the critical role marine sciences play in the environment and development of our region.”
Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise of accomplishment for the future. Since 1925, the Foundation has granted more than $230 million in Fellowships to over 15,500 individuals. Dr. Fisher was the only faculty member from a SUNY institution to receive the honor. Dr. Fisher joined the Stony Brook faculty in 1988. He and his wife, Irene, live in Setauket with daughters Chloe (23) and Claire (20).
