For more information: Seminar and Events

Jan 28, 2016 – Benjamin Wolfe, PhD –  Tufts University

Feb 11, 2016 – Jushua Halman, PhD – Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Feb 18, 2016 – Lisa Kerr, PhD – Gulf of Maine Research Institute

March 10, 2016 – Mohammed Mostajo Radji – Harvard University

March 17, 2016 – Dan Levitis, PhD – ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

March 24, 2016 – Michael Canfield, PhD – Harvard University

The Harriet M. and Fred E. Pomeroy Fund Scholarship

Ron Barry came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in fall 2007 after retiring from Frostburg State Unversity in Maryland and has just completed the 8th year of his two year contract. A mammalogist by trade, Ron taught courses including Evolution, Biostatistics, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Behavior, and Mammalogy. Besides his curricular contributions, Ron has been a voice of wisdom in the department and made many contributions toward new faculty recruitment and departmental life over all. In what we are lead to believe is really his retirement (for good this time!) Ron plans to volunteer for conservation organizations, enjoy visiting his children and grandchildren, fishing, and maybe, just maybe, finally buy his wife that fishing boat she’s always wanted for their camp.

Josh Lord came to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ from University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences as a one year visiting assistant professor to teach all things marine. Josh has taught Marine Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Science, Global Change in Marine Systems, and a Short Term course, Experimental Marine Ecology. An exponent of hands-on work with marine life, Josh mentored senior theses and used every opportunity to take his students into the field to meet marine organisms head on. Josh leaves us to take on the new challenge of a post-doctoral research position at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Moss Landing, California.  They’re lucky to get him!   Best wishes as you move ahead!

Allyson Eller joined our department as visiting assistant professor following completion of a post-doctoral research position at MacQuarie University in Australia.  Early on Allyson introduced the department and other ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ colleagues to the joys of SQUASH – the plant, not the game – with a squash dinner extravaganza of epic proportions. Who really knew there were so many kinds of squash out there?  Allyson taught Plants and Human Affairs and Global Change in Terrestrial Systems and made many contributions to departmental life during this very busy year.  We wish you the very best as you go on to other opportunities!

Lyndell Bade, a maven of all things Chondrichtyhes, answered the call two years ago when acute staffing needs in Biology and Biological Chemistry allowed us to hire an additional AI for a two year term. Having just completed her Masters Degree in Fisheries at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, Lyndell quickly became part of the Biology family and has made important contributions as a lab instructor in Organismal Biology, Biochemistry, Sensory Biology, Plants and Human Affairs, and Short Term courses on Invasive Plant Ecology (in NYC) and Experimental Marine Ecology. A highlight of her time here was getting her first paper published based on her masters research. Best wishes as you go forward!

Dr. Laura Ekstrom
Wheaton College

“Walking Stingrays and Hand-standing Frogs:
Using Unusual Locomotor Systems to Probe Musculoskeletal Form and Function”

Thursday, March 26 4:10-5:10 pm

Carnegie Science Room 204

Refreshments served beforehand.

Dr. Joe Roman
University of Vermont

“Harboring Diversity: Genetic Variation, Propagule Pressure, and the Establishment and Spread of the Green Crab in North America”

Thursday, MARCH12 (new date)

4:10- 5:10 pm
Carnegie Science Room 204

Refreshments available 3:45 pm in Faculty Lounge

Benjamin King
Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory

“Conserved Gene Regulatory Circuits During Appendage Regeneration”

March 5th, 2015

4:10 pm  – Room 204 Carnegie Science

Refreshments beforehand in room 111 (Faculty Lounge)

Dr. Joe Roman
University of Vermont

“Harboring Diversity: Genetic Variation, Propagule Pressure, and the Establishment and Spread of the Green Crab in North America”

Thursday, MARCH12 (new date)

4:10- 5:10 pm
Carnegie Science Room 204

Refreshments available 3:45 pm in Faculty Lounge

Marine viruses play a huge role in regulating phytoplankton blooms and recycling nutrients in the ocean, but it is far less common for them to cause dramatic shifts in rocky intertidal habitats. Over the past few years, sea star wasting disease has been devastating sea star populations on the west coast of North America, from Alaska down to southern California. This disease causes sea stars to lose arms and basically appear to be melting (insert Wizard of Oz joke here), and it has dramatically reduced sea star populations. Areas that once had thousands of sea stars now have only a few. Until now, the cause of sea star wasting disease has been a mystery; on November 17, researchers at Cornell University published a paper () showing that the cause of sea star wasting disease was a virus, now named Sea Star Associated Densovirus (SSaDV). This is not the end of the mystery though, because this virus has been present in sea star populations since the 1940s—so why is it such a problem now? There are multiple hypotheses, including that the virus mutated to a more harmful form, that warmer and more acidic seawater due to climate change makes sea stars especially vulnerable, or that sea star populations got so high that the disease could be easily transmitted. After this massive die-off, the question will be: is this a natural cycle from which sea stars will recover, or is this sea star-free world the new norm on the west coast?

For more information, see:

(Heweson et al, 2014)

Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, Euprymna scolopes

The Hawaiian Bobtail Squid is a very small squid (only about an inch long as adults), and because squid do not have shells like most other mollusks, it is vulnerable to predation. Most cephalopods have some form of adaptive camouflage, allowing them to match the texture and intensity of the substrate, but the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid takes this a step further. They have a symbiosis with bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) that live in their light organ on the bottom of their body. Why would they want them on the bottom?  These bacteria produce blue light, which closely matches the appearance of moonlit water when viewed from below. This type of camouflage is called countershading and allows this squid to be almost invisible to predators below when it is swimming near the surface of the water.

Post by Josh Lord.

JSM-7100FLV Scanning Electron Microscope

The College’s new JSM-7100 field emission scanning electron microscope will be demonstrated during an open house in the Laboratory for Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis.

Friday October 10, 2014 in room B-10 Carnegie Science Building (basement level).

Follow the signs from the Carnegie lobby area.