From everyone at SoMAS, we hope you have a Happy Holiday and an excellent New Year!
Here’s the news for December to close out 2021!
The December URECA Student of the Month is Epraim Bryski
Epraim Bryski is a senior Civil Engineering major who joined the Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering Research Lab (CHERL) of Dr. Ali Farhadzadeh (Civil Engineering, CEAS; SoMAS) as a freshman. Currently, Ephraim is working on designs to increase the effectiveness of oyster reefs for wave attenuation and shore protection. His previous work in Dr. Farhadzadeh’s group on the motion of flood-borne debris led to a URECA presentation in 2019 as well as a recently co-authored publication in the Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. In his sophomore year, Ephraim also joined the Materials and Mechanics Lab of Dr. Kedar Kirane (Mechanical Engineering, CEAS) where he has learned to use molecular dynamics to study quasi-brittle strength distribution in silica, has analyzed the size effect of creep in brittle rock, and developed models of rock beams and run simulations in Abaqus. In summer 2019, Ephraim participated in the NHERI REU (National Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure – Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program at O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, Oregon State University. On campus, Ephraim has been involved as a Peer Tutor in the Academic Success and Tutoring Center since September 2019; and as a member of the Concrete Canoe Team since 2019. He also served as the Secretary of the Stony Brook Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (August 2019-August 2021). Ephraim plans to continue at Stony Brook in the accelerated master’s program in Civil Engineering, following his graduation in May.
Dr. Gordon Taylor, and NARMIL members (esp. Elena Yakubovskaya) have received a new award from NSF entitled: “EAGER: Mechanistic Study of Extracellular Vesicle Production by Marine Microalgae using Advanced Imaging Technologies”, in the amount $294,467, for the project period 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2023.
Abstract
This EAGER project is a proof-of-concept study on the composition, origins, and dynamics of extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by marine microalgae in response to various environmental and biotic stressors. EVs are microscopic lipid-encased particles that are released naturally from almost all cell types and are vehicles for a variety of cargo, including RNA, DNA, proteins, and lipids. EVs have been variously postulated to serve as a defense against viral attack, a waste disposal mechanism, a stress response, or a means of cell-to-cell communication. Marine microalgae are pivotal players in the global carbon cycle. By better understanding processes that govern their population dynamics and responses to environmental changes, we can develop better predictive models of responses to global climate change. The need to understand these mechanisms is becoming increasingly urgent as climate change becomes more manifest. Very recent findings suggest that EVs play a key role in marine phytoplankton population regulation, but our understanding of their function(s) in planktonic systems is severely limited and fragmentary. This project will address knowledge gaps and explore the potential complexities of marine planktonic EV production.
Using the cosmopolitan and geochemically-important microalga E. huxleyi as a model system, we will test three major hypotheses to enhance our understanding of the purpose(s) of microalgal EV production. (1) Microalgae produce distinctive types of EVs (ectosomes or exosomes) in response to different environmental conditions, and EV types have definitive functions (stress response, viral defense, intercellular communication, waste disposal). (2) EVs’ cargo is diverse, so their production and release reflect a complex intercellular communication mechanism. (3) Exosome genesis is a multistage process, and its stages are separated in time. Therefore, algal cells may contain a pool of pre-formed EVs loaded with different cargo that are stored internally, and when induced by a sudden change in external conditions are released through the outer membrane. To adequately test these hypotheses requires using single particle analytical methods in addition to ensemble measurements. We will utilize an assortment of recently developed methods and original experimental approaches developed by our group to investigate EV compositional variability under selected stress conditions. We will use single particle Raman microspectroscopy, pulse-chase Stable Isotope Probing, and LC-MSMS for compositional analysis of EVs, and Cryo-EM and AFM for morphological analyses. If experimental data confirm our suspicions, then phytoplankton EVs represent a novel and essentially overlooked mechanism of extracellular interactions that potentially govern a wide range of globally-important processes.
Dr. Lesley Thorne has received a new award from Sunrise Wind, in support of the project “Standards and evaluation for the automated detection of cetaceans from ship-mounted thermal sensors”, for the period 12/14/21 – 12/13/22, in the amount $161,342.
Abstract
North Atlantic Right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are critically endangered cetaceans found along the coastal United States. As a slow-moving and frequently surface-active marine mammal species, they are at particular risk from anthropogenic stressors such as vessel collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. To minimize anthropogenic threats to right whales as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, vessel-mounted thermal imaging sensors are being deployed as part of an effort to alert mariners to the presence of whales in the vicinity of moving vessels. Several organizations and companies have developed models to automate the detection of whales from these sensors, but standards and evaluation methods are needed to compare models produced by different parties and using different systems to ensure that whales are being detected consistently and reliably. This proposal seeks to develop guidelines and standards for evaluating the performance of automatic detection models.
Other Press
LIHerald: Piping work to begin in Western Bays
- Prof. Larry Swanson, the Associate Dean at SOMAS Stony Brook University, said the water is “somewhat more acidic than they should be…we have the growth of sea lettuce and we have shellfish that are not free for the taking because they are contaminated with chloroform.”
Minding Nature: Paddling The East River Near Brooklyn Bridge, 6/24/21
- David Taylor is a Professor of Sustainability at Stony Brook University. His writing crosses disciplinary boundaries and genres—poetry, creative nonfiction, scholarship, and science/technical writing.
National Science Foundation: NSF supporting marine mammal science around the world
- Scientists at Stony Brook University have been investigating the effect of climate change on the movement of whales and dolphins and their prey.
Newsday: Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign kelp cultivation bill
- Pilot programs around Long Island led by Stony Brook University have shown kelp cultivation benefits marine waters and also is unexpectedly productive in shallow-waters of local bay.
Newsday: Understanding causes of extreme weather
- Earth’s atmosphere is complex. Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University and institutions nationwide are collaborating to create unprecedented depictions of what is occurring in the air over land and sea.
Dan’s Papers: New Legislation Bodes Well for Kelp’s Future on the East End
- In May of this year, Stony Brook Southampton’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) Marine Science Center’s Christopher Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation spoke about a funding program that would be the first in New York State to offer “nitrogen credit” payments for kelp cultivation.
Suffolk Times: New legislation will allow kelp cultivation in Peconic Estuary
- Michael Doall, an oyster farmer and kelp researcher at Stony Brook University, said the crop hasn’t been commercially farmed in New York yet. But the industry has, in recent years, proven successful in other northern states like Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Long Island Press: New Legislation Bodes Well for Kelp’s Future on the East End
- In May of this year, Stony Brook Southampton’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) Marine Science Center’s Christopher Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation spoke about a funding program that would be the first in New York State to offer “nitrogen credit” payments for kelp cultivation. He said oyster farmers cultivated experimental kelp beds last winter to study kelp’s role in reducing nitrogen.
News Now: How rising groundwater caused by climate change is destroying coastal communities
- “If you don’t let the water flow into the ocean, then you basically have to pump it through the wall. This is basically what the Netherlands has been doing for centuries,” said Rozell of Stony Brook. Also ran MIT Technology Review and News Quick 24.
Newsday: NIFA, Brookhaven landfill, bodycam pay and more
- For decades, Long Island has been a leader in developing strategies for the beneficial use of waste materials, constructing artificial reefs from coal ash, building a boathouse on the Stony Brook University campus from MSW combustor ash, turning waste materials into a hydraulic grout for the closure of abandoned mines in upstate New York, to name but a few.
Science News: How a warming climate may make winter tornadoes stronger
- Unlike hurricanes and other severe storm systems, tornadoes happen at such a small scale that most global climate simulations don’t include the storms, says Kevin Reed, an atmospheric scientist at Stony Brook University in New York who was not involved in the study. Also ran in Gamers Grade and Fuentitech.
WaterWorld: New septic nitrogen sensor passes field testing
- The nitrogen sensor designed for use in advanced treatment septic systems was developed by Dr. Qingzhi Zhu at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, in the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology at Stony Brook University.
Crain’s New York Business: Finalists announced for $150M Governors Island climate center
- The finalists include research teams led by the City University of New York and the New School; Northeastern University; Stony Brook University; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The City: Four Finalists Chosen for Climate-Change Hub on Governors Island
- The finalists for the project are teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University, and a group co-led by CUNY and The New School. The mayor and the Trust for Governors Island announced the top contenders Wednesday. Also ran in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and the New York Business Journal (paywall)
City Limits/Opinion: Climate Attribution Technology is Vital in the Fight for Environmental Justice
- “We must invest in climate change attribution technology, which can measure how much worse an extreme weather event was made by the human consumption of fossil fuels. Stony Brook University’s Climate Extremes Modeling Group is one of several teams that is already able to quantify how climate change is impacting extreme weather events in near-real time.”
Northeastern News: Northeastern University selected as finalist in global competition to build premier climate hub in New York Harbor
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the four finalists on Wednesday. The other finalists include teams led by City University of New York and the New School; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Stony Brook University. De Blasio praised the finalists for putting forward “thoughtful, bold proposals.”
Website of the City of New York: Mayor Bill de Blasio Announces Finalists to Anchor City’s Climate Solutions Center on Governors Island
- Finalists announced today include teams led by the following institutions:
- The City University of New York (CUNY) and The New School
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Northeastern University
- Stony Brook University
Architect’s Newspaper: Here are the four finalists vying to establish a climate solutions center on Governors Island
- The four teams are led by: The City University of New York (CUNY) and the New School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Northeastern University in Boston, and Long Island’s Stony Brook University.
City Limits: Opinion: Climate Attribution Technology is Vital in the Fight for Environmental Justice
- Stony Brook University’s Climate Extremes Modeling Group is one of several teams that is already able to quantify how climate change is impacting extreme weather events in near-real time.
Crain’s New York Business: Finalists announced for $150M Governors Island climate center
