Photo credit: USGS-Sirenia Project

Publishing in a recent issue of the Journal of Comparative Physiology , University of South Florida College of Marine Science professor David Mann, along with his students and colleagues Gordon Bauer from New College, Roger Reep from the University of Florida, and Debborah Colbert and Joseph Gaspard from Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, examined the hearing of manatees to determine the frequencies to which they best respond.

"Florida manatees, an endangered species, are often injured or killed by boat strikes," said Mann. "The ability of manatees to hear and localize boat sounds is important for their survival. We wanted to find out how well they can hear and process sounds in an aquatic environment that conducts sound five times faster than sounds are conducted through the air."

There are an estimated 3,500 manatees living in Florida waters. An average of between 70 to 80 manatees are killed by boats every year. Little is known about manatee hearing ability, but researchers knew that how well manatees can hear and avoid approaching boats is an important issue in manatee survival. Manatees' ability to avoid approaching boats, scientists theorized, may depend on how well they are able to localize sounds from approaching boats.

Borrowing a technique used to screen for deafness in newborns, researchers measured the "auditory evoked potentials" (AEPs) of Mote Marine Laboratory's resident manatees to various frequencies to determine the range of manatee hearing abilities. One key aspect of this research was measuring how fast the manatee auditory system could respond to changes in a sound.

"We found that the manatees were able to follow signals changing at rates up to 1,400 cycles per second (Hz), with peaks in their response at 150 and 600 Hz. This is remarkably ten times faster than that of humans (50 Hz) but only half that of dolphins (1200 Hz)," explained Mann. "This rapid temporal processing could be an adaptation for localizing sounds underwater."

Researchers are currently studying the ability of these manatees to localize sounds underwater by training them to swim to underwater loudspeakers broadcasting sound.

International participants include scientists from Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica. Scientists from American institutions and research facilities, such as the Goddard Space Flight Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Purdue Univesrity, the University of Hawaii and the California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will also attend.

According to Tim Short, an engineer with the USF Center for Ocean Technology, the goal of the workshop is to engage the participants and stimulate thinking about both current developments and future needs in these rapidly developing areas.

"Participants will share their work on building miniature, rugged and efficient MS equipment for application in harsh environments," said Short.

A scientist from the NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center research group will discuss the design and analysis capabilities of the MS equipment sent on the seven year Cassini Orbiter mission that entered and analyzed the nitrogen and methane filled atmosphere of Titan, one of Saturn's 34 moons. A joint team from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the Goddard Space Flight Center will present research related to developing MS instrumentation for studying astrobiology on future space missions. Danish researchers will discuss online monitoring of drinking water supplies and groundwater.

Scientists from the A.F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, the MIT, University of Hawaii and USF will present methods for deploying underwater mass spectrometers in lakes and oceans. Mapping volcanic activity and the direct impact of these plumes on urban areas throughout Costa Rica will be presented by Costa Rican and Kennedy Space Center scientists. A researcher from the Engineer Research and Development Center will be presenting novel MS technologies for long term on-site environmental monitoring of chemical warfare agents. For more information, visit the workshop web site.

-Report courtesy of Randolph Fillmore

"This is the first time we have been able to estimate the amount or volume of freshwater discharged and carried over such remote distances," said Chuanmin Hu of the Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS) at the College of Marine Science and lead author of the study. "By combining the very detailed data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) with observations from ships, we were afforded a three-dimensional view of the Mississippi plume."

To study a dark plume that stretched from the Mississippi Delta, around Florida and up the Georgia coast,  researchers combined data from MODIS aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites with information collected from ships

This image, using data from MODIS, flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite, shows blackwater off the coast of southwest Florida in February 2002. Credit: University of South Florida

MODIS detects the color of the ocean due to changes in the amount of tiny ocean plants floating on the ocean's surface known as phytoplankton, or algae and other decaying materials. By using MODIS data combined with information on sea surface currents and sea salt levels (salinity), scientists estimated that about 20 billion tons of Mississippi River water reached the Florida Straits and Gulf Stream off the Georgia coast, demonstrating that plumes created by the Mississippi River travel over large distances - in this case more than 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers).

According to Hu, after the Mississippi River water travels such a long distance, the substances in the plume are diluted - by 50 to 100 times -with ocean water.

"The nutrients it carries are nearly used up by algae, therefore won't provide much additional food to the toxic red tides near the coast," he said. "However, little is known about the fate and impact of the pollutants in the plume."

 Hu said that the polluted water near the Mississippi Delta after Hurricane Katrina resulting from the severe flooding and water pumping may eventually get diluted and meander to the Florida's coast. The effect will need close attention.

"Mississippi River water may have some impact on marine life in remote delicate ecosystems like the Florida Keys. But we are still not clear about the potential impacts of pollutants and pesticides," said Hu. "Not all effects will be bad; in fact, some light dark water events might actually protect bottom ocean dwellers, like coral, by providing them with shade."

Researchers continue to use satellite information, observations from ships and "ocean surface drifters" - instruments resembling balloons that travel the ocean surface to get a better idea of how these plumes affect marine life.

The research was carried out with the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Office of Naval Research as a contribution to the South East Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS). Coauthors include oceanographers James Nelson from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Elizabeth Johns from NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and Zhiqiang Chen, Robert Weisberg, and Frank Muller-Karger from the University of South Florida.

For more information and images about this story on the Internet, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/mississippi.html

For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html

USF College of Marine Science students get national recognition and grant awards.

2005 Endowed Fellowship Recipients

Peter Betzer, dean of the college, noted that this year's award ceremony was the 23 rd such ceremony and that over 23 years 202 CMS students have received over $2 million in fellowships from private, corporate and civic donors.

In attendance was James Hicks, program manager for the National Science Foundation's "Bridge to Doctorate" program. Through participation in the Bridge to the Doctorate program, USF recruits and NSF funds minority graduate students in science and engineering for up to $30,000 per year for two years. The USF program is one of only 18 in the nation. NSF program partners such as USF arrange total support for students following the initial two years of student participation in the Bridge to Doctorate program.

National Science Foundation Program Manager James Hicks

"NSF is proud to be in partnership with USF and the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Appreciation," said Hicks. "It is our delight to be in partnership with USF and the reason for coming to the ceremony this week is to make that delight clear. The program is of benefit to the nation, the state of Florida and to the students."

Hicks said that to date there were nationally 330 graduate students funded in their studies in science or engineering through the Bridge to the Doctorate program. He called the USF's participation a "model effort" for the program and invited Dean Betzer to Washington, D.C. to speak on USF's successful efforts.

Ralph Turner, Peter Betzer and James Hicks

Also attending was Ralph Turner, director, and Byron Greene, project manager, of the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation - another USF partner for minority science student recruitment.

Betzer noted a number of donors in attendance and recognized several recent substantial gifts.

Donors Linda and Michael Morris of Ocean Optics

"We are fortunate to have Michael and Linda Morris from Ocean Optics, Inc., the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and St. Petersburg Times each providing us with $50,000 to help endow a fellowship program that is dedicated to supporting minority graduate students," said Betzer, adding that the Times was "perhaps the most generous corporate citizen in the Tampa Bay area."

According to Betzer, the college has also gotten a substantial boost from the Joint Oceanographic Institutions in Washington, D.C. The group has agreed to fund a minority graduate student at USF's College of Marine Science for the next five years so that all of the earnings associated with the new endowment for the Bridge to the Doctorate Program can be reinvested in the principal.

Jim Wilson of COT's Systems Development Group

"Our broadband wireless coastal sensor network project has developed and deployed multiple wireless sensors capable of monitoring biological, chemical and physical targets that affect Tampa Bay and send that 'real-time' information back to shore," said David Fries, the project's principle investigator from the College of Marine Science's Center for Ocean Technology.

The wireless capability, said Fries, is the newest step in making sensing systems more effective.

"The focus of the project is to develop a coastal security system and improve marine ecosystem protection and management," he explained. "Additional applications can be in waterway transportation and supporting ocean forecasting models."

The sensors are examples of micromachine technology called Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS).  One key demonstrated device was a low cost salinity sensor made of waterproof printed circuit MEMS materials.

According to Fries, for a large network to be deployed, sensors with communications abilities must be low power, inexpensive and rugged, standing up to whatever the marine environment dishes out, including hurricanes, changes in salinity and fresh water input, hazardous materials spills and land run-off.  The water quality component of the sensing network will eventually monitor chlorophyll, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and other biogeochemical qualities.

Ocean sensing systems are an emerging reality, but the pace of growth has been hindered by its expense.

"The immediate problem for ocean sensor network growth is not a lack of technologies, but the lack of a means to deploy a high density of measurement devices inexpensively," explained Fries.

Accordingly, the USF team believes many of the sensors needed for effective ocean observation can be further miniaturized.

"Sensors for imaging, pressure, temperature, biochemical traces and pathogens can all be reduced in size and combined and employed to get a better understanding of what is happening underwater," said Fries. "We have already developed a self-contained, network of fieldable microsensors fabricated with micromachine technology."

The next step, and one which is well underway, is integrating the broadband sensor network with small, autonomous vehicles and more sensors into an adaptive network.

The project was supported with a grant from the Office of Naval Research.

The research team combined resources to analyze the biology and geology of the parts of the shelf. While researchers aboard "RV Suncoaster" documented seafloor biology, Al Hine, associate dean of research at the College of Marine Science, was aboard "RV Bellows," where efforts to map the seafloor along Pulley Ridge revealed four ancient shorelines dating back to when sea levels in the Gulf of Mexico were 400 feet lower than today.

"During the last glaciation, ice melted unevenly in North America," said Hine, a geological oceanographer. "This caused multiple rises of sea level, creating successive shorelines, like bathtub rings."

Hine said the successive shorelines, 100 miles off today's Florida coast, still stand seven to eight meters high submerged between 60 and 90 meters below the surface. In appearance, the series of shorelines are not unlike the barrier islands off west Florida today.

"They did not erode - as so many barrier islands do - but became submerged and served as the hard substrate on which coral reefs could be built," explained Hine.

According to Hine, crews on both vessels worked in shifts, 24 hours a day, for the duration of the expedition.

"The shelf is bigger than the state of Florida," said Hine. "We wanted to cover as much as possible."

Biologists aboard the "RV Suncoaster" brought back samples of algae thought to be rare in the Gulf of Mexico, a possible new species of coral, unusual mollusks and seafloor "reef worms," which may be newly discovered species.

The announcement in January of the unique reef's discovery made a big splash in marine science circles and in the media.

Besides the two FIO research vessels, the expedition included a mini submarine for photography, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for mapping operations and several scuba divers, who breathed a special mix of gasses to allow them to work between 250 and 300 feet down while collecting samples.

Photo by Bret Jarrett

The reef, which stretches for 125 miles along the south Florida platform about 100 miles off Naples on ancient, submerged barrier islands at a depth of 250 feet, is unique because of its depth. The reef sits on barrier islands that are thought to have become submerged when sea levels rose after the last glaciation, over 13,000 years ago.

The announcement in January of the unique reefs' discovery made a big splash in marine science circles and in the media.

"The exceptionally clear water along Florida's southwest coast allows sunlight to penetrate to 250 feet below the surface supporting photosynthesis by plants and allowing corals, which have a symbiotic relationship with tiny one-celled algae, to thrive," said John Ogden, FIO director.

According to Ogden, the FIO is sending two ships - "RV Bellows" and "RV Suncoaster" - to aid in the expedition. Crews will work in shifts and the research will go on 24 hours a day for the 8-day expedition along the full length of Pulley Ridge.

"The expedition has three objectives," explained Ogden. "We want to map the full extent of the Ridge in order to locate the richest coral concentrations, and photograph it with state-of-the-art digital cameras. We will also be bringing back samples of the reef and the algae."

Besides the USF, the expedition includes scientists from the USGS, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the Harte Institute of Texas A&M University.  The expedition will include a mini-submarine for photography, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for mapping operations and a team of scuba divers, who must breathe a special mix of gasses to work between 250 and 300 feet down while collecting samples.

"This is a reconnaissance mission," said Ogden. "Each team of scientists and each vessel will have a different role to play."

When the mission returns to the USF St. Petersburg docks, researchers will be on-hand to discuss the expedition with members of the media. Ogden will be available for questions during the expedition.
(See Jan 2 web story) http://www.marine.usf.edu/news-and-events/index.shtml

-Report courtesy of Randolph Fillmore

"Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool for detecting a wide variety of compounds in very small quantities and at extremely low concentrations," said Short.

COT researcher Pete Wenner and Jason Rueter from FWC/Fish and Wildlife Research Institute deploy MS equipment into Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Ryan Bell

Underwater MS can monitor a number of scientifically important gases, such as methane, oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as a range of harmful compounds such as benzene, chloroform and toluene. In addition, analysis in the field has important advantages over sample collection and analysis in the lab.

"On-site analysis lowers the risk of sample loss, contamination and degradation," Short explained. "The quicker we can analyze a sample the better. Being able to analyze continuously in real-time is optimal for hazardous situations. Furthermore, field analysis greatly increases measurement rates and reduces cost per sample."

According to Short, mass spectrometers contain a vacuum within which individual electrically charged molecules (ions) can be analyzed. When sample molecules enter the vacuum chamber through a membrane filter they are electrically charged and then sorted by their mass-to-charge ratio. The analysis produces a graph showing a spectrum of ion intensities for each sample. From this information the molecular structures of compounds can be identified.

Originally focused on shallow water environments, Short and colleagues are currently developing systems that can go to depths greater than half a mile. Changes in the membrane interface design have increased the depths at which they deploy the mass spectrometer and recent tests have indicated that eventually the MS instrument will be able to reach full ocean depths.

"We will soon be able to go to depths of three miles," he predicted. "In the course of development, we first had divers take the instruments to 60 feet off the coast of Fort Meyers to study the gas composition of some hydrothermal seeps."

Next, the research group collected MS depth profiles to 600 feet in an inlet in Canada and, more recently, to 1140 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

"We also used a remotely operated vehicle to take the MS equipment 240 feet down in Lake Yellowstone," explained Short.

With MS equipment mounted onto an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), Short says a number of practical goals come into sharper focus. The environmental benefits of knowing what chemicals are down there, their concentrations, and where they go, are invaluable.

"Taking MS analysis into greater depths with roving vehicles has some very practical scientific and environmental purposes," said Short.

For example, deep-water hydrothermal vents can be studied using MS and marine deposits of methane gas can be detected. In some cases, underwater methane can be hazardous because it can destabilize the seafloor, but if scientists learn how to convert methane hydrates – ice-like deposits of methane gas formed in low temperatures and under great pressure – into usable fuel, seeking out methane deposits using underwater MS might be another "gold rush."

"Applications for on-site MS at extreme depths are varied and have potentially immense scientific and economic benefits," speculated Short.

-Report courtesy of Randolph Fillmore

"Explosive residue in water, mostly from the use and disposal of explosive substances of the last 100 years, is a significant environmental problem," said David Fries, co-author of the study and COT researcher. "However, recent anti-terrorism efforts have placed a high priority on detecting TNT in the marine environment. With interest in port security rising, detecting explosive residue in the water is essential."

According to Fries, the newly developed sensor is a scanning voltammetry-based electrochemical sensor that uses electrochemical means to detect explosive residues. It is a self-contained system that uses an electrochemical electrode to sense for trace TNT. Researchers took into account the fact that TNT in seawater undergoes biodegradation in a number of different ways and accounted for those processes in developing the sensor.

The sensor has been designed to detect several kinds of commercial and military explosives while riding on a remotely controlled guided surface vehicle (GSV) that wirelessly transmits data to a handheld computer.

The system has been tested in the field under a number of conditions, including turbulent waters. In field tests, the new sensor was mounted on the GSV, a six foot long, 175 pound vehicle built by USF chemistry professor and study co-author Eric Steimle. The GSV can also be fitted with video cameras, global positioning system (GPS), other chemical and biological sensors and wireless equipment for sending data. Steimle built the GSV from everyday materials available at hardware stores and has piggy-backed a great variety of equipment for USF marine studies. Recent funding from the Greenwell Foundation has allowed Steimle to redesign and upgrade the platform to increase its range and performance.

 "This mobile, intelligent sensor platform permits the operator to be "in the loop" and make real time decisions during chemical surveys," said Fries. "It addresses the growing demand for in-place, continuous TNT measurement. It is also an approach that can be extended to other kinds of explosives."

Fries' co-researcher from the University of South Florida is Xiaojuan Fu. The work was supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research.

"The storm surge we could experience is sensitive to storm intensity as well as the other variables noted above, in addition to tides and waves," said Weisberg, who incorporated that data into his mathematical and graphic models. "Our results, based on the lessons learned from experiments last year, indicate a serious vulnerability to storm surge in the Tampa Bay region."

According to Weisberg, the model explains why storm surge in Charlotte Harbor during Hurricane Charley was relatively minor (although wind damage was considerable).

"Our results also provide an explanation for why a new inlet was formed on North Captiva island," explained Weisberg.

With "National Hurricane Preparedness Week" approaching ( www.nhc.noaa.gov ) May 15-21 and the advent of hurricane season on June 1, Weisberg and his fellow researchers at the College feel an obligation to help keep the public informed of the most serious natural hazard affecting Floridians.

 "Bob's work provides a thorough understanding of - and new perspectives on - hurricane storm surge," said Al Hine, associate dean of research. "Disaster preparedness organizations and government agencies need this information."

Weisberg's modeling incorporates water depth and land elevation to assess flooding and drying.

"This data will increase public awareness about why storm surge behaves as it does and will likely promote a better pubic understanding of how and why local emergency managers make their decisions," said Weisberg.

"Senate Bill 1670 aims at establishing the Florida Oceans and Coastal Science Work Group," said Frank Muller-Karger, a CMS professor who served on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, a group that submitted its report to President Bush last fall.

According to Muller-Karger, Florida's coastline is the second longest in the nation and Florida's oceans and coastal resources are too valuable to the state to allow continued abuse.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Paula Dockery (R) of Lakeland, said that the legislation, to which she expects no resistance as it moves through the legislature, has an "opportunity to make a significant impact" on the overall health of Florida's water, adding that the many agencies and institutes involved in the past have had different agendas and priorities and often duplicate the work.

"The 1972 Coastal Management Act has not been effective enough in preserving and conserving the state's coastal regions,"he said. "We need new strategies."

In the House of Representatives, H 1627, sponsored by Representative Donna Clarke (R) of Sarasota, seeks similar legislation in establishing an Oceans and Coastal Resources Council. Now moving successfully through several House committees, H 1627 would empower a council to identify goals and work toward achieving them through a state appointed task force comprised of experts from the state's marine science institutions and water management districts. The council's work group would identify and address the conservation issues and report to the governor and the legislature one year after its establishment.

"It's time for Florida – with our unique ecosystem of oceans, bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers – to be a national leader in protecting and conserving our coastal zones," said Clarke. "This bill will encourage innovative research, cooperation and public and private partnerships that will benefit our ocean and coastal resources."

The optimism and energy both Clarke and Dockery have displayed on the issues has inspired student commitment.

Remy Luerssen, a researcher in the College's Institute for Marine Remote Sensing, concurred, adding that while it is useful to have one day devoted to the oceans, the oceans are here every day of the year and they need stewardship 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Students and faculty and friends of the CMS (see photo) will rally April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Knight Oceanographic Research building and hold a media opportunity.

Carrie Wall interviewing kingfish angler.

What she did not count on when beginning her study - but is happy to have - is the blessing of the Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) ( www.fishska.com ) and the support of local SKA member anglers who love, follow and compete with the big fish. Wall just helped the CMS land a $100,000 research endowment from the SKA to help continue fisheries studies by future graduate students at USF. The State of Florida is going to match the grant with an additional $50,000.

The collaboration formalized this week when Jack Holmes, president of SKA, presented CMS Dean Peter Betzer and the college with a check.

"Peter and Carrie came to us and asked if we had an interest in helping her gather information through our fishermen," recalled Holmes. "And, of course we did, and felt making the endowment was the right thing to do."

According to Holmes, whose St. Augustine-based organization sponsors kingfish tournaments in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, it is important that fishery managers have good, scientific data to back up what he says many experienced fishermen know about kingfish. Studies like the one Wall is doing, said Holmes, will provide managers with hard data and numbers.

"We need to know how many fish we can take out of the ocean each year without hurting the fish stocks," said Holmes. "Can we take 10 percent, five percent? We need science to give us the answer. With this kind of data, it is more likely that the fisheries will be managed by managers and not by the court system."

"Our data will be submitted to resource managers who will then be able to create and implement more informed management decisions," said Wall.

Although Holmes has a personal interest in kingfish, he said he is also happy to see the endowment to fund future research put towards the health and welfare of other fish varieties.

Major media stories in late 2004 and early 2005 topped Betzer's list of accomplishments. He cited the story of the discovery of the deepest U.S. coral reef off Pulley Ridge, a story released by Al Hine which garnered international attention. He also spoke about former CMS student Michael Morris' Ocean Optics Inc. and its "rags to riches" rise to a highly successful technology company. It's sale to a British Engineering firm for $50 million was dubbed as one of Florida 's top ten business stories of 2004 by the St. Petersburg Times. Dean Betzer also cited the service of Frank Muller-Karger on the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Center for Ocean Technology's (COT) participation in SuperBowl XXXIX security operations using their Mobile Inspection Package as underscoring the College's reputation as a group that is making important contributions to society.

Professor Robert Byrne and his research team developed a new, flow-through sensing system that, for the first time , provides scientists with a means of simultaneously and rapidly determining the distinct chemical forms of carbon dioxide in the ocean. The system was recently tested on a 6000 mile transect of the South Atlantic Ocean where measurements were made every 9 minutes for almost two months. The new sensing system combines Byrne's chemical insights with engineering expertise from the Center for Ocean Technology. With minor modification the new system will likely become the standard for NOAA's initiative dealing with fossil fuel carbon dioxide in the world's oceans.

"The Center for Ocean Technology, celebrating its tenth anniversary today, gives us a powerful presence with new technology that will help us understand our oceans and our estuaries," said Betzer.

Betzer also pointed to the accomplishments of the GK-12 educational outreach efforts under the direction of Teresa Greeley, the success of the Bridge to the Doctorate program that recruits minority PhD students to USF's Colleges of Marine Science and Engineering. Dr. Ashanti Pyrtle (MS) and Dr. Shekar Bhansali (ENG) are Co-Principal Investigators for the Bridge Program. The GK-12 and Bridge Programs are both supported by multi-year awards from The National Science Foundation. He also heralded the successful teachers training workshop (February 2005) that was organized by Frank Muller Karger's talented satellite remote sensing team. He also spoke of the three patents issued to Professor Luis Garcia-Rubio in 2004 as being especially distinctive.

"I am also happy to announce that after awarding our first PhD in 1984, twenty years later we are awarding our 100 th PhD to Rob Masserini," said Betzer, presenting him with a special marble plaque.

Betzer concluded by introducing Jack Holmes of The Southern Kingfish Association who, through the efforts of graduate student Carrie Wall , became interested in research being done at the College and subsequently presented Dean Betzer and the College with a $100,000 endowment to continue fisheries research. The endowment will be enhanced with $50,000 in state matching funds.

"Peter and Carrie came to us and asked if we had an interest in helping her gather information through our fishermen," recalled Holmes. "And, of course we did, and felt making the endowment was the right thing to do."

Holmes told the assembly that it is important that fishery managers have good, scientific data to back up what many fishermen knew from experience, and how studies such as those Wall is doing will help future management.

"We need to know how many fish we can take out of the ocean each year without hurting the fish stocks," said Holmes. "Can we take ten percent, five percent? We need science to give us the answer. With this kind of data it is more likely that the fisheries will be managed by managers and not by the court system."

-Report courtesy of Randolph Fillmore

Biosensors developed at the University of South Florida lab of Luis Garcia-Rubio, a chemical engineer at the university's College of Marine Science, can detect infectious diseases in blood and bodily fluids as well as identify pathogenic microorganisms in contaminated water. The new sensors could be our most effective future frontline defense against diseases emerging after disasters such as the recent tsunami, as well as help reduce the every day, annual rates of illness and deaths caused by contaminated water and unsanitary conditions world-wide.

"In the wake of the recent tsunami, it was anticipated that infectious diseases could increase dramatically in affected areas,"Garcia-Rubio said. "Public health officials rightfully fear thousands more will die from infectious water-borne and water related diseases after the tsunami. When people are forced to live in crowded refugee camps, they are more easily exposed to infectious diseases that spread quickly due to a lack of clean drinking water and unsanitary conditions."

The CMS research group, comprised of engineers, physicists microbiologists and chemists, is now testing portable, miniaturized biosensors that can - in real-time and continuously - monitor for a number of infectious diseases using as little as a single drop of blood. The sensors then wirelessly teleport data to a remote location for analysis.

"By optically identifying how an organism absorbs and scatters light, our new, minimally invasive technology identifies the light wave spectrum in a sample collected on-site," explained Garcia-Rubio. "Because each organism absorbs and scatters light differently, we can analyze the light wave spectrum and scatter pattern and identify an organism in the sample by comparing those patterns with known, cataloged samples."

Up to now, said Garcia-Rubio, without expensive processes and highly trained personnel,
there have been no portable instruments capable of detecting and classifying either microorganisms or cells in real time.

After patenting their technology, the research group has moved into field experiments with confidence that in the near future their advancement will be available to help public health officials rapidly detect not only infectious diseases, commonplace after natural disasters like the recent tsunami, but also waterborne pathogens that can occur in the drinking water of developed countries, including the United States.

According to Debra Huffman, a collaborator of Garcia-Rubio's lab, the new biosensors can detect malarial parasites, the dengue virus that causes dengue fever, e. coli, salmonella, shigalla and listeria as well as causes of bacterial dysentery, such as cryptosporidium (protozoan parasites). The sensors can also identify bacillus antrhacis, the anthrax organism that can be weaponized by terrorists.

 "Development and implementation of portable cost effective technologies for the early and rapid diagnosis of pathogenic microorganisms and infectious diseases is the best way to stem the spread of disease following an environmental disaster," said Garcia-Rubio. "However, the new technology can also help prevent the yearly illnesses and deaths resulting from contaminated water supplies both globally and here in the U.S."

 It doesn't take a tsunami to cause widespread illnesses resulting from contact with contaminated water.

"The World Health Organization reported in 2002 that there are nearly two million deaths annually related to unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene," pointed out Huffman. "The majority of those deaths are among children under five years of age."

According to Huffman, diarrhoeal diseases account for one-third of illnesses globally and are the sixth leading cause of deaths world-wide. "Natural disasters notwithstanding, one sixth of the world's population lacks good access to safe water," she said.

The new biosensors can help reduce those rates.

-Report courtesy of Randolph Fillmore