The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science hosted a lecture and book signing by Ellen Prager on Wednesday. Prager, author of Chasing Science and Sea, is an adjunct professor at the school as well as the chief scientist of the world’s only undersea research station, NOAA’s Aquarius Reef Base. She shared her experiences and those of her colleagues showing that a good sense of humor and ingenuity are just as important as water, sunblock and a GPS. The event was free and open to the public.
A group of international scientists, two of whom come from RSMAS, solved a mystery that has puzzled marine chemists for decades. They have discovered that fish contribute a high fraction of the ocean’s calcium carbonate production, which affects the delicate pH balance of seawater. The finding was published in Science on Friday, Jan. 16. Corresponding authors Frank Millero and Martin Grosell from RSMAS collaborated with a professor from the University of Exeter in the UK to make this discovery.
UM received a $100,000 grant from The William G. Selby and Marie Selby Foundation to manage and operate Little Salt Spring archeological and ecological preserve. The grant will help support the initial site development and construction of the multi-purpose building that will be used for teaching, research, visitors and storage. John Gifford, an associate professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, is the principal investigator of one of many projects that take place at the spring.