August 2025 News and Press from SoMAS

Aug 1, 2025

The 2025 Class of Marine Conservation and Policy graduates presented their work at the MCP Symposium

Photo above: The 2025 Class of Marine Conservation and Policy graduates presented their work at the MCP Symposium on August 21, 2025

Welcome to the start of the Fall 2025 semester! Dean Paul Shepson welcomes all new students and returning students in his Fall 2025 message.

The seventh president of Stony Brook University started on August 1. Welcome to Seawolves Nation, President Andrea Goldsmith! In her message to the Stony Brook community, President Goldsmith shares her excitement to officially join campus life, her gratitude for the warm welcome, and her deep admiration for the people who make SBU so special. She’s ready to lead with heart, purpose and Seawolf pride.

Congratulations to Demetrios Caroussos, who started at the Flax Pond Manager on August 25. Demetrios is a 2022 graduate of the SoMAS Marine Conservation and Policy Program.

Congratulations to Dr. Luis Medina Faull, as he has now officially successfully converted from his position as an IDEA Fellow/Lecturer to Assistant Professor of Marine Science where he will continue his research in marine microbial ecology and biogeochemistry, focusing on carbon-rich microparticles (e.g., microplastics and black carbon) and their impacts on assessments of carbon cycling in the ocean.

Congratulations to Kaitlin Giglio, who now serves as the Interim Director of the Marine Conservation and Policy Program. Thank you to Dr. Ellen Pikitch, who previously served as director.

Welcome Dr. Shelby McClelland, who joins SoMAS as a PRODiG+ Fellow, with a research focus in the area of Food Systems, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Climate.

Congratulations to Marissa Rosante from the Peconic Estuary Partnership, who was named Firefighter of the Year for the 2nd Legislative District by Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker on August 6, 2025. Marissa is the first member of the Hampton Bays Fire Department to receive the award.

Congratulations to Jack McSweeney, who has won a Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Award, which is awarded to up to 5 faculty at SBU each year, recognizing promising early-career faculty for their significant contributions to research, scholarship, and art-making. These awards provide funding opportunities to support and advance their work in these areas, with the awardee receiving $20,000!

Denis Gruzdev has received funding for his Office of Research and Innovation Seed Grant proposal entitled “Inconspicuous partners: unveiling the functional role of uncultivated Mycoplasmatales in bivalve health and disease” in the amount of $60,000.

Abstract: Marine bivalves, including oysters, are cornerstone species in coastal ecosystems and aquaculture, performing essential ecological functions such as water filtration, habitat creation, and supporting biodiversity. However, they face escalating threats from environmental stressors, climate change, and infectious diseases, which significantly compromise their populations and ecological roles. Central to understanding and managing these threats is the microbiome—the diverse community of microorganisms that reside in and on marine bivalves, profoundly influencing their health and resilience. A dominant yet enigmatic group within these microbiomes is the uncultivated bacterial order Mycoplasmatales. Despite their consistent prevalence, the ecological functions and interactions of Mycoplasmatales with their bivalve hosts remain largely unknown due to their resistance to traditional cultivation techniques. Our preliminary research has revealed that these bacteria can constitute up to 90% of the microbial community in the mucus of healthy oysters, dramatically decreasing during infection by pathogens such as Perkinsus marinus, the causative agent of Dermo disease. This striking dynamic indicates a potentially crucial role for Mycoplasmatales in host health, disease resistance, and stress resilience. This OVPR Seed Grant project aims to uncover the functional roles, ecological significance, and metabolic capabilities of uncultivated Mycoplasmatales within bivalve hosts. We will employ cutting-edge genomic sequencing and microscopy techniques to characterize these microbes comprehensively, elucidating their interactions with host physiology and responses to environmental stress and disease. By addressing this significant knowledge gap, our research will provide fundamental insights into microbial ecology, enhance understanding of marine disease dynamics, and inform strategies for sustainable bivalve aquaculture and conservation management.

Luis Medina has received funding for his Office of Research and Innovation Seed Grant proposal entitled “Micro and nanoplastics entry into the Hudson River planktonic food web: Historical revelations from a long-term environmental monitoring program”, in the amount of $50,000.

Project summary: Recent lab studies show that marine organisms—including zooplankton, fish, and shellfish—suffer physiological harm from exposure to microplastics, microfibers, and nanoplastics (MP-MF/NP), with smaller particles (<10 µm) posing the greatest health risks due to easier tissue penetration. Surveys in Long Island, the Caribbean, and the Arctic found extremely high MP concentrations in seawater, mostly under 5 µm, raising concerns about their entry into marine food webs and potential impacts on fish populations and ecosystems. Despite the ecological and public health importance, there is limited data on MP-MF/NP contamination in the Hudson River Estuary (HRE). This study proposes using a unique historical fish collection from the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program (1974–present) to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of MP-MF/NP contamination in key fish species across trophic levels, aiming to understand exposure patterns and ecological consequences.

 

SBU News Features

Latest Videos

Latest Publications

Sylvers, L. H., & Gobler, C. J. Inhibition of cosmopolitan toxic diatom, Pseudo‐nitzschia, by seaweeds. Limnology and Oceanography.

Sung, J., Choi, D. H., Lee, Y., Kim, J. H., Shin, H. H., Kim, Y. E., … Gobler, C. J., & Park, B. S. (2025). Temperature-Driven Intraspecific Diversity in Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Profiles of the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum and Intragenic Variation in the Saxitoxin Biosynthetic Gene, sxtA4: Sung et al. Microbial Ecology, 88(1), 87.

Liu, P., Zhao, M., Garner, S. T., & Cruz-Perez, A. (2025). Impact of Mean-state Biases on Northern-Hemisphere Winter Blocking in GFDL AM4 and CM4. Journal of Climate.

Hajny, K. D., Kaeser, R., Starn, T. K., Stirm, B. H., Brockway, N., Peterson, P. K., … & Shepson, P. B. (2025). Measurements of the emission rates of nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases from the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130(15), e2024JD041963.

Biswas, A., Qiu, M., Braun, D., Dominici, F., & Mork, D. (2025). Quantifying effects of solar power adoption on CO2 emissions reduction. Science Advances, 11(31), eadq5660.

Khan, A. S., Walter, R. J., Hamideh, S., Aurand, A., Vickery, J., & Errett, N. A. (2025). Exploring implementation of disaster risk management strategies by public housing authorities: A national survey. PLOS Climate, 4(8), e0000656.

Mustich, F., Battaglia, A., Manconi, F., Kollias, P., & Parodi, A. (2025). Convective–Stratiform Identification Neural Network (CONSTRAINN) for the WIVERN Mission. Remote Sensing, 17(15), 2590.

Galfione, A., Battaglia, A., Oue, M., Cattani, E., & Kollias, P. (2025). Comparison of GOES16 Data with the TRACER-ESCAPE Field Campaign Dataset for Convection Characterization: A Selection of Case Studies and Lessons Learnt. Remote Sensing, 17(15), 2621.

Warwick‐Evans, V., Pearmain, E. J., Thorne, L., & Phillips, R. A. (2025). Spatial segregation and bycatch risk as potential drivers of population trends of wandering albatrosses at South Georgia. Conservation Biology, e70126.

Kookana, R., Sha, B., Baluyot, J. C., Bowles, K., Kah, M., Padhye, L. P., … & Cousins, I. T. (2025). Human exposure to per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Asia and contributing factors, with a focus on east Asia. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

Fragano, C. G., & Colle, B. A. (2025). Validation of Offshore Winds in the ERA5 Reanalysis and NREL NOW-23 WRF Analysis Using Two Floating LiDARs in the New York Bight. Weather and Forecasting.

Landy, J., Reed, K. A., Rhoades, A. M., & Ullrich, P. A. (2025). A climatology and life‐cycle characteristics of atmospheric fronts and their associated precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130(16), e2024JD041609.

Miksis-Olds, J. L., Ainslie, M. A., Blair, H. B., Butkiewicz, T., Hazen, E. L., Heaney, K. D., … & Warren, J. D. (2025). Overview of the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network. Oceanography, 38(2), 40-51.

Nyzio, K. D., & Liu, P. (2025). Lake-Effect Snowfall Climatology over Lake Champlain: A Comparative Analysis of the 2015–2024 and 1997–2006 Periods. Atmosphere, 16(9), 1011.

 

Latest Press Headlines

Newsday: More extreme rainfall and downpours predicted for Long Island due to climate change, experts say

  • “The trend will continue, because the last five decades have been warmer and the earth continues to warm by greenhouse gasses,” said Kevin Reed, associate provost for climate and sustainability programming at Stony Brook University. “For the foreseeable future, the frequency and magnitude of this extreme rainfall will continue.”

The City Life: Governors Island Debuts New Hybrid-Electric Ferry – The Harbor Charger

  • Over the past two decades, the Island has grown tremendously as a global resource for climate innovation, offering widespread opportunities for research and piloting; public artworks engaging with climate issues; and a growing community of educational, nonprofit, and commercial tenants focused on climate—including Billion Oyster Project, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, Wind Support NYC, and the soon-to-open Buttermilk Labs, among others. In April 2023, The New York Climate Exchange was selected as the anchor research and educational institution to create an innovation district on Governors Island to accelerate equitable climate solutions for cities. The Exchange, led by Stony Brook University and a consortium of partners, is developing a 400,ooo SF campus on the Island focused on advancing climate solutions and preparing New Yorkers for green jobs. Construction is expected to begin in 2026. (Also in G Captain, Marine Link)

The Environmental Magazine: Penguins On The Ropes

  • “We’re seeing entire penguin populations struggling because their food sources are shifting due to climate change,” says Heather Lynch, a penguin ecologist at Stony Brook University. Galapagos Penguins are one of the rarest penguin species. They are particularly vulnerable because their survival depends on cold ocean currents, which are becoming increasingly unpredictable.

 Newsday: Rip currents posing ‘moderate’ risk to Long Island beaches. Here’s how to stay safe

  • Typically, rip currents can form, disappear and re-form quickly along the shoreline, according to NY Sea Grant at Stony Brook University, a science-based organization.

FAN: New York Introduces Pioneering Hybrid-Electric Ferry Service to Governors Island

  • Over two decades of transformation have positioned Governors Island as a center for climate innovation—home to initiatives such as Billion Oyster Project and Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. In April 2023, The New York Climate Exchange was chosen to establish an innovation district on-site; Stony Brook University will lead efforts toward developing a substantial campus focused on climate solutions set to break ground in 2026.

Newsday: ‘Why does it still look like this?’ One year after storm destroyed dam and bridge, they remain in ruins

  • Pond or no pond, nature adapts to changing circumstances, and restoring the pond “would not be an ecological disaster,” said Henry Bokuniewicz, a Stony Brook University professor of oceanography who had studied the pond before the dam collapse. If the dam is not rebuilt, he said, trees and other vegetation simply will take over. “The terrain will continue to grow out. … It will get a lot of native vegetation but it will be temporary. It will get a lot of different vegetation in terms of weeds,” Bokuniewicz said. “Eventually, you would expect it to become more of a forested area like the area south of the pond.

Inspenet: Harbor Charger ferry redefines sustainable mobility in New York City

  • The ferry improves access to Governors Island and strengthens its role as a hub for climate education and research. Institutions such as The New York Climate Exchange and Stony Brook University are already collaborating with the Trust to make the island a model sustainable city of the future.

Newsday: Town of Huntington hires firm to design upgrades for dog shelter

  • Richard Murdocco, an adjunct professor of planning for Stony Brook University’s public policy graduate program, said investing in infrastructure is part of the responsibility of government and sometimes a conduit to deliver municipal service. “You can’t deliver animal shelter services without an animal shelter structure,” Murdocco said. “Suburban governments since the 1960s have grown in their scope in the types of services they provide.”

The Sundarban: We now know just how much climate change supercharged Typhoon Katrina

  • The facts backs this up: Within the 2 decades since Katrina, hurricanes possess indeed been dumping extra precipitation. In line with a 2020 attribution search for, climate change made Typhoon Florence — which made landfall in North Carolina in 2018 — build about 5 percent extra rain. “If Typhoon Katrina were to happen as of late, it may maybe perchance well doubtlessly be even stronger and possess perchance even extra rain and storm surge related to it, since the Earth has warmed over the closing two decades,” acknowledged Kevin Reed, an atmospheric scientist at Stony Brook College and lead writer of the quest for. Also in Grist

Newsday: Horseshoe crab population in Long Island Sound is in ‘severe decline,’ study finds

  • “The long-term trends are alarming and clearly indicative of a population in decline, especially for the Peconic Estuary,” according to Christopher Gobler, a professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. “While there are regional, mid-Atlantic regulations, the trends suggest tighter regulations at the state level, at least for the Peconics, might be helpful/needed,” he wrote in an email.

Amityville Record: Prices, stalled growth fuel housing crisis

  • Long Island’s housing crisis is more than bricks and mortar — it’s a battleground where zoning, politics and community identity collide. At its root, the issue is a chronic lack of supply, Richard Murdocco, a land use columnist and lecturer at Stony Brook University, says. “Our housing supply has always been inadequate,” Murdocco said. “The pandemic only amplified the problem.” Murdocco said that zoning laws, while often criticized, generally serve a purpose by preventing overbuilding and protecting the environment, including Long Island’s sole-source aquifer. Still, he noted that some restrictions could be updated to allow for more diverse housing types, adding, “Planning is about the balance of economic and social development.” (Also in Massapequa Post)

Post Register: Scientists give harsh grades to Trump administration work aimed at undoing climate finding

  • Stony Brook University’s Stephen Schwartz, former chief scientist of the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Science Program, said using a more benign term such as “neutralization” would be “ludicrous.” And Waleed Abdalati, who served as NASA chief scientist during the Obama administration, said: “The simple fact is that carbon dioxide is making the oceans more acidic, which carries harmful effects.”

NJ Today: Research project used aircraft to study the complex chemistry that forms air pollution

  • Led by researchers from Stony Brook University, the project involves scientists from several institutions, including the University of Washington and Colorado State University. The primary objective is to understand how emissions from various sources—such as urban traffic, consumer products, and the region’s extensive forests—interact and contribute to air pollution.

Clean Technica: The New York Center For Climate Solutions Stays Calm, Carries On

  • The Climate Exchange will function as a new branch of the sprawling State University of New York system as a project of Stony Brook University in collaboration with Oxford University and Brookhaven National Laboratory among other partners. IBM and Bloomberg Philanthropies also chipped in with a financial assist when the selection was announced.

Times Beacon Record: SBU Study: Some sharks in the North Atlantic may delay their fall migrations south

  • Certain migratory species of sharks may remain swimming and feeding in Atlantic Ocean waters in areas of the northeast coast for longer periods of time later into fall before they head toward southern waters. Led by researchers in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University, the study tracked six sharkspecies over five years by way of tagging them and acoustically tracking their movement.

27 East: New Video Camera Tags Give SOFO Researchers Up-Close Window on Shark Activity in Local Waters

  • A team of scientists from the South Fork Natural History Museum and Stony Brook University are getting an eyewitness view of shark activity off Long Island beaches.

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, SoMAS, at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
Phone: 631-632-8700
somas@stonybrook.edu