August 2006

NEW STUDENTS

The new students joining the department are: Justin Campbell (Major Advisor: Jim Fourqurean), Sat Gavassa (Major Advisor: Philip Stoddard), Elizabeth Harrison (Major Advisor: Joel Trexler), Christine Hunker (Major Advisor: Alejandro Barbieri), Roxaneh Khorsand (Major Advisor: Suzanne Koptur), Vivian Maccachero (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly), Jay Munyon (Major Advisor: Evelyn Gaiser), Adam Obaza (Major Advisor: Joel Trexler), Mario Perez (Major Advisor: Fernando Noriega), Caroline Peyer (Major Advisor: Craig Layman), and Marbelys Rodriguez (Major Advisor: Leung Kim). One of our former Master’s students, Robert Lowery (Major Advisor: Rene Herrera) is returning for his Ph.D. Welcome to all new and returning students!

DEPARTMENTAL SEMINARS

Raul Urgelles (Major Advisor: Joel Trexler) presented his Master’s Thesis Proposal Seminar entitled “The spatio-temporal dynamics of larval dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) assemblages in relation to habitat variables in the freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades” on 21 August 2006.

RESEARCH SEMINARS

Brett Jestrow (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega) presented a seminar entitled “Phylogenetics, conservation, and historical biogeography of the West Indian genera Lasiocroton and Leucocroton (Euphorbiaceae)” at the Fairchild Tropical Garden on 9 May 2006.

GRANTS

Jason Somarelli (Major Advisor: Rene Herrera) recently received a three year grant from the EPA to support his doctoral studies. Congratulations Jason!

PRESENTATIONS AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS

Mario Perez (Major Advisor: Fernando Noriega) presented a co-authored poster at the Fifth International Symposium on Molecular Insect Science at the University of Arizona held in May, 2006. The symposium registration was paid for by a grant from the USDA-CSREES: S. Hernandez-Martinez1, J.G. Mayoral, M.H. Perez & F.G. Noriega. Regulation of Juvenile Hormone Synthesis in Mosquitoes: Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Studies

Brett Jestrow (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega) presented a co-authored paper at the recent meeting of the Botanical Society of America and American Society of Plant Taxonomists meeting in Chico, California (29 July - 2 August 2006). Jestrow, B.; J. Francisco-Ortega, J. Gutierrez, and P. Berry “Phylogenetics, conservation, and historical biogeography of the West Indian genera Lasiocroton and Leucocroton (Euphorbiaceae).”

Chad Husby (Major Advisor: Steve Oberbauer) presented a paper at the recent meeting of the Botanical Society of America and American Society of Plant Taxonomists meeting in Chico, California (29 July - 2 August 2006). Chad’s paper was entitled “Salinity tolerance ecophysiology of the giant horsetail, Equisetum giganteum, in the Atacama Desert, Chile”.

Brett Jestrow (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega) presented a co-authored paper at the IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Botanica, Jardin Botanico Nacional, Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana (18-25 June 2006). Berry, P. E.; J. Francisco-Ortega, J. E. Gutierrez, B. Jestrow, B. W. van Ee “Avances moleculares recientes de tres generos de Euphorbiaceae, en las Antillas: Croton, Euphorbia, y Leucocroton.”

Several FIU students and a postdoctoral fellow presented papers and posters at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America meetings held in Memphis, Tennessee from 6-11 August 2006:

Alessandro Catenazzi (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) presented a co-authored paper: Catenazzi, A. and M.A. Donnelly. Topographic effects on marine subsidies for gecko coastal desert populations.

Steven Whitfield (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) presented a co-authored paper: Whitfield, S.M., K.E. Bell, T. Philippi, M. Sasa, F. Bolaños, G. Chaves, J.M. Savage, and M.A. Donnelly. Amphibian and reptile declines over 35 years in a lowland rainforest at La Selva, Costa Rica.

Jay Munyon (Major Advisor: Evelyn Gaiser) presented a co-authored poster: Munyon, J.W., R.B. Brugam, and W.A. Retzlaff. Analysis of the Cougar Lake, Illinois, food chain using stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon.

James Watling (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) presented a co-authored paper: Watling, J.I. and M.A. Donnelly. Species richness ad composition of the Guayana Shield.

Sharon Ewe and Collin Saunders (Postdoctoral Advisor: Dan Childers) presented a co-authored paper that included Greg Koch (Major Advisor: Dan Childers): Ewe, S.M., L.L. Sternberg, C.J. Saunders, V. Engel, G. Koch, and D. Childers. Comparative plant water uptake patterns in the saline southeast Everglades ecotone.

PUBLICATIONS

Mario Perez (Major Advisor: Fernando Noriega) recently learned that his co-authored paper was accepted for publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry: Yiping, L., S. Hernandez-Martinez, F. Fernandez, J.G. Mayoral, P. Topalis, H. Priestap, M. Perez, A. Navare, and F.G. Noriega. 2006. Biochemical, molecular and functional characterization of PISCF-allatostatin, a regulator of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Journal of Biological Chemistry, in press. Congratulations Mario!

Steven Whitfield (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently published a coauthored paper in the Journal of Tropical Ecology. Whitfield, S.M. and M.A. Donnelly. 2006. Ontogenetic and seasonal variation in the diets of a Costa Rican leaf-litter herpetofauna. Journal of Tropical Ecology 22:409-417. Congratulations Steven!

Jeremy Moynihan (Major Advisor: Javier Francisco-Ortega) recently published a coauthored paper in Molecular Ecology Notes (electronic version): Moynihan, J., A.W. Merrow, and J. Francisco-Ortega. 2006. Isolation, characterization and cross-species amplification of microsatellite loci in the cycad genus Dioon (Zamiaceae). Potential utilization in population genetics studies of Dioon edule. Molecular Ecology Notes. Congratulations Jeremy!

Rudolf von May (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) has coauthored paper in press in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution: Roberts J.L., J.L. Brown, R. von May, W. Arizabal, R. Schulte, and K. Summers. 2006. Genetic divergence and speciation in lowland and montane peruvian poison frogs. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, in press. Congratulations Rudi!

David Iwaniec (Major Advisor: Dan Childers) and two former students, Gustavo Rubio (Major Advisor: Dan Childers) and Emilie Verdon (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently published a co-authored paper: Childers, D.L., D. Iwaniec, D. Rondeau, G. Rubio, E. Verdon, and C.J. Madden. 2006. Responses of sawgrass and spikerush to variation in hydrologic drivers and salinity in Southern Everglades marshes. Hydrobiologia 569:273-292. Congratulations David!

FORMER STUDENTS

Former student and current postdoc James Watling (Major Advisor: Maureen Donnelly) recently published a coauthored review paper in Conservation Biology: Watling, J.I. and M.A. Donnelly. 2006. Fragments as islands: A synthesis of faunal responses to habitat patchiness. Conservation Biology 20:1016-1025. Congratulations James!

Former student Gustavo Rubio (Major Advisor: Dan Childers) recently published a co-authored paper: Rubio, G. and D.L. Childers. 2006. Decomposition of Cladium jamaicense, Eleocharis sp., and Juncus roemerianus in the estuarine ecotones of the Florida Everglades. Estuaries 29:1-12. Congratulations Gustavo!

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