FAU - Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.

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newsletter

January, 2012 Events

Tues, Jan 17 VIP Campus Hike for HBOI/FAU Friends & Their Guests: Meet at the Ocean Discovery Center at 9:00 a.m. then walk to Harbor Branch’s Link Port Café for breakfast (cash only). On this 2 ½ mile hike of Harbor Branch you will look for manatees, alligators, dolphins and other wildlife. You will also get a peek inside the new buildings along the way. Reservations required. Free to members and their guests.

Wed, Jan 18 Ocean Science Lecture Series: “Ocean Renewable Energy: Harnessing the Power of the Sea” Sue Skemp, Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, FAU FAU is building the capability, infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships needed to develop the methodology and tools to deploy, test, and validate commercially-viable ocean energy systems, such as harnessing the power of the Gulf Stream for generating electricity. Learn how this research is making a unique contribution to a broadly diversified portfolio of renewable energy for the nation’s future.4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – Johnson Education Center – Free Admission

Thurs, Jan 19 Tour of Adams Ranch: Come experience this family ranch founded in 1937 and learn what cattle raising is all about. Ride over 65,000 acres of beautiful range land that is home to a variety of wildlife. Gather back at the ranch for a tasty barbeque of chicken and ribs with all the trimmings. Reservations required. Cost members $25 pp; non-members $30 pp. 9:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Wed, Jan 25 Behind the Scenes Tour of Florida Oceanographic Society: See areas of this marine nature center that the general public doesn’t get to see. Then enjoy the wonders of the 750,000 gallon Game Fish Lagoon with 35 different species of aquatic animals which include sea turtles, tropical and game fish and an 8 ft. shark. Nature trails provide the opportunity to spot wildlife along the coastal hardwood hammocks and mangrove swamp communities and don’t miss the Frances Langford Visitors Center. Reservations required. Cost $18 pp. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Wed, Jan 25 Ocean Science Lecture Series: “Understanding the Planetary Life Support System: Next Generation Science in the Ocean Basins” John Delaney, University of Washington The global ocean ecosystem is essential to the quality of life on the continents. The oceans are very complicated, changing rapidly and unpredictably. Sophisticated computational simulations and models of oceanic behavior require immense amounts of carefully crafted data input to become predictive. Novel approaches to working the oceans in the coming generations have the potential to revolutionize our perceptions (and eventual management) of our entire planet. 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – Johnson Education Center – Free Admission

Tues, Jan 31 VIP Tour for HBOI/FAU Friends & Their Guests: Tour begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Ocean Discovery Center. Reservations required.

February Events

Wed, Feb 1 OSLS: "Saving the Gentle Giants" - Manatee Protection Sensors for Flood Control Gates and Navigation Locks Larry Taylor, HBOI/FAU – Engineers at Harbor Branch have developed two unique sensor systems that prevent manatees from being injured in flood control gates and navigation locks. Join Larry Taylor, Project Manager for the Manatee Protection Systems Program since 1997, as he describes these innovative solutions and the successful installations at 18 flood gates and 8 boat locks.

The winter lecture series is presented every Wednesday (January 12 – March 21) at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. An opportunity to meet the speaker, appetizer buffet and cash bar follow the presentation. The lectures are open to the public, free of charge and reservations are not required. For more information please call (772) 242-2506.

Wed, Feb 8 OSLS: “Seagrass Monitoring in the Indian River Lagoon – No Such Thing as Status Quo” – Lori Morris, St. Johns River Water Management District – Positive trends in IRL seagrass coverage has been the story over the past 17 years. However, what appeared to be a functioning, balanced estuary has recently tipped into a spiraling decline. Can the balance be restored?

Feb 9 – Indian River Lagoon Symposium –8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.agencies and public are invited to register to attend; $20 for professionals, $10 other/public due by Jan 31. Late registration $25 pp and $15 for day of meeting registration. Registration includes coffee breaks, lunch and reception. For more information: www.indianriverlagoon.org.

Feb. 10 – “Love Your Lagoon” Dinner – 6 - 10 p.m. Ticketed event. $125 pp and up for higher sponsorship levels – for tickets call 466-9876 ext 221, rsvp@hboifoundation.org or purchase tickets online at www.indianriverlagoon.org. Proceeds will support the annual Indian River Lagoon Symposium and research on the IR Lagoon at HBOI.

Mon, Feb 13 VIP Naturalists’ Walking Tour for HBOI/FAU Friends and their Guests: Meet at the Ocean Discovery Center at 9:30 a. m. before heading on campus to the Harbor Branch Café and a quick breakfast with ODC guide Sunny Gardner and a Harbor Branch naturalist. Bring your cameras and field glasses, as we will meander through some of the more natural areas of campus looking for birds, bugs, manatees, alligators, dolphins and other wildlife. Reservations required. Call (772) 242-2559. Free to members and their guests.

Wed, Feb 15 OSLS: “Undersea Gliding in the Gulf” Harbor Branch’s Latest Winged Robots’ Recent Mission to Explore Gulf of Mexico Waters Fraser Dalgleish, HBOI/FAU – As part of the Florida Shelf Edge Exploration (FLOSEEII) cruise, two Spray gliders operated by Harbor Branch’s Ocean Visibility and Optics Lab in collaboration with Bluefin Robotics were deployed for several months at Pulley Ridge. These glider deployments allowed large scale measurement of water quality parameters above the coral reef and the surrounding waters in support of cruise objectives.

Wed, Feb 22 Eco-Boat Trip – departs from Harbor Branch. A special look at land birds in the native scape near campus and shore birds on the Lagoon, it’s Birding 101 with Capt. Chop Lege and his knowledgeable crew. Join Friends for a short walk on campus and a trip aboard the pontoon boat “Gator” to see birds, dolphins, turtle, manatees and more. Departing 10:30 a.m. and returning in time for lunch from the Harbor Branch Café. $50pp. Reservations required. Call (772) 242-2559.

Wednesday, Feb 22 OSLS: There is no lecture this week.

Tue, Feb 28 Sunset Cruise up the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. Depart downtown Stuart from Sailor’s Return at 3:30 p.m. for a trip with Capt. Nancy up the North Fork and to some great areas for target birds. Return to dock in time to enjoy supper downtown. Reservations required. $40pp. Call (772) 242-2559 for directions and reservations.

Wed, Feb 29 OSLS: “Challenges Facing Marine Mammals in a Changing Arctic” Greg O’Corry-Crowe, HBOI/FAU – Harbor Branch’s Polar Research Program uses molecular genetic techniques and satellite-linked telemetry in the study of northern temperate, Arctic and Antarctic marine mammals. Join Dr. O’Corry-Crowe as he describes the range of modern field and lab techniques used by his program to investigate the effects of climate change and ecosystem regime shifts on marine mammals and other apex predators in the Artic.

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Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.

Sr. Research Professor

Shirley Pomponi is Sr. Research Professor Cooperative Institute Ocean Exploration Research and Technology of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. She received her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Miami, RSMAS. She joined Harbor Branch in 1984. Shirley’s research interests are sponges—their biology, taxonomy, ecology, chemistry, molecular biology, and cell culture. She’s particularly interested in developing in vitro (i.e., cell culture) techniques for production of sponge-derived bioactive molecules. She has led numerous research expeditions worldwide and has made more than 300 dives in Harbor Branch’s Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles. She chairs the National Research Council's Ocean Studies Board, is Vice-Chair of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, and is President-elect of the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories. She is a member of the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council, the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel, the U.S. National Committee for the Census of Marine Life, and the National Association of Marine Laboratories. Dr. Pomponi serves on the Board of Trustees of Midwest Research Institute and the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Selected recent publications

Marine biotechnology

Pomponi, S.A., Baden, D.G., and Zohar, Y. 2007. Marine Biotechnology: realizing the potential. Marine Technology Society Journal. 41(3): 24-31.
Pomponi, S. A. 2001. The Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture. The oceans and human health: The discovery and development of marine-derived drugs. Oceanography. Vol. 14(1): 78 – 87.

Sponge Cell Culture & Aquaculture

Pomponi, S.A. 2006. Biology of the Porifera: cell culture. Canadian Journal of Zoology: Special Series on Porifera. 84: 167-174.
Duckworth, A.R. and Pomponi, S.A. 2005. Relative importance of bacteria, microalgae and yeast for growth of the sponge Halichondria melanadocia (De Laubenfels, 1936): a laboratory study. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 323: 151-159.
Duckworth, A.R., Samples, G.A., Wright, A.E., and Pomponi, S.A. 2003. In vitro culture of the tropical sponge Axinella corrugata (Demospongiae): effect of food cell concentration on growth, clearance rate and biosynthesis of stevensine. Marine Biotechnology 5: 519-527.
Lopez, J.V., Peterson, C.L., Willoughby, R., Wright, A.E., Enright, E., Zoladz, S., and Pomponi, S.A.. 2002. Characterization of genetic markers for in vitro cell line identification of the marine sponge, Axinella corrugata. Journal of Heredity 93(1): 27-36.
Wijffels, R.H., Osinga, R., Pomponi, S., and Tramper, J. 2001. Marine sponges as biocatalysts. In Multiphase Bioreactor Design. Edited by J.M.S. Cabral, M. Mota, and J. Tramper. Taylor & Francis, London and New York, pp. 477-493.

Sponge Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology

Conejo, M., Bertin, M., Pomponi, S.A., and Ellington, W.R., 2008. The early evolution of the phosphagen kinases – insights from choanoflagellate and poriferan arginine kinases. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 66(1): 11-20
Thiel, V., Blumenberg, M., Hefter, J., Pape, T., Pomponi, S.A., Reed, J., Reitner, J., Worheide, G., and Michaelis, W.. 2002. A chemical view of the most ancient metazoa – biomarker chemotaxonomy of hexactinellid sponges. Naturwissenschaften 89: 60-66.
Pomponi, S.A., Kelly, M., Reed, J.K., and Wright, A.E. 2001. Diversity and bathymetric distribution of lithistid sponges in the tropical western Atlantic region. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 10: 344-353.

Detailed CV