October 2023
Colleen Shortal, Northeastern University, Project: Determining the role of bacterial quorum sensing in coral disease progression Research Advisors: Valerie Paul
Colleen Shortal is a master’s degree student in the Three Seas Program at Northeastern University studying marine biology. This program has taken her to the rocky shores of New England, the tropical waters of Panama, the kelp forests of the Pacific Northwest, and now to the coral reefs in Florida. While at the Smithsonian Marine Station, she will be completing her thesis project. As a Link Fellow, Colleen is exploring the role of bacterial quorum sensing in the progression of stony coral tissue loss disease with the use of bacterial autoinducers (signaling molecules) and inhibitors (autoinducer antagonists).
Samantha Turner-Rosa, Northwestern University and Chicago Botanic Garden Project: Ecological drivers of climate change-induced geographic range expansion: Floral resources and the potential for pollinator assisted plant migration Research Advisors: Jennifer Sneed and Loraé Simpson
Samantha Turner-Rosa is a Master of Science student in the Plant Biology and Conservation program at Northwestern University and Chicago Botanic Garden. As a Link Fellow, Samantha is investigating the role reproductive ecology plays in the northern migration of mangroves along the east coast of Florida. In the fall, Samantha will be a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland where her work as a Link Fellow will expand to explore the relationship between nectar chemistry, pollinators, and plant migration in mangroves.
Giniel Mae Tiongson, University of Philippines – Marine Science Institute Project: Lipid metabolism in the great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) recovering from stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) Research Advisors: Valerie Paul
Ginny Tiongson is a Master of Science student in Marine Science at the University of the Philippines – Marine Science Institute studying the antipredation responses of the juvenile sea cucumber (Stichopus cf. horrens) for her thesis. She also served as a research assistant in the same institute where she worked on coral-Symbiodiniaceae assemblages in batch cultures and conducted preliminary research on coral diseases in the Western Philippines. As a Link Fellow, Ginny is investigating the preferential translocation of the energy reserves between healthy, diseased, and recovering coral colonies of Montastraea cavernosa infected with stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) through the elucidation of their upregulated lipid class composition.
Name: Ariel Pezner, Ph.D. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego Project: Experimental impacts of coral reef hypoxia: a multi-stressor approach
Ariel Pezner completed her Ph.D. degree in the field of Biological Oceanography. Her research integrates biogeochemistry, oceanography, and physiology to investigate the prevalence and impacts of hypoxia (low oxygen) on tropical coral reefs from molecular to reef-scale. The goal of her research is to experimentally test how hypoxia, in combination with ocean warming and acidification, affects coral physiology and survival and to assess for potential synergisms between these stressors. She is using the aquarium system at the Smithsonian Marine Station to manipulate the oxygen concentrations, temperature, and pH levels of seawater to mimic the conditions of a real hypoxic event on two reef building coral species. She will measure coral mortality, photosynthetic performance, calcification rates, and symbiont density to better understand how these three stressors in combination and alone affect coral physiology. In addition, she will measure changes in coral host gene expression profiles using RNA sequencing to understand the genomic mechanisms underlying the observed changes. This multi-stressor approach will fill an important gap in our understanding of how hypoxic events will impact tropical coral reefs and help us develop appropriate management and conservation strategies to combat coral reef loss.
Name: Justin Scioli, Ph.D. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Project: Infaunal macrosymbioses: patterns of diversity, host use, and co-occurrence in the Atlantic coast of Florida
Justin Scioli completed his Ph.D. in the field of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. Justin’s previous and ongoing research involves the evolution, systematics, biodiversity and taxonomy of marine crustaceans, especially snapping shrimp (family Alpheidae). He is especially interested in evolution and diversification of symbiotic marine lineages. As a Link Fellow, Justin is investigating patterns of diversification and host-symbiont interactions in marine invertebrates that symbiotically cohabit the burrows of other animals using ecological, morphological, and genetic lines of evidence. Several infaunal symbionts have been reported in the Indian River Lagoon region where they cohabit burrows of mud shrimps, stomatopods and large polychaete worms. This system provides an opportunity to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of symbiotic infaunal lifestyles, patterns of symbiont diversity and interactions.
The Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) at Fort Pierce, Florida, has a long history of supporting the academic pursuits of students at all levels of education. One of the most successful programs is the 12-week Graduate Student Fellowship program, supported by a grant from the Link Foundation which began in 1998.
The association between the Smithsonian and the Link Foundation extends back to 1953, soon after the Foundation was established by Edwin A. and Marion C. Link. Mr. Link was a skilled aviator and is recognized as a mechanical genius. He is best known for his invention of the first Flight Simulator in 1929, and he later shifted his interest to ocean engineering and marine science and developed the Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles.
The Link Foundation aims to support individuals and nonprofit institutions with research goals and interests that align with those of the founders, namely modeling, simulation and training, ocean engineering and instrumentation, and energy resources conservation and development.
The Smithsonian Marine Station received its first award from the Link Foundation in 1998 in support of graduate student fellowships in the marine sciences. Annual awards from 1998-2023 have supported 77 graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows. Graduate students interested in the program should visit https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/smithsonian-marine-station/education-and-fellowships/graduate-fellowships for information on application requirements.
The Link Foundation/Smithsonian Institution graduate student fellowships are offered on a competitive basis through the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Academic Appointments and Internships and support the research efforts of three graduate students each year. During the 12-week program, conducted anytime during the year, Fellows work in association with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff who are Marine Station investigators. Students are provided with work space at the station, full access to all the Station’s resources, as well as the guidance and expertise of their appointed research advisor during their fellowship.
Several Link Fellows have completed doctoral degrees and have returned to SMS as postdoctoral fellows. Others maintain a relationship by continuing to collaborate with SMS researchers or by bringing students of their own to work at the Smithsonian Marine Station.
Beginning in 2022, the Link Foundation has supported an annual Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Smithsonian Marine Station. This award provides funding for a recent Ph.D. graduate to conduct advanced independent studies in marine science at the Smithsonian Marine Station. The postdoctoral research experience is an important step for scholars to develop research skills to advance their future careers in marine science. Information on the application requirement for the postdoctoral fellowships can be found on this website: https://fellowships.si.edu/opportunity/smithsonian-marine-station-postdoctoral-fellowship-program
The staff of SMS looks forward to continuing to provide research opportunities to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars through on-going support from the Link Foundation. The deadlines for the 2024 funding cycle are November 1, 2023 and May 1, 2024.