Read about the other Mrs. Wally Simpson and how the famous romance affected the baseball star Walloping Wally Simpson in the new book, “Walloping Wally and early New York Baseball”. Now available on Amazon.com

We are looking to offer one Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant position for
the Fall of 2012. The general focus of this position will be in the Human
Dimensions of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems. The academic program of study
will be in the Coastal Resources Management Ph.D. Program, which is within
the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy (http://www.ecu.edu/crm/ and

http://www.ecu.edu/icsp/ICSP/Home.html).

Responsibilities: This is a quantitative human dimensions graduate
assistantship. The successful candidate will study within and meet the
requirements of the Coastal Resources Management Program, and in addition
be expected to focus on and acquire knowledge in the social and behavioral
sciences, and to apply this knowledge to coastal management topics. The
Coastal Resources Management Program requires a minor in either Coastal
Geosciences or Coastal Estuarine Ecology. The development of strong
research skills will be required. This will include the completion of
multiple research methods and statistics courses. The successful candidate
will also be expected to pursue publication in various appropriate
scholarly publication outlets, including refereed journals, conference
proceedings and technical reports, and to attend and participate in
national and regional professional conferences. Several research projects
are typically in progress, and the student will be expected to participate
in some or all of them. Self-motivation and independent work capabilities
are important. Some recent projects include 1) a study of SCUBA divers,
snorkelers and recreational fishermen as part of the Florida Reef
Resilience Program in the Florida Keys, 2) a comprehensive socioeconomic
study of recreation and tourism in the Florida Keys, 3) a study of
recreational consequences of coastal restoration at Zuma Beach, CA, and 4)
a review of the social and economic understanding of coastal erosion from
Maine to Chesapeake Bay. A current project is to study divers, anglers and
boaters in Biscayne Bay National Park, and to study users at Dry Tortugas
National Park.

Qualifications: 1) The ability to work collaboratively as a member of an
interdisciplinary team and to assume leadership roles for research
projects. 2) Masters in the behavioral sciences or natural resources
disciplines. 3) An ability to conduct research, with basic course work in
research methods and statistical applications completed. 4) Good
communication skills; good writing and public speaking abilities. 5)
Previous professional experience in the coastal environment is preferred,
but not required.

Compensation: Contingent on funding, the position will be available on or
before August 22, 2012. An annual stipend of $22,000 is provided for the
first year. Funding in subsequent years is likely, but not guaranteed.
With the stipend comes a waiver of tuition, and basic health care. It is
expected that the successful candidate will apply to become a resident of
North Carolina by the end of their first year in the Program (if
appropriate).

Contact: Send resume, letter of interest summarizing qualifications, and
three references to: David K. Loomis, Associate Professor, Institute for
Coastal Science and Policy, Flanagan Building, East Carolina University,
Greenville, NC 27858-4353.
Loomisd@ecu.edu>.
252-737-4263. Please feel free to contact me with questions. The
position will be advertised until filled.

Sanibel Sea School has two intern positions available. One is available
immediately and the others are for summer interms.

Please visit our web site, www. sanibelseaschool.org for details.

J. Bruce Neill, Ph.D.

Ocean Advocate and Executive Director
[image: Sanibel Sea School Logo]

Our vision is a world where all people value, understand and care for the
ocean.

P.O. Box 1229 – 414 Lagoon Drive – Sanibel, FL 33957
*Phone:* 239.472.8585

January 6, 2012

Class from Marine Maritime Academy sees a manatee, its calf and a Bull Shark while conducting research at Tres Cocos back reef.

Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:32:05 -0400
From: Sandra Romano
Subject: [Coral-List] Masters in Marine and Environmental Science at
UVI
To:
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”US-ASCII”

Applications are being accepted for Fall 2012 admission to the Master of
Marine and Environmental Science program at the University of the Virgin
Islands. The application deadline is March 1, 2012.

The Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) degree provides
students with the training and skills necessary for planning, conducting,
and evaluating research in marine and environmental science. Additionally,
students explore how to utilize research to manage natural resources, with a
particular focus on the issues and challenges related to natural resource
management in the Caribbean region. The program draws upon the expertise of
faculty within several units of UVI, in particular the Center for Marine and
Environmental Studies and the Division of Science and Mathematics. Further,
it is a bridge between academia and natural resource management sectors
within the US Virgin Islands, the greater Caribbean, and beyond.

There are two tracks of study in the MMES program: a science based track for
those students who wish to focus on research, and a management based track
for those students who wish to focus on resource management issues. The
program structure allows students to become conversant in the language of
both research and resource management, and then to focus on their area of
particular interest. Graduates of the program are prepared for a wide array
of careers in academic, government, non-profit, and private sectors.

For more information, go to http://mmes.uvi.edu/ or contact the Interim
Director of the Program, Dr. Sandra Romano (sromano@uvi.edu).

******************************************
Sandra L. Romano, PhD
Associate Professor of Marine Biology
Chair, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Interm Director, MMES Program
College of Science and Mathematics
University of the Virgin Islands
2 John Brewers Bay
St. Thomas 00802 USVI
Email: sromano@uvi.edu
Voice: (340) 693-1389
Fax: (340) 693-1385

Belize Protected Area Boosting Predatory Fish Populations

A 14-year study by the Wildlife Conservation Society in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover’s Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery.
The findings will help WCS researchers in their search for new solutions to the problem of restoring Caribbean reefs damaged by fishing and climate change.
The study appears in an online version of Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. The authors include: Tim McClanahan, N.A. Muthiga, and R.A. Coleman of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Specifically, the fishing closures have resulted in the recovery of species such as barracuda, groupers, snappers, and other predatory fish. Herbivorous fish such as parrotfish and surgeonfish, however, managed only slight recoveries, along with a small amount of the herbivory needed to reduce erect algae and promote the growth of more hard corals. This modest recovery of herbivorous fish has not been sufficient in reversing the degradation of the reefs by algae that have overgrown the reef and replaced the coral that once occupied 75 percent, but now represent less than 20 percent, of the seafloor cover. The authors note that a recent national-level ban by the Belizean government on the fishing of parrotfish — a widespread herbivorous species — may be the key to reef recovery, provided that the fishing ban is enforced and met with compliance. WCS provided valuable data through its monitoring program at Glover’s Reef to justify the landmark measure to protect reef grazers.
“The fishing ban in the fully protected portion of the lagoon was expected to result in an increase in predatory fish and — more importantly — herbivorous fish such as parrotfish that in turn reverse the degraded condition of algal dominance in this reef,” said Dr. Tim McClanahan, lead author of the study and head of WCS’s coral reef research and conservation program. “What happened was a recovery of predatory fish, but not of the herbivorous fish, a finding that is forcing us to come up with a more effective model of reef management and recovery. If the nation-wide ban on parrotfish is successful, then we can see if this type of large-scale management is the only effective solution for protecting coral reefs.”
According to the authors, a number of factors could be contributing to the unpredicted responses of fishing closures, which considerably complicates the understanding of coral reef ecology and management. The complex web of species interactions may produce unexpected cascading effects because of underestimates in the possible responses to bans on fishing. Other possible reason: the size of the closure may be too small to produce the desired effect, or there may be a failure of compliance with fishers following the ban. The authors also mention that environmental factors such as oceanographic oscillations and warming waters complicate any attempt to establish cause-and-effect relationships in these systems, as they noted a loss in coral cover across the 1998 El Niño that killed many corals worldwide.
“It is encouraging to see the recovery of large predatory fish such as groupers and snappers under significant pressure elsewhere in Belize, but the lagging herbivorous fish is a warning that there is no single solution to coral reef conservation,” said Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of WCS’s Marine Program. “While no-take zones are critical, more comprehensive ecosystem-based management is essential throughout the range of targeted species for long term recovery of the entire Meso-American Barrier Reef.”
From Fiji to Kenya to Glover’s Reef, Dr. Tim McClanahan’s research examines the ecology, fisheries, climate change effects, and management of coral reefs at key sites throughout the world. This work has been supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. WCS wishes to acknowledge the Oak Foundation and The Summit Foundation for their generous support of this study and our marine conservation work throughout Belize.
Science Daily

Cheers to Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes for highlighting Coral Reefs.
I’ll put Hol Chan in Belize up against the Gardens of the Queen.

Ken’s book, “Walloping Wally and early New York Baseball” (Amazon.com) is now available. Babe Ruth and the early legends.
This is the story on an early 20 th century Baseball player who touched greatness for only a moment but spent years surrounded by future Hall of Fame players. From his time as errand boy for the New York Highlanders to his 1923 record 44 Home Runs to his signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers his story includes Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Frankie Frisch, Leo Durocher, Chief Bender, Rogers Hornsby, Louis Santop, Dazzy Vance, Casey Stengel, Zach Wheat, Walter Johnson, Goose Goslin and many more. Walloping Wally’s picture with Ruth and Gehrig has been seen by millions but his story was lost to history until now.

SIGNATURES FOR REFERENDUM SENT TO CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICER

The process of realizing a national referendum on offshore drilling has moved one step closer to reality. According to the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, Governor General Sir Colville Young has informed the group that he has forwarded the eighteen thousand plus signatures to the Chief Elections Officer. According to a statement from the group, the Chief Elections officer will oversee the vetting of the signatures and will then inform the Governor General whether or not the signatures are valid, and if the 10% threshold of registered voters has been met. Once those requirements have been satisfied, the Governor General is expected to issue a writ of referendum which will announce the national referendum in which all registered voters will get to vote on the issue of offshore oil exploration and drilling in Belize. A week ago, the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage through Oceana in Belize triggered the Referendum process by delivering over the eighteen thousand signatures to the Governor General’s office. As it awaits the outcome of the vetting process, the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage is wishing all Belizeans a Blessed Christmas and urges Belizeans to give a gift to the country on an anticipated referendum day and vote “No” to oil exploration and drilling in Belize’s offshore and in its protected area.