(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
>> OUR WORLD IS CONSTANTLY
EVOLVING AS TIME MOVES FORWARD,
THINGS CHANGE,
WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
TO STAY INFORMED.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THERE
ARE DOZENS OF PROFESSIONALS
WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE WITH
THE COMMUNITY THROUGH LECTURES
SPONSORED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES AND AREA
NOT FOR PROFITS.
AND EACH MONTH SLCTV WILL
FEATURE ONE OF THESE
VISITING PROFESSORS
AS THEY DISCUSS THE LATEST
CURRENT EVENTS.
SO, GRAB A NOTEBOOK
AND PULL UP A CHAIR
BECAUSE THE LECTURE HALL
IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
>> AND IT'S THESE TWO LITTLE
ANIMALS UP HERE THAT REALLY
GOT ME REALLY EXCITED
AND KIND OF ON THE CAREER PATH
THAT, THAT ULTIMATELY
BROUGHT ME HERE.
AND IT WAS THE,
WE, WE WERE DOING A,
I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
THERE AND WE WERE DOING
LOBSTER RESEARCH
AND THIS IS THE CALIFORNIA
SPINY LOBSTER THAT YOU SEE
ON THE RIGHT THERE.
PRETTY SIMILAR,
A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO OUR
FLORIDA SPINY LOBSTER.
AND WE WERE DOING A LOT
OF DIVING RESEARCH FOLLOWING
THESE THINGS AROUND
IN THE DENS AROUND,
WATCHING THEM MOVE AROUND
FROM DEN TO DEN
IN LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA.
AND THAT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL
INTRODUCTION TO UNDERWATER
RESEARCH AND THAT REALLY GOT
MY PASSION GOING FOR THAT.
AND THE LITTLE ANIMAL
ON THE LEFT IS CALLED NAVANAX,
AND IT'S, IT'S A SEA SLUG, BUT
IT'S A REALLY CRAZY SEA SLUG
BECAUSE IT'S A PREDATOR
AND IT EATS OTHER SEA SLUGS
AND IT FOLLOWS THEIR
SLIME TRAILS AND IT BASICALLY
HUNTS THEM DOWN.
AND THEN AT THE FRONT END
OF THIS ANIMAL
IS THIS GIANT PHARYNX
THAT CAN EXTEND AND BASICALLY
ACT LIKE A GIANT VACUUM CLEANER
AND SUCK IN PREDATOR,
ITS PREY ITEM.
SO IT'S JUST AN AMAZING ANIMAL.
BUT WHAT GOT ME REALLY EXCITED
ABOUT IT WAS THAT IT LEAVES
A CHEMICAL TRAIL BEHIND IT
AS IT MOVES TO THE SEA
AND THROUGH,
CRAWLS AROUND ON THE BOTTOM.
AND AS YOU KNOW,
MY TITLE OF MY TALK
IS CHEMICAL SIGNALS IN THE SEA.
AND SO I HOPE YOU PROBABLY SAW
THAT AND WENT WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN?
BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL
BECOME CLEARER
AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES.
AND SO ANYWAY WORKING
ON THE SLIME TRAIL AND SOME
OF THE COMPOUNDS THAT WERE IN
THE SLIME TRAIL GOT ME REALLY
INTERESTED IN CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
AND ULTIMATELY
IN CHEMICAL SIGNALING.
AND SO I HOPE THAT BECOMES
A LITTLE BIT APPARENT AS I GO
THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
>> AND THEN I ENDED UP
FOR 17 YEARS AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF GUAM,
AND I WOULD THINK PROBABLY
MOST OF YOU KNOW
WHERE GUAM IS.
I TRIED TO SHOW IT ON THE MAP.
IT'S ABOUT AS FAR AWAY
FROM HERE AS YOU CAN GET.
IT'S ABOUT, PRETTY MUCH
ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE WORLD OUT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
IT'S THIS TINY LITTLE ISLAND.
IT'S ONLY 20, 25 MILES LONG
AND FOUR TO 10 MILES WIDE.
YOU CAN SEE IT
ON THE RIGHT THERE.
AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GUAM,
WHICH IS UP THERE ON THE
HILLSIDE, UP THERE ON THE
HILLSIDE OVERLOOKING PAGO BAY,
WHICH IS ABOUT WHERE
THE "M" IS ON THE MAP THERE,
WAS A REALLY, YOU KNOW,
REALLY A PICTURESQUE SPOT.
AND THEN THIS IS THE LITTLE
MARINE STATION DOWN HERE
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL,
OF THIS VERY SLIPPERY,
TREACHEROUS HILL THAT
ULTIMATELY TOOK OUT A FEW
PEOPLE AS THEY DROVE OFF
THE ROAD.
BUT ANYWAY,
IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO DO
MARINE BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
GUAM IS 13 DEGREES NORTH,
SO IT'S CORAL REEF HABITAT
AND JUST A WONDERFUL PLACE
TO DO ALL KINDS OF CHEMICAL
ECOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY.
>> AND THEN IN 2002,
I CAME HERE AND I'VE BEEN HERE
EVER SINCE.
SO I'VE BEEN NOW AT THE MARINE
STATION ALMOST AS LONG
AS I WAS ON GUAM,
BUT I THINK I WILL ULTIMATELY
EXCEED THE TIME
THAT I WAS ON GUAM.
AND THE SMITHSONIAN MARINE
STATION, FOR THOSE WHO DO THAT
DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT IT,
OF COURSE, IS PART OF
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
WELL KNOWN UP THERE
IN WASHINGTON D.C.
ADMINISTRATIVELY, WE'RE UNDER
THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND
WE HAVE A VERY BROAD MISSION
WHICH OF THE INCREASE
AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE.
THAT'S THE SMITHSONIAN'S
MISSION WHEN IT WAS
ESTABLISHED.
AND SO IT'S A REALLY
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO
A CURIOSITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH
AS WELL AS SOME MORE APPLIED
WORK THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT
A LITTLE BIT.
THIS MUSEUM ITSELF IS
BEST KNOWN FOR
ITS TREMENDOUS COLLECTIONS,
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS
OF OBJECTS THAT ARE STORED
AND ,AND HOUSED UP
IN WASHINGTON AND YOU SEE
SOME PICTURES THERE.
BUT IN TERMS OF US,
WE HAVE A VERY LONG HISTORY,
VERY INTERTWINED
WITH HARBOR BRANCH
OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE.
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE
SOME OF, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES
FROM HARBOR BRANCH
HERE TONIGHT.
WE WERE FOR MANY YEARS
ON A FLOATING BARGE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, DOES ANYONE,
I MEAN I KNOW SOME OF
THE HARBOR BRANCH SCIENTISTS
REMEMBER THIS AND, OF COURSE,
SOME OF OUR MARINE STATION
PEOPLE, BUT DOES ANYBODY ELSE?
OH, ERIC GILL, IN THE BACK.
A SHOUT OUT TO OUR COUNTY
FOR VIDEOTAPING
THE LECTURE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>> SO THAT WAS US
FOR UNTIL 1999,
WHEN WE MOVED ON OUR CAMPUS
HERE ON SEAWAY DRIVE.
THAT'S WHAT IT USED TO LOOK
LIKE BEFORE HARBOR,
HARBOR ISLE CAME IN.
AND AGAIN, THIS BROAD MISSION
THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'VE GOT
1100 PUBLICATIONS FROM
OUR SMALL LITTLE RESEARCH
OPERATION.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VISITORS
THAT COME DOWN AND WORK
WITH US FROM THE SMITHSONIAN
AND FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
SO WE KIND OF A FOCUS MOSTLY
ON MARINE BIOLOGY,
BIODIVERSITY, LIFE HISTORIES,
ECOLOGY, AND WE HAVE A REALLY
STRONG TRAINING PROGRAM.
WE HAVE POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCHERS, SOME OF,
SOME OF THEM ARE IN
THE AUDIENCE AS WELL,
AND THEY REALLY GET
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO
VARIOUS TYPES OF MARINE
BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL
RESEARCH.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR
OUTREACH ARM AT THE AQUARIUM.
HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU HAD
BEEN THERE, BUT IF NOT,
WE HAVE SOME LITERATURE
IN THE BACK.
SO PLEASE PAY US A VISIT
WHILE YOU'RE IN TOWN.
IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT
LITTLE FACILITY.
AND WE WELCOME YOU TO COME.
WE FEATURE OUR CORAL REEF TANK
THERE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER
LIVE MARINE EXHIBITS AS WELL.
SO NOW A KIND OF INTO
THE RESEARCH A LITTLE BIT.
THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON,
OF COURSE, IS WHERE
WE'RE LOCATED AND IT'S
A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT
HABITAT ON THIS COAST.
IT'S 150 MILES UP AND DOWN
THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
AND IT'S EXTREMELY BIODIVERSE
HABITAT.
SO WE'VE GOT THOUSANDS OF
SPECIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS.
IT'S BROADLY CONSIDERED ONE OF
THE MOST BIODIVERSE ESTUARIES
IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND I SHOULD TAKE THAT
OFF OF THERE.
OUR WEBSITE IS CURRENTLY DOWN,
BUT ANYWAY, WE DO HAVE
A BIODIVERSITY INVENTORY
THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU;
THIS IS JUST A HINT OF SOME OF
THE RESEARCH THAT'S GOING ON
AT THE STATION.
AND IF YOU SAW MY PRE-SHOW,
YOU SAW THAT WE HAVE OUR
UPCOMING OPEN HOUSE
ON FEBRUARY 28TH,
WHICH IS JUST THE WEEK
FROM TONIGHT.
SO PLEASE COME BY AND SEE US
BECAUSE THAT WILL GIVE YOU
A LOT MORE INSIGHT INTO SOME
OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE'RE OPEN FROM TWO TO SIX.
I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE ABOUT THAT
IN A MINUTE, BUT WE HAVE SOME
LONG ONGOING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS.
WE'VE HAD A LONG, LONG-TERM
BENTHIC MONITORING PROGRAM.
THIS IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH,
OR IN COOPERATION WITH
THE COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES
RESEARCH PROGRAM,
THE RECOVER OPERATION OF THAT.
AND WE'RE DOING LONG-TERM
MONITORING TO UNDERSTAND
THESE TINY LITTLE ANIMALS THAT
LIVE DOWN IN THE SEDIMENTS.
AND ONE REASON THEY ARE SUCH
GOOD BIO INDICATORS IS BECAUSE
IF CONDITIONS TURN BAD THEY
CAN'T GET UP AND SWIM AWAY.
THEIR POPULATIONS WILL DECLINE
OR INCREASE OR BECOME MORE,
MORE SPECIES RICH DEPENDING
ON THE QUALITY OF
THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY GOOD
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS.
WE'VE HAD A VERY, VERY LONG
ONGOING RESEARCH PROGRAM IN
THE LIFE HISTORIES
OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES.
AND THAT WAS INITIATED BY
OUR FORMER DIRECTOR,
DR. MARY RICE, WHO'S ALSO
IN THE AUDIENCE,
AND IS NOW BEING FOLLOWED UP
BY DR. MICHAEL BOYLE.
AND THEY USE A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF MICROSCOPY
AND WONDERFUL TOOLS
TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY
THAT DIFFERENT KINDS
OF ANIMALS DEVELOP
AND GROW INTO THE --
THROUGH THEIR LIFE,
LIFE HISTORY STAGES,
SO FROM LARVAL FORMS
TO ADULT FORMS.
AND THESE ARE JUST
SOME EXAMPLES OF
MARINE LARVAL FORMS
THAT DON'T --THE AMAZING THING
ABOUT THESE IS THEY DON'T
REALLY LOOK ANYTHING LIKE
THEIR ADULT FORMS
IN MANY CASES.
FOR INSTANCE, THESE ARE SOME
SIPUNCULA WORMS,
A FAVORITE OF BOTH MARY RICE'S
AND MICHAEL BOYLES'
BUT SOME OTHER ANIMALS
YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH,
THIS IS THE CONCH LIKE
IF YOU WENT AND HAD
A CRACKED CONCH,
THAT'S WHAT A LARVAL CONCH
LOOKS LIKE.
A SEA STAR THAT DOESN'T REALLY
LOOK LIKE AN ADULT SEA STAR.
SO THESE, THESE LARVAL FORMS
CAN MOVE AROUND IN THE PLANKTON
AND ULTIMATELY BECOME
VERY DIFFERENT-LOOKING ADULTS.
WE DO A LOT OF WORK
ON IMPORTANT HABITATS
LIKE CORAL REEFS,
AND A LOT OF MY TALK,
IT WILL, TALK WILL FOCUS
ON THAT.
SO I WON'T SAY TOO MUCH MORE
ABOUT THAT NOW,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE
SOME ONGOING SEAGRASS PROJECTS
AND A LOT OF WORK IN MARINE,
IN MANGROVES,
OYSTER HABITATS AS WELL.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT.
DR JUSTIN CAMPBELL,
WHO IS JUST TRANSITIONING
FROM THE MARINE STATION
TO BECOME A FACULTY MEMBER
AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
UNIVERSITY DOWN IN MIAMI
HAS HAD SOME COOPERATIVE
NETWORKED PROJECTS
IN SEAGRASS BEDS.
OUR FIRST ONE HAD FOUR SITES.
THESE WERE ALL
SMITHSONIAN SITES IN FLORIDA.
WELL, THREE OF THE FOUR ARE
SMITHSONIAN SITES IN FLORIDA
AND WE HAD A FLORIDA KEYS SITE.
WE NOW HAVE AN ONGOING PROJECT
FUNDED BY NSF THAT HAS
15 DIFFERENT SITES SCATTERED
AROUND THE GULF OF MEXICO,
UP INTO BERMUDA AND AROUND
THE CARIBBEAN TO UNDERSTAND
THESE REALLY IMPORTANT HABITATS
AND HOW ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGES
LIKE OVERFISHING OR NUTRIENT
ENRICHMENT CAN IMPACT
THESE HABITATS.
>> AND SO YOU CAN SEE SOME
CAGING EXPERIMENTS HERE
WHERE WE'RE COMBINING
CAGING EXPERIMENTS WITH,
WITH NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT
AND OTHER THINGS TO REALLY
TRY AND UNDERSTAND
THESE HABITATS OVER
A BROAD GEOGRAPHICAL SCALE.
AND THEN OUR, OUR VERY
UNFORTUNATELY ONGOING
ALGAL BLOOM PROBLEMS THAT
WE'VE BEEN HAVING HERE IN
THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON.
THIS IS FROM A BROWN TIDE IN
THE COCOA BEACH AREA IN 2016.
THIS PICTURE, I DON'T KNOW
IF YOU CAN SEE, BUT THAT'S,
THOSE ARE UNFORTUNATELY
FLOATING DEAD FISH THERE
IN THE WATER.
AND SO THE BROWN TIDE IS NOT
ACTUALLY TOXIC, BUT WHEN IT,
WHEN IT BLOOMS IT CAN LOWER
THE OXYGEN IN THE WATER
SUCH THAT THE FISH CAN'T
REALLY SURVIVE.
AND SO THAT'S HOW IT CAN
BECOME LETHAL.
BUT WE WERE INVOLVED ALONG
WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS,
SUCH AS FIT AND HARBOR BRANCH
AND OTHERS, IN THIS ALGAL BLOOM
INVESTIGATION THAT ST. JOHN'S
RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT FUNDED
A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND THIS WAS A REALLY,
A REALLY GREAT PROJECT
BECAUSE A LOT OF,
IT BROUGHT A LOT OF TEAMS
TOGETHER TO TRY TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CONTROL
MECHANISMS ON THESE
ALGAL BLOOMS.
AND, FOR INSTANCE,
WHAT, WHAT OUR PART
OF THE PROJECT WAS MOSTLY
FOCUSED ON IS A FILTER FEEDERS.
SO ALL THESE TINY LITTLE ANIMALS
LIKE TUNICATES AND OYSTERS
AND SPONGES AND BRYOZOANS
ALL CONSUME PARTICLES
OUT OF THE WATER.
FILTER FEEDERS LIKE
BIVALVES DO THE SAME THING.
SO WE HAVE CLAMS AND OYSTERS
AND MUSSELS, AND,
UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THESE,
THESE BIVALVES LIKE OYSTERS
HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MORE
ABUNDANT THAN THEY ARE NOW,
SO MUCH MORE PREVALENT
20 OR 50 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST HERE,
THAT'S ALMOST EVERYWHERE
IN THE WORLD.
AND SO OYSTER RESTORATION
IS A VERY IMPORTANT
AND ONGOING ACTIVITY.
AND I REALLY CAME TO APPRECIATE
THESE ANIMALS AND THEIR FILTER
FEEDING CAPACITY MORE
THAN EVER AS I WORKED ON
THIS PROJECT WITH SOME OF OUR
POSTDOCS WHO HAD SPENT A LOT
OF TIME WORKING ON BIVALVES.
AND SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL,
IF YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR,
WE HAD A, A -- ONE OF OUR
LECTURES WAS BY TWO OF OUR
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
WHO HAD WORKED ON THIS PROJECT.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY
TOO MUCH ABOUT IT,
JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW.
THEY CALLED IT BIVALVES
AT WORK.
SO THAT WAS,
THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
BUT ALL OF THESE FILTER FEEDERS
EAT EITHER PHYTOPLANKTON
OR ZOOPLANKTON,
ALL THE TINY PLANTS AND ANIMALS
THAT ARE FLOATING AROUND
IN THE WATER COLUMN,
AND A PHYTO -- A NICE,
DIVERSE NATURAL PHYTOPLANKTON
ASSEMBLY, ASSEMBLAGE
MIGHT LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
BUT WHEN YOU GET A BLOOM,
IT'S DOMINATED BY ONE TYPE
AND IT CAN BECOME EXTREMELY
ABUNDANT IN THE WATER COLUMN,
WHICH IS WHAT GIVES IT
THEIR VARIOUS COLOR,
OFF COLOR, OH, YOU KNOW,
LIKE BROWN TIDE OR RED TIDE,
ET CETERA.
>> BUT WE USE THESE BIVALVE
FILTER-FEEDING DEVICES THAT
WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE THE WATER
FROM THE NATURAL SOURCE.
WE USED A VARIETY
OF PEOPLES' DOCKS.
WE USED A DOCK IN COCO BEACH
AND THE BANANA RIVER RESORT
LET US USE THEIR DOCK.
WE HAD PEOPLE REALLY
VERY HELPFUL TO US
AS WE DID THIS PROJECT.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE
LITTLE CHAMBERS GETS ONE CLAM
OR OYSTER OR BIVALVE IN IT
AND WE COLLECTED BIO DEPOSITS,
WHICH IS A VERY POLITE WAY
OF SAYING THAT WE COLLECTED
A LOT OF OYSTER POOP.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY PICKED IT
OUT OF THE WATER AND WEIGHED
HOW MUCH THEY WERE DEPOSITING
BECAUSE THAT GAVE US
AN INDICATION OF HOW MUCH
THEY WERE EATING.
AND THEN WE FILTERED A LOT OF
WATER TO SEE HOW MUCH ORGANIC
PARTICLES WERE IN THE WATER
AND EVERYTHING AND GOT
TO LEARN REALLY A LOT
ABOUT THESE,
THE FEEDING OF THESE ANIMALS.
SO DURING THE COURSE
OF THIS STUDY,
OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS,
WE DID HAVE A REALLY
BAD BROWN TIDE.
SO BEFORE THE BROWN TIDE,
THE WATER LOOKED SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
AND AFTER, YOU CAN SEE
THE DISCOLORATION THERE
AND IT'S CALLED,
IT'S CALLED BROWN TIDE
BECAUSE THE CELLS,
THIS AUREOUMBRA HAS KIND
OF A BROWNISH LOOK TO IT
AND CERTAINLY AS IT GETS
REALLY DENSE.
AND IN THAT CASE
WE HAD THREE MILLION CELLS
PER MILLILITER.
A MILLILITER OF WATER
IS NOT VERY MUCH,
LESS THAN A TEASPOON FULL.
AND THAT'S WHY THESE,
THESE ALGAL BLOOMS
CAN BE SO DISCOLORING
AND THEY BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT
AS IT FILTERS DOWN
THROUGH THE WATER COLUMN
AND HAS DEVASTATED SOME OF OUR,
WHICH HAS DEVASTATED
SOME OF OUR SEAGRASS BEDS
AROUND THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
AS WELL.
SO ONE GOOD THING ABOUT OYSTERS
IS THEY WERE STILL ABLE
TO MAINTAIN SOME FEEDING
CAPACITY EVEN AT THIS
VERY HIGH CELL LEVEL.
SO IN MY OPINION,
THEY'RE REAL CHAMPIONS.
AND THIS REALLY CHANGED MY,
MY FEELINGS ABOUT
OYSTER RESTORATION.
I'M MUCH, MUCH MORE
APPRECIATIVE OF, OF THEM
THAN I EVER WAS BEFORE AND SO,
YOU KNOW, GO BIVALVES.
BUT NOT JUST BY BIVALVES.
ALL THESE ANIMALS HAVE
A FUNCTIONS.
AND WE DID SOME LABORATORY
EXPERIMENTS WITH SOME OF THESE
PROBABLY LESSER-APPRECIATED
ANIMALS LIKE SOME OF THESE
ASCIDIANS AND SPONGES AND
THEY REALLY CAN BE CHAMPIONS
AT FILTERING OUT THE WATER.
BARNACLES ALSO CAN FILTER
A LOT, BUT THEY TEND TO FILTER
SLIGHTLY BIGGER PARTICLES
LIKE ZOOPLANKTON,
BUT TUNICATES WERE REALLY
CHAMPIONS AND SOME BRYOZOANS
WERE REALLY CHAMPIONS
THAT FILTERING THE WATER.
SO THERE WAS A LOT,
THERE'S A LOT THAT
WE DON'T KNOW OR APPRECIATE
ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT,
THE DIVERSITY OF ALL THESE
DIFFERENT ORGANISMS THAT LIVE
IN OUR INDIAN RIVER LAGOON.
BUT AS PART OF THIS PROJECT,
WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY LEARN
A LOT AND ONE OF OUR SCIENTISTS
WHO LED KIND OF THE EFFORTS
AT UNDERSTANDING THESE FALON
COMMUNITIES GOT A VERY NICE
PUBLICATION OUT OF IT,
JUST DOCUMENTING ALL THE,
ALL THE DIFFERENT ANIMALS
THAT OCCUR HERE
IN THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT
FEEDING CAPACITIES.
SO OTHER BLOOMS
THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT,
AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY
TOO MUCH ABOUT THEM TONIGHT,
BUT THE CYANOBACTERIA BLOOMS
IN THE ST. LUCIE ESTUARY.
THEY HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT MORE
IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
SO SOME OF YOU THAT ARE ONLY
HERE IN THE, IN THE WINTER
MONTHS MIGHT MISS SOME
OF THESE, BUT THEY'VE MADE
NATIONAL NEWS AND THEY'VE BEEN
VERY DEVASTATING.
WE WORKED ON THEM
A BIT IN THE -- SHORTLY AFTER
I CAME HERE IN THE EARLY 2000S.
WE HAVEN'T WORKED TOO MUCH
ON THE LATEST BLOOMS,
BUT UNLIKE THE BROWN TIDE,
THIS MICROCYSTIS,
WHICH IS A BLUE-GREEN ALGA,
IT CAN BE TOXIC.
THEY -- NOT ALL STRAINS
ARE TOXIC.
AMY RICE, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE
FROM HARBOR BRANCH,
HAS BEEN LEADING THE EFFORTS
TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND SOME
OF THE CHEMISTRY THAT THESE
THINGS ARE PRODUCING
BECAUSE THEY CAN,
THERE'S ALMOST A HUNDRED
DIFFERENT TOXINS OR VARIANTS
OF THESE MICROCYSTINS
THAT ARE KNOWN AND A VARIETY
OF OTHER COMPOUNDS THAT
WE DON'T EVEN FULLY APPRECIATE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME
RICH CHEMISTRY THERE
AND THE COMPOUNDS
CAN BE VARYING IN LEVELS
OF TOXICITY.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY
CHALLENGING PROBLEM
AND SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY,
CERTAINLY NEEDS MORE WORK.
>> SO AS I MENTIONED,
WE HAVE OUR UPCOMING
ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE
AND CERTAINLY INVITE YOU
ALL TO COME BY AND SEE US
NEXT THURSDAY.
AND IF ANYBODY DOESN'T KNOW
WHERE THE STATION IS LOCATED,
IT'S JUST DOWN THE STREET,
NOT VERY FAR ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE STREET.
AND THEN OUR AQUARIUM
IS A DOWN,
JUST BEFORE YOU GO OVER
THE BRIDGE ON THIS SIDE OF
THE STREET.
>> SO THIS IS KIND OF
MY LITTLE SEGUE INTO MY OWN,
A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FOCUS
ON MY OWN WORK RATHER THAN
JUST A BROADER MARINE STATION.
AND SO KIND OF TRANSLATING
INTO, INTO THIS SECTION
THAT I'LL CALL CHEMICAL SIGNALS
IN THE SEA, OR LOOKING
AT MARINE CHEMICAL ECOLOGY.
AND SO WHAT IS CHEMICAL
ECOLOGY?
CHEMICAL ECOLOGY IS A KIND
OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELD
BETWEEN MARINE BIOLOGY OR,
WELL, AT LEAST IN MARINE
CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, AND,
AND NATURAL PRODUCTS.
SO WE'RE INTERESTED IN
THE SMALL MOLECULES THAT PLANTS
AND ANIMALS MAKE THAT CAN BE,
THAT CAN PROTECT THEM
OR PLAY A ROLE IN VARIOUS
BEHAVIORAL LEARNER ACTIONS.
THE BEST EXAMPLES YOU
MIGHT KNOW ARE CERTAINLY
MANY TERRESTRIAL PLANTS
PRODUCE TOXINS.
SOME, SOME YOU WERE TOLD,
YOU KNOW, NOT TO LET YOUR --
EITHER YOUR KIDS
OR YOUR PETS EAT.
AND THOSE THAT CAN PROTECT
THEM FROM BEING GRAZED
BY INSECTS OR, OR RABBITS
OR ANY OTHER GRAZING ANIMALS.
AND SO IN THE SEA,
WE SEE THE SAME THINGS HAPPEN.
AND I WANT TO TRY TO GIVE YOU
A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT
INTO THAT AND INTO THE NUANCE.
AND I THINK WHAT REALLY MADE ME
SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS FIELD
WAS THE, THE LINK BETWEEN
THE BIOLOGY AND THE,
AND THE CHEMISTRY AND SO BOTH,
BOTH WERE VERY INTRIGUING
TO ME.
AND TO BE ABLE TO PULL THEM
TOGETHER INTO MARINE CHEMICAL
ECOLOGY HAS BEEN JUST REALLY
A GREAT RESEARCH CAREER.
>> PROBABLY THE BEST KNOWN
SMALL MOLECULES FROM
MARINE ORGANISMS ARE SOME OF
THESE TOXINS.
WE TALKED ABOUT
THE MICROCYSTINS.
THOSE ARE ACTUALLY A,
MICROCYSTIS IS ACTUALLY
A FRESHWATER BLUE-GREEN ALGA,
BUT CERTAINLY SOME OF
THE MARINE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE,
THAT I'LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE,
ALSO MAKE THESE TOXINS.
AND THIS ONE IS ONE
CALLED TETRODOTOXIN.
IT'S MADE BY THE PUFFER FISH.
HAVE A ANY, HAVE YOU EATEN
A PUFFER FISH SUSHI IN JAPAN?
NO?
I DID ONCE.
I KIND OF DIDN'T REALLY
WANT TO, BUT I WAS A GUEST
SO I FELT LIKE I HAD TO EAT IT.
AND A LITTLE,
A LITTLE PUFFER FISH,
ONE LITTLE PUFFER FISH
COULD TAKE OUT MULTIPLE HUMANS.
SO THEY ARE VERY, VERY,
THESE ARE VERY TOXIC MOLECULES.
AND THE BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS
DOWN THERE ON THE BOTTOM
RIGHT, A VERY FAMOUS
LITTLE ANIMAL, HAS A BITE
THAT WILL KILL YOU.
AND THAT'S ALSO A
TETRODOTOXIN-RELATED,
OR TETRODOTOXIN
AND RELATED MOLECULES AS WELL.
SO THESE ARE THE MOLECULES
THAT HAVE GOTTEN A LOT
OF ATTENTION.
THE RED TIDE TOXINS, LIKE THE
BREVETOXINS THAT WE HEAR ABOUT
FROM THE, FROM PREDOMINANTLY
THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA,
BUT LAST YEAR IT
WRAPPED AROUND AND,
AND CAME OVER ON OUR COAST
AS WELL, WHICH HAPPENS
EVERY NOW AND THEN.
SO SOME OF THESE MOLECULES
ARE EXTREME, EXTREMELY POTENT,
EXTREMELY TOXIC, BUT A LOT
OF THE COMPOUNDS AREN'T,
AREN'T THAT TOXIC.
AND SO MANY OF THEM CAN BE
USED FOR DEFENSIVE PURPOSES.
THEY'RE PRODUCED IN, SOMETIMES
IN LARGE ABUNDANCE
BY DIFFERENT MARINE ANIMALS.
HERE YOU SEE SOME SPONGES
AND THEN A NUDIBRANCH THAT EATS
THE SPONGE AND THE NUDIBRANCH
SEQUESTERS OR,
OR EATS THE SPONGE COMPOUNDS
AND THEN USES THOSE COMPOUNDS
FOR ITS OWN DEFENSE.
SO IT'S A REALLY COOL STORY.
A LOT LIKE A MONARCH
BUTTERFLIES, RIGHT?
THAT EAT TOXIC PLANTS,
THE MILKWEED PLANTS
AND THEN CAN USE THOSE
COMPOUNDS TO PROTECT
FROM BEING EATEN.
A LOT OF THAT HAPPENS
IN THE OCEAN AS WELL,
AND A LOT OF IT IS KNOWN
FROM SOME OF THESE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF SEA SLUGS.
>> SO A GOOD COLLEAGUE OF MINE
AND OF MY COLLEAGUES
FROM HARBOR BRANCH
DAVID NEWMAN,
WHO WAS HEADING THE NATURAL
PRODUCTS BRANCH AT THE NCI
FOR A LONG TIME,
HAD THIS FAMOUS QUOTE
IN A LITTLE, A MAGAZINE CALLED
CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS.
IT'S KIND OF A SPECIALIZED
MAGAZINE.
IT'S A MAGAZINE OF THE
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY,
BUT I REALLY LIKE IT AND I KIND
OF HAD TO TEASE HIM ABOUT IT
RECENTLY AT ANOTHER
CONFERENCE.
SO WHAT HE SAID KIND OF
GENERALLY HOLDS TRUE
IF AN ORGANISM IS FAT, FLESHY,
SLOW MOVING,
AND BRIGHTLY COLORED
THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
WANTS IT BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE
ARE A GOOD INDICATION IF
IT'S OUT THERE LOOKING
BRIGHTLY COLORED IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE DAYTIME
WHEN THERE'S LOTS OF HUNGRY
PREDATORS ON A CORAL REEF,
AH WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY
TELLING YOU SOMETHING THAT,
YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S PROTECTED.
AND SO ANIMALS JUST LIKE
SOME OF OUR BRIGHTLY-COLORED
INSECTS CAN USE THIS BRIGHT
COLORATION AS WARNING
COLORATION.
AND SO I LOVE THIS QUOTE
AND I FOUND HIS OLD,
OLD ISSUE OF, WELL,
1990S ISSUE OF CHEMICAL
AND ENGINEERING NEWS WHERE
HE SAID THIS AND I THOUGHT IT
WAS A FUN ONE BECAUSE IT'S,
IT'S KIND OF GUIDED US IN A LOT
OF WAYS ON SOME OF OUR HUNT FOR
A TOXIC COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BE
USED FOR BIOMEDICAL PURPOSES.
AND THAT'S BEEN, OH,
ONE OF THE MORE APPLIED ASPECTS
OF OUR RESEARCH
THAT HAS BEEN A LOT OF FUN
OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE TARGETED A LOT OF THESE
BLUE-GREEN ALGAE THAT KIND OF
LOOKED LIKE HAIR ON THE REEF.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
THESE ARE BACTERIA,
CYANOBACTERIA, EVEN THOUGH
THEY GROW TOGETHER
LIKE FLESHY MATS OF ALGAE
AND THEY CAN BE VERY TOXIC.
THEY CAN ALSO FORM BLOOMS,
A LOT LIKE THOSE WATER COLUMN
BLOOMS WHERE THEY CAN GROW OUT
OF CONTROL AND CAUSE PROBLEMS.
BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING
AT THEM FOR BIOMEDICAL PURPOSES
BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEMICALLY
RICH AND WE CAN HARVEST THEM.
SOME OF THESE ARE REALLY
FILAMENTOUS AND VERY FINE AND
SO TO TRY TO COLLECT THEM IS
ALMOST LIKE TRYING TO HARVEST
SNOT FROM THE REEF
FOR SOMETHING.
YOU CAN'T DO IT VERY WELL.
BUT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
JENNY SNEAD AND SKYLAR CARLSON,
WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE,
AND I HAVE GOTTEN PRETTY GOOD
AT GOING OUT AND KIND
OF SLURPING THEM UP
WITH THESE BIG SYRINGES.
SO WE JUST GO OUT THERE
AND SUCK THEM UP
AND THAT WORKS PRETTY WELL.
YOU CAN SEE THE SYRINGE ON
THE RIGHT THERE SLURPING UP,
SOME CYANOBACTERIA AND THIS
IS SKYLAR, WHO'S ALSO IN
THE AUDIENCE, COLLECTING
SOME CYANOBACTERIA.
WE WENT, WE WENT TO GUAM
EARLIER, WELL, EARLY LAST YEAR
IN APRIL AND DID A COLLECTING
TRIP FOR OUR NATIONAL CANCER
INSTITUTE FUNDED PROJECT
AND COLLECTED A BUNCH
OF CYANOBACTERIA IN SYRINGES.
AND HERE WE ARE ON
THIS SHIPWRECK KIND OF
SLURPING UP THESE CYANOBACTERIA
WITH SYRINGES,
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT SKYLAR
IS VERY PROUD OF THE HARVEST
THAT WE MADE ON THAT
PARTICULAR DAY AND IT'S PAID
OFF OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE COLLABORATED A LOT
WITH A COLLEAGUE OF MINE
WHO I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED
WITH SINCE HE WAS A
GRADUATE STUDENT AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.
AT THAT TIME I WAS OUT IN GUAM
AND WE STARTED TO WORK
TOGETHER BECAUSE
I WAS COLLABORATING WITH
HIS MAJOR ADVISOR.
HE'S NOW AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
IN THE COLLEGE OF PHARMACY.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND
SOME PRETTY INTERESTING
MOLECULES AND FROM, FROM
THE CYANOBACTERIA WE WORKED ON.
APRATOXIN CAME
FROM APRA HARBOR
AND HE'S CONTINUING TO WORK
ON THAT MOLECULE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN DONE MUCH
WITH IT RECENTLY,
BUT ACTUALLY
TRYING TO DEVELOP IT
INTO AN ANTI-CANCER DRUG.
AND THE OTHER ONE THAT'S REALLY
INTERESTING HERE THAT,
THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME POTENTIAL
IS LARGOZOLE DOWN
AT THE BOTTOM.
THESE ARE BOTH VERY POTENT
CYTOTOXINS, AND THAT ONE COMES
FROM KEY LARGO.
SO IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
MOLECULES WE WORKED
ON TOGETHER AFTER I CAME
TO FLORIDA.
AND THAT ONE'S A HISTONE
DEACETYLASE INHIBITOR,
IF THAT MEANS ANYTHING TO YOU,
BUT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE
A NEW CLASS OF COMPOUNDS,
OR A RELATIVELY NEW CLASS
OF COMPOUNDS THAT'S
INTERESTING.
SO THAT ONE'S BEEN
PRETTY EXCITING AS WELL.
>> BUT NOT ONLY
ARE THESE COMP --
THESE CYANOBACTERIA INTERESTING
FROM THE BIOMEDICAL
PERSPECTIVE,
BUT THEY'RE ALSO
VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY RELEVANT
BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING
DOCUMENTED TO BE OVERGROWING
A LOT OF REEF HABITAT.
IN CURACAO, THEY'VE HAD SOME,
THEY PUBLISHED A PAPER,
SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES
PUBLISHED A PAPER LAST YEAR,
ON 40 YEARS OF RESEARCH
WHERE THEY'VE MONITORED REEFS
DOWN IN CURACAO.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN CHANGES
THEY'VE SEEN DOWN THERE
IS SEEING A LOT MORE
CYANOBACTERIA GROW.
AND THAT'S A PROBABLY A RESULT
OF NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT ON A,
IN A LOT OF REEF HABITATS,
AT LEAST THAT WAS, THAT WAS,
THAT'S BEEN THE CONCLUSION OF
A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS.
THIS IS ONE THAT,
THAT WE ACTUALLY WORKED
ON SOME OF THE TAXONOMY
FOR A PICTURE OF THIS
FROM BELIZE, THIS GENUS DAPIS,
WHICH ALSO OCCURS HERE IN
THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON,
BUT DIFFERENT SPECIES ARE HERE.
>> SO I'M GOING TO MOVE NOW
INTO A LITTLE BIT OF
A DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF OUR WORK
TALK ABOUT CORAL REEFS
IN PARTICULAR AND ESPECIALLY
HOW SOME OF THE DIFFERENT,
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HERBIVORES
OR GRAZERS ON THE REEF
CAN HELP CONTROL THESE ALGAE
AND THE CYANOBACTERIA.
SO THIS IS A PICTURE OF WHAT
A MORE, A HEALTHY REEF
MIGHT LOOK LIKE
WHERE YOU HAVE MOSTLY
INVERTEBRATES, CORAL HEIGHT,
RELATIVELY HIGH CORAL COVER,
A FEW SEA FANS AND THINGS
AND SPONGES AND RELATIVELY
LOW ALGAL COVER.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED IS
AS REEFS HAVE DIED AROUND
THE WORLD, AND IN THE CARIBBEAN
IN PARTICULAR, WE LOSE THEM,
WE LOSE CORAL TO BLEACHING,
WHICH IS UP THERE
ON THE UPPER LEFT,
AND DISEASES.
THIS IS BLACK BAND,
ONE CALLED BLACK BAND DISEASE
THAT WE WORKED ON.
I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TIME
TO TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT.
POLLUTION AND DIE OFF OF,
OF KEY HERBIVORES LIKE THIS,
A LONG-SPINED SEA URCHIN,
DIADEMA.
ALL OF THAT HAS LED TO CHANGES
ON REEFS AND, IN PARTICULAR,
A DOCUMENTED INCREASE IN ALGAE,
AND IN SOME CASES
CYANOBACTERIA AS WELL
ON THESE REEFS.
AND ONE OF THE BEST PROTECTIONS
FOR THE, FOR THE REEF ITSELF
ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF HERBIVORES ARE GRAZERS
THAT CAN, CAN EAT THIS ALGAE.
SO PARROT FISH IN PARTICULAR.
THIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE FISH UP
THERE ON THE LEFT NAMED
PARROT FISH BECAUSE OF THEIR
BEAK-LIKE MOUTH PARTS THAT
CAN REALLY CRUNCH PARTS
OF THE REEF.
AND SEA URCHINS, IN PARTICULAR,
CAN REALLY HELP KEEP
THE ALGAL ABUNDANCE DOWN.
AND SO ONE, ONE THING THAT
WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST DECADE
OR SO IS A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
AROUND THE CARIBBEAN ARE
STARTING TO ENACT LEGISLATION
TO PROTECT PARROT FISH.
AND, IN SOME CASES, BOTH
PARROT FISH AND SURGEON FISH,
WHICH IS ANOTHER TYPE OF
GRAZING FISH, AND KEEP THOSE,
KEEP THOSE FROM BEING HARVESTED
SO MUCH ON THE REEF
SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE
TO GRAZE AND PROTECT THE REEF.
THIS LITTLE SEA URCHIN,
THERE'S, YOU'LL SEE ONE IF
YOU GO TO OUR CORAL REEF TANK
AT OUR AQUARIUM.
IT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT
GRAZER IN THE CARIBBEAN UP
UNTIL THE MID-1980S
WHEN IT STARTED, THE POPULATION
STARTED PLUMMETING ALL AROUND
THE CARIBBEAN AND IT WAS
ATTRIBUTED TO SOME KIND
OF DISEASE, BUT NO ONE
TO THIS DAY KNOWS
WHAT CAUSED THIS DIE OFF.
AND AT THE TIME IT WAS ABOUT
A 90% REDUCTION IN THEIR
POPULATIONS AND IT,
AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T GOT,
COME BACK TO PRE DIE OFF
A LEVELS IN THE CARIBBEAN.
THEIR, THEIR ABUNDANCE
IS WAY DOWN.
AND AFTER THAT THERE WAS A LOT
OF ALGAL GROWTH, ALGAL GROWTH.
SO NOT ONLY IT'S CYANOBACTERIA,
BUT OTHER TYPES OF ALGAE.
THESE ARE SOME GREEN ALGAE
CALLED HALIMEDA.
IF YOU'VE DONE ANY SNORKELING
ON THE REEF,
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THESE.
THESE ALSO HAVE COMPOUNDS
IN THEM THAT CAN PROTECT THEM
FROM BEING EATEN.
AND SO, GENERALLY,
IF YOU'RE IN A REEF AREA
WITH A LOT OF GRAZERS AROUND,
THE COMP, IF YOU SEE ALGAE
THOUGH THEY'RE PROBABLY
CHEMICALLY PROTECTED.
AND THAT'S THE CASE FOR THESE.
THESE ARE TERPENES-LIKE
COMPOUNDS, LIKE YOU MIGHT FIND
IN A LOT OF HIGHER PLANTS
AS WELL.
AND THEN I DON'T HAVE, I COULD,
I COULD DRAW STRUCTURES
ALL NIGHT, BUT I'M NOT SURE
YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THEM.
BUT ALL OF THESE ALGAE
ARE CHEMICALLY RICH
AND THEY'RE ALL,
THEY ALL CAN BE ABUNDANT ON,
IN REEF HABITATS WE'VE GOT
BROWN ALGAE HERE,
LIKE THE LOBOPHORA AND DICTYOTA
AND OTHER GREEN ALGAE.
AND ONE OF THE, UH,
I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH,
UH, MANY OF YOU WHO KNOW KNOW
US HERE IN FORT PIERCE
AS THE SMITHSONIAN
MARINE STATION.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW
THAT WE ALSO RUN A LITTLE
FIELD STATION DOWN IN BELIZE.
AND THIS, UH, LITTLE FIELD
STATION HAS HAD A HISTORY THAT
HAS BEEN ABOUT AS LONG
AS THE MARINE STATION.
SO ABOUT ALMOST A 50 YEAR
HISTORY WITH THE SMITHSONIAN,
ABOUT SINCE THE EARLY 1970S.
AND FOR, UP UNTIL 2009,
IT WAS MANAGED BY A PERSON
OUT OF THE NATURAL HISTORY
MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON
NAMED KLAUS RUETSLER
WHO WAS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL
IN GETTING THIS,
THIS MARINE STATION
OFF THE GROUND.
BUT SINCE THEN
WE'VE BEEN MANAGING IT HERE.
AND ZACH FOLTS AND SCOTT JONES
KIND OF DO ALMOST
ALL OF THE WORK TO KEEP
THIS LITTLE FIELD OPERATION
GOING DOWN IN BELIZE,
ON THIS TINY LITTLE ISLAND.
IT'S NOT MUCH BIGGER
THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT THERE
IN THE BACKGROUND AND THAT'S,
AND WE'RE THE ONLY THING
THAT'S ON IT.
SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE
TO DO FIELDS, FIELD RESEARCH.
AND SO, WE'VE DONE A LOT
OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORK
DOWN THERE, SOME REALLY SIMPLE,
SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS TO LOOK
AT GRAZING ON THE REEF.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ROPE ON
THE LEFT, WELL THAT'S A, A KIND
OF A BUFFET LINE FOR FISH
OR A SMORGASBORD.
WE ATTACH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT
SPECIES OF ALGAE AND THEN
WE GO PUT THEM OUT ON
ALL OVER THE REEF.
THESE ARE REALLY KIND OF
LOW TECH EXPERIMENTS.
BUT FISH WILL COME ALONG,
THEY'LL LOOK AT ALL
THE DIFFERENT ALGAE ON THE ROPE
AND THEN THEY'LL EAT WHAT
THEY LIKE AND LEAVE THE REST.
SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD
INDICATION OF PALATABILITY,
WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO EAT.
SORT OF LIKE IF YOU GO TO
THE SALAD BAR AND YOU SEE
WHICH THINGS ARE TAKEN A LOT
AND WHICH ONES ARE LEFT BEHIND,
LIKE THE BEETS AND SUCH.
(LAUGHING)
>> SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S GREAT.
AND SO FOR ME, INTERESTED
IN THE CHEMICAL DEFENSES,
I'M INTERESTED IN THE ONES THEY
DON'T LIKE TO EAT, OF COURSE.
AND USUALLY THAT'S A GOOD
INDICATION THAT SOMETHING'S
GOING ON AND THERE'S SOME KIND
OF CHEMICAL PROTECTION.
WE TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER
AND WE DO, UM, WE CAN ACTUALLY
TEST EXTRACTS OF,
WE TAKE OUR ALGAE
AND WE COLLECT THEM,
WE BRING THEM BACK TO THE LAB,
WE CAN EXTRACT THEM.
WE'LL SHOW YOU THAT IF YOU COME
BY THE OPEN HOUSE NEXT WEEK.
AND IT'S SORTA LIKE EXTRACTING
YOUR MORNING CUP OF COFFEE
OR TEA, YOU GET ALL
THE COMPONENTS OUT OF IT
INTO A LIQUID SOLVENT.
AND THEN WE CAN TEST
THOSE EXTRACTS
AND EVEN PURE COMPOUNDS
TO SEE IF THEY CAN BE,
IF THEY'RE UNPALATABLE.
AND WE DO THAT IN THE FIELD AS
WELL OR IN LABORATORY AQUARIA.
LIKE HERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE
A SEA URCHIN IN
A LABORATORY AQUARIUM.
YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER ONE OF
OUR FEEDING ASSAY TEST STRIPS.
WE DO THESE IN VARIOUS
SHAPES AND FORMS.
BUT BASICALLY IT'S TAKING
A PALATABLE, A TYPE OF GREEN
ALGAE THAT WE KNOW
THAT'S PALATABLE OR RED ALGAE.
DENNIS HANNASACK
FROM HARBOR BRANCH
WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE,
GROWS GRACILARIA.
AND GRACILARIA IS ONE
THAT'S PALATABLE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE BORROWED,
WE'VE GOTTEN GRACILARIA
FROM DENNIS BEFORE
FOR OUR FEEDING ASSAYS.
BUT, IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
IT CAN SHOW US EXACTLY WHAT
KINDS OF COMPOUNDS GRAZERS
WILL AND WON'T AND WON'T EAT.
SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY
INFORMATIVE FROM A CHEMICAL
ECOLOGY PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN SOME OF THESE
DIFFERENT CYANOBACTERIA
AS WELL, THESE ARE SOME REEFS
OFF OF FORT LAUDERDALE.
WE COULD COLLECT THESE,
WE COULD TEST THESE.
AND WE ALSO LEARNED THAT
THEY WERE VERY UNPALATABLE.
SO THAT'S WHY, AS THEY GET
ABUNDANT ON THE REEF,
NOTHING'S CONTROLLING THEIR
POPULATIONS BECAUSE THEY
JUST TASTES REAL BAD.
AND SO FROM YEARS AND YEARS
OF OUR WORK AS WELL AS A FEW
OTHER RESEARCH GROUPS THAT
HAVE REALLY FOCUSED A LOT ON
THE CHEMICAL ECOLOGY IN CORAL
REEFS, WE CAN PRETTY SAFELY
SAY THAT, UH,
THAT THESE DEFENSES CAN,
THESE CHEMICAL DEFENSES
CAN PROTECT SEAWEEDS
FROM GRAZERS.
AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE
THERE'S A LOT OF DEVIL
IN THE DETAILS.
SOME THINGS ARE MORE POTENT
THAN OTHERS.
WE KNOW THE ACTUAL
CHEMICAL BASIS OF SOME OF THIS.
WE KNOW WHICH COMPOUNDS
CAN BE PROTECTIVE.
AND SO IT'S, UM, IT'S BEEN,
IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN OVER
THE YEARS TO LEARN ABOUT
THESE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS.
SO, SO FOR US, A NEXT LOGICAL
STEP WAS TO START TO LOOK AT
HOW CORAL AND ALGAE COMPETE
ON THE REEF BASED ON THESE
CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS THAT
WE KNOW THEY, THEY CONTAIN.
AND ESPECIALLY AS CORAL
POPULATIONS HAVE GONE DOWN
AND, AND OUR GOAL
AND CYANOBACTERIAL POPULATIONS
HAVE GONE UP ON THE REEF, YOU
CAN SEE MORE AND MORE EXAMPLES
WHERE ALGAE AND CORALS
DIRECTLY INTERACT.
SO THEY'RE OVERGROWING
ONE ANOTHER IN SOME CASES
OR GROWING RIGHT UP NEXT
TO ONE ANOTHER.
HERE'S THE CYANOBACTERIA UP
HERE, OVERGROWING THIS PIECE
OF CORAL.
HERE'S SOME KIND OF
SCRAGGLY LOOKING BITS
OF ACROPORA CERVICORNIS,
THE STAGHORN CORAL WITH ALGAE
ALL GROWING UP AT THE BASES.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF EXAMPLES
OF THIS IF YOU SWIM AROUND
IN ANY REEF HABITAT TODAY.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE
BEEN REALLY INTERESTED IN IS,
UM, WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT
THE LARVAE, THE CORAL LARVAE.
BECAUSE ONE WAY TO REPOPULATE
A REEF, OF COURSE,
IS TO GET THE CORAL BABIES
TO COME BACK AND SETTLE
ON THE REEF.
AND SO HOW DO YOU TAKE A REEF
THAT'S STARTING TO LOOK
KIND OF DEGRADED LIKE THIS
WITH ALGAE GROWING
OVER DEAD RUBBLE
AND I'M NOT LOOKING LIKE VERY
MUCH CORAL'S THERE AND MOVE IT
BACK TO A REEF THAT LOOKS
HEALTHIER WITH LESS ALGAE
AND MORE CORAL COVER?
AND ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS
TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF
A SETTLEMENT QUEUES
MIGHT FACILITATE THAT.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING
WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF CORALS.
BROODING CORALS OVER HERE
THAT RELEASE LARVAE THAT ARE
READY TO GO AND SETTLE.
THEY'RE COMPLETELY FULLY
DEVELOPED WHEN THEY COME
OUT OF THE,
OUT OF THE CORAL ANIMAL.
AND THEN, SOME OF THE CORALS
LIKE THESE ELKHORN
AND STAGHORN CORALS
AND THESE BRAIN CORALS
THAT SPAWN.
SO THEY RELEASE SPERM AND EGGS
INTO THE WATER COLUMN,
THE SAME AS FISH DO,
SOME FISH DO AND OTHER THINGS.
AND THEN THE SPERM AND EGG
HAVE TO, UM, THE EGG HAS TO BE
FERTILIZED IN THE WATER COLUMN
AND DEVELOP INTO LARVAE
OVER ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.
AND WE'VE DONE MOST OF OUR WORK
WITH THE SPAWNERS DOWN IN
BELIZE BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY,
REALLY GREAT PLACE TO DO THAT.
BUT, AS WITH ANY KIND OF ANIMAL
THAT HAS A LARVAL FORM,
THAT THEN HAS TO FIND
AN APPROPRIATE SETTLEMENT
HABITAT, THEY CAN USE A LOT
OF DIFFERENT QUEUES.
CORALS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
CAN ACTUALLY USE COLOR.
LIGHT, OF COURSE, THEY GO DOWN,
WHEN THEY'RE READY TO SETTLE,
THEY MOVE AWAY FROM THE LIGHT.
WHICH MAKES SENSE, RIGHT?
THEY GO DOWN
TOWARD THE BOTTOM.
THEY CAN USE SOUND.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF ANIMALS
OF NOT ONLY CORALS
BUT FISH AND MANY OTHER
LARVAL FORMS ACTUALLY
CAN ORIENT TOWARD
THE SOUND OF THE REEF.
THE TEXTURE OF THE REEF.
SO THEY LIKE LITTLE GROOVES
AND PLACES THEY CAN GET AWAY
FROM PREDATORS.
AND OF COURSE CHEMICAL QUEUES.
SO THAT, YOU MIGHT GUESS,
MIGHT BE WHERE I'M GOING.
IT'S GOING TO KIND OF BE
OUR FOCUS HERE IS THE CHEMICAL
ASPECTS OF THIS PROCESS.
AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK
WITH THESE BROODING CORALS,
PORITES, DOWN IN THE KEYS.
WE CAN BRING,
WE CAN GET PERMITS TO ACTUALLY
BRING THEM TO THE LABORATORY
FOR FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.
AND THEN WHEN THEY'VE DONE,
WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED
RELEASING LARVAE WILL PUT,
WE GLUE THEM BACK DOWN
TO THE REEF WITH MARINE EPOXY.
IF YOU LOOK IN HERE.
SO THESE ARE OUR LITTLE
LARVAL COLLECTORS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK IN HERE,
IT LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH
OF PEPPER FLAKES IN A,
A CUP OF WATER.
EACH ONE OF THOSE LITTLE
DARK SPECKS IS CORAL LARVAE.
AND SO THAT CONTAINER MIGHT
HAVE 10,000 OR 5,000
OR 10,000 LARVAE IN IT.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS
WE LIKE THESE PORITES SO MUCH
IS THEY, WE CAN GET IT
A LOT OF LARVAE FROM THEM.
AND THEN WE CAN TAKE A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT ALGAE
AND TEST THEM TO SEE HOW THEY
MIGHT IMPACT SETTLEMENT.
FOR INSTANCE,
WE CAN ATTACH THEM
TO THESE LITTLE TILES
THAT CORAL LARVAE LIKE
TO SETTLE ON.
AND THEN SEE IF THIS
PARTICULAR, UH,
PIECE OF DICTIODA FOR INSTANCE,
MIGHT INHIBIT SETTLEMENT,
WHICH IT DOES.
AND THEN WE CAN ACTUALLY DO
THE SAME KIND OF THINGS WE DO
WITH OUR FEEDING ASSAYS AND
TEST THE COMPOUNDS THEMSELVES.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO
SOME OF THAT.
HERE'S SOME CYANOBACTERIAL
COMPOUNDS, AGAIN, INCLUDING
OUR COMPOUND LARGAZOLE,
THAT IS THE REALLY
POTENT CYTOTOXIN.
AND SO HERE'S ONE GRAPH
TO SHOW YOU.
THIS IS A PERCENT SETTLEMENT
HERE OF THE LARVAE.
AND WE HAVE AN AGAR CONTROL
AND THEN THESE EXTRACTS.
AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS
IF WE ADD LARGAZOLE.
THIS COMPOUND IS SO INHIBITORY
TOWARD CORAL LARVAE AS WELL
THAT IF THIS CYANOBACTERIA
WERE GROWING ALL OVER
THE REEF, IT WOULD PROBABLY
INHIBIT ANY KIND OF
LARVAL SETTLEMENT.
OUR BEAUTIFUL ACROPORA.
THEY ARE PRETTY ABUNDANT
AROUND OUR FIELD SITE
DOWN IN BELIZE,
WHICH IS REALLY FORTUNATE.
AND THEY SPAWN ONCE A YEAR,
USUALLY IN APRIL, IN AUGUST,
IN THE LATE SUMMER.
AND ALL OF THOSE LITTLE SPECKS
IN THE WATER COLUMN ARE SPERM
AND EGG BUNDLES OF A CROP
ARE BEING RELEASED.
IT'S REALLY SPECTACULAR.
AND, UH, I, I FEEL REALLY
PRIVILEGED TO GET TO GO WORK
ON THIS ALMOST EVERY YEAR.
I'VE ONLY MISSED A FEW YEARS.
WE'VE GOTTEN CHASED OFF
THE ISLAND A COUPLE OF TIMES
BY HURRICANES.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON
CORAL SPAWNING ALL THESE YEARS.
WE COLLECT THE EGGS AND SPERM
AND BRING IT BACK TO THE LAB
AND REAR THEM.
AND THEN AFTER ABOUT
FOUR OR FIVE DAYS,
THEY'RE READY TO BE TESTED.
AND WE'VE DONE ALL KINDS
OF THINGS.
WE'VE TESTED A CORAL AND ALGAE
TO SEE WHICH SPEC,
THESE ARE KNOWN TO BE,
TO FACILITATE SETTLEMENT.
SO THEY ACTUALLY A POSITIVE
QUEUE FOR CORAL LARVAE.
AND WE'VE BEEN TEASING APART
LIKE WHICH SPECIES ARE
THE BEST FOR A SETTLEMENT
OF LARVAE AND BY DOING A BUNCH
OF LITTLE CHOICE ASSAYS
AND DISHES.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THESE ARE,
THEY'RE REALLY HARD
TO TELL APART,
BUT THESE ARE TWO
DIFFERENT SPECIES OF CORAL
AND ALGAE.
THESE ARE RED ALGAE THAT FORM
THESE CRUSTS ON THE REEF.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND
OF TEASE APART WHAT SPECIES
ARE THE BEST FOR CORAL
LARVAE SETTLEMENT.
FOR INSTANCE, HERE ARE
THE LARVAE THEMSELVES POKING
AROUND ON A PIECE
OF CORAL AND ALGAE.
AND THEN THIS IS WHAT A NEWLY
SETTLED CORAL LOOKS LIKE.
THAT'S A BABY CORAL,
A LITTLE SPAT, SETTLED ON,
ON A PREFERRED SPECIES OF CORAL
AND ALGAE.
AND THEN TAKING THE PREFERRED
SPECIES AND COMBINING THEM
WITH DIFFERENT ALGAE.
AND I'LL JUST KIND OF GO
THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
YOU KIND OF GET
THE GENERAL IDEA.
BUT REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
THE DETAILS OF THIS SETTLEMENT
PROCESS AND HOW DIFFERENT
SPECIES OF CORAL,
I MEAN ALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA
FOR INSTANCE CAN INHIBIT
OR FACILITATE THE PROCESS.
SO HERE'S A SLIMY SIGN
OF BACTERIA HERE.
AND IF WE TEST THAT IN SOME
OF THESE ASSAYS, WE GET VERY,
VERY LOW SETTLEMENT ON THAT.
PROBABLY NOT TOO SURPRISING.
AND THEN INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH,
IF WE JUST TAKE THE WATER,
WE JUST TAKE A LITTLE TEENY
PIECE OF THIS, CYANOBACTERIA,
PUT IT IN SOME WATER
AND THEN USE THE WATER
WITH THE CORAL LARVAE,
WE ALSO SEE REALLY,
REALLY LOW SETTLEMENTS.
SO THAT'S AN INDICATION TO US
THAT THESE ARE BEING RELEASED
OUT INTO THE WATER.
AND THIS STARTED A WHOLE NEW
COLLABORATION A COUPLE, ABOUT
GOSH, FOUR YEARS AGO NOW WITH
A COLLEAGUE AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF DELAWARE NAMED
DANIELLE DIXSON.
AND SHE HAD JUST PUBLISHED
A PAPER IN SCIENCE WHERE SHE'D
LOOKED AT A BUNCH OF UM,
FISH AND ONE SPECIES OF PACIFIC
CORAL AND HOW THEY QUEUE
TOWARD DIFFERENT KINDS OF
SMELLS IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO DIFFERENT KINDS
OF CHEMICAL QUEUES.
AND SHE USED THESE LITTLE
TINY FLUMES.
YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR
WITH THE IDEA OF A FLUME.
IT'S KIND OF A WATER MOVEMENT
DEVICE AND DIFFERENT ANIMALS
CAN SWIM IN A FLUME
AND YOU GET SOME IDEA OF
THEIR MOTION OR THEIR CHOICE.
THIS IS A TWO CHAMBER FLUME.
SO YOU CAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT
SOURCES OF WATER, ONE WITH
AND ONE WITHOUT A QUEUE
FOR INSTANCE, THAT COMES DOWN
THIS FLUME.
AND THEN YOU CAN TEST
IF AN ANIMAL LIKES ONE TYPE
OF CHEMICAL QUEUE OR THE OTHER,
A CONTROL AND QUEUE, ETC.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE TINY FISH
IN THIS FLUME AND SHE'S,
WE'VE FLUMED A FAIR
NUMBER OF FISH.
BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE
TO FLUME CORAL LARVAE.
THERE'S THE FISH.
BUT UP HERE IN THE CORNER,
AND IT TAKES SOMEBODY
WITH PRETTY GOOD EYES,
I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT IT,
BUT HERE'S DANIELLE
WITH TWO FLUMES
WITH CORAL LARVAE IN 'EM.
AND SHE'S ABLE TO SEE
WHICH SIDE OF THE FLUME
THEY MOVED TO
AND IF THEY LIKE CERTAIN KINDS
OF QUEUES OR THE OTHER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU,
WE'VE DONE A LOT
OF THESE KINDS OF EXPERIMENTS.
JENNY SNEED, WHO'S IN
THE AUDIENCE AT SKYLAR,
HAVE BOTH PARTICIPATED
IN SOME OF THESE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU
ONE BIT OF DATA FROM THIS
AND JUST SHOW YOU
HOW EXQUISITELY SENSITIVE
THESE CORAL LARVAE ARE
TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF SMELLS
IN THE WATER COLUMN.
SO HERE IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME
THEY SPEND IN
THE CHEMICAL QUEUE.
SO REMEMBER WE'VE GOT TWO,
TWO SOURCES OF WATER,
LIKE A TWO CHAMBER OR TWO,
TWO CHANNEL FLUME.
SO THEY CAN EITHER GO TO ONE
KIND OF QUEUE OR THE OTHER
KIND OF QUEUE.
SO THE MORE TIME THEY SPEND IN
ONE QUEUE PROBABLY MEANS
LIKED THAT SMELL BETTER.
SO IF WE TAKE A REEF WATER.
AND WHAT IS REEF WATER?
REEF IS, THIS IS VERY LOW TECH
AGAIN, YOU SAW SOME OF
MY BUCKET BIOLOGY EARLIER.
WE GO OUT AND TAKE OUR
LITTLE BOAT OUT TO THE REEF
RIGHT NEXT TO THE STATION,
GET A BUCKET AND DIP UP
SOME WATER AND BRING THAT
BACK TO THE LAB.
AND THEN WE GO WAY OFF SHORE,
OUT PAST THE REEF,
LIKE A KILOMETER OR SO AWAY
TO GET AWAY FROM REEF SMELLS
AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND GET THAT WATER AND COMPARE
THE, COMPARE IT IN A FLUME,
THEY SPEND 100% OF THEIR TIME
IN THE REEF WATER.
SO THESE CORAL LARVAE
CAN SMELL THE REEF.
THEY CAN TELL THAT
THEY'RE OVER REEF.
THEY DON'T LIKE
SEAGRASS SMELLS.
WE GO OUT AND DIP SOME WATER
UP OVER THE SEAGRASS BED.
NOT TOO SURPRISINGLY CORALS
DON'T SETTLE IN SEAGRASS
FOR THE MOST PART.
BUT AGAIN, THEY PICK THE REEF.
AND IF WE PICK SEAGRASS VERSUS
OFFSHORE, THEY'LL PICK
OFF SHORE OVER SEAGRASS.
SO THEY REALLY DON'T LIKE
SEAGRASS AT ALL.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED
TO JUST SHOW YOU THAT.
BUT I'VE BEEN SHARING SOME
OF THIS DATA WITH REEF
RESTORATION AT REEF
RESTORATION CONFERENCES
AND STUFF TO TRY TO, UM,
REALLY, UH, REALLY MAKE PEOPLE
AWARE OF HOW CRITICAL
SOME OF THESE CHEMICAL QUEUES
AND, UH, THE SMELL IF YOU WILL,
OF THE REEF ARE
FOR RECRUITMENT SUCCESS.
IT HAS THE THE, THE SUBSTRATE,
THE PLACE WHERE THE,
WHERE THESE CORAL LARVAE
AND OTHER KINDS OF LARVAE WANT
TO SETTLE, HAS TO A SMELL JUST
RIGHT BASICALLY BEFORE
THEY WANT TO SETTLE THERE.
AND SOME OF THESE CORAL
AND ALGAE ARE REALLY,
REALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE VERY CHALLENGING
TO TELL APART.
SO A LOT OF ECOLOGISTS CAN'T
REALLY TELL THEM APART
VERY WELL ON THE FIELD.
BUT THEY ARE ALSO REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR LARVAL
SETTLEMENT.
SO WE'RE UM, TRYING TO,
TO UNDERSTAND THESE
A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO I WANT TO JUST SPEND
THE LAST LIKE COUPLE MINUTES
TALKING TO YOU ABOUT
ONE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON MORE RECENTLY,
SINCE ABOUT EARLY 2017.
SO ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
AND THAT IS, UM, THERE'S A,
A REALLY KIND OF VERY
DEVASTATING, KIND OF VERY
SURPRISING CORAL DISEASE
OUTBREAK THAT'S OCCURRING
ON THE REEFS IN FLORIDA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF TEAMS
WORKING ON THIS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
BLAKE USHIJIMA WHO'S A POSTDOC
WITH US IS IN THE AUDIENCE
AND HE'S BEEN LEADING
A LOT OF THESE EFFORTS.
UM, JOSH VOSS AT HARBOR BRANCH
IS WORKING ON THIS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT THIS IS WHAT THE CORAL
LOOKS LIKE.
SO THE CORAL'S SUPPOSED TO BE
THIS KIND OF GOLDEN
BROWN COLOR.
BUT IT JUST STARTS GETTING
THIS TISSUE LOSS,
WHICH HAS BEEN, UH,
IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN CALLED
OR ACTUALLY NAMED
THIS STONY CORAL TISSUE
LOSS DISEASE.
AND THE TISSUE JUST STARTS
DYING AND NOBODY
REALLY KNOWS WHY.
SOMETIMES THERE'S A LITTLE
BLEACHED MARGIN BETWEEN
THE LIVING TISSUE AND THE DEAD
SKELETON AND SOMETIMES
THERE'S NOT.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE THAT'S
WHITE IS JUST THE DEAD
CORAL SKELETON.
AND SO SLOWLY BUT SURELY
THE LIVING TISSUE JUST DIES
AWAY AND LEAVES DEAD CORAL.
AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS
WHAT IT IS.
BUT OVER THE COURSE OF, OH,
SINCE ABOUT 2014 WHEN IT WAS
FIRST DETECTED IN THE MIAMI
AREA, AND THAT SORT OF THAT,
THIS IS 2014 NOW.
AND IF YOU LOOK IN RED,
THIS IS, THESE ARE SOME SLIDES
THAT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HAS PROVIDED.
IF YOU LOOK AT RED HERE,
THIS IS WHERE THE KIND OF
THE ORIGINAL OUTBREAK ZONE WAS.
THAT'S 2014, 2015,
IT'S MOVING NORTH AND SOUTH.
2016, MOVING NORTH AND SOUTH.
2017, IT STARTED GETTING
THE MIDDLE KEYS.
AND BY, THIS IS THE LATEST ONE
THEY GAVE ME 2019.
IT'S BASICALLY AT KEY WEST.
SO, THIS DISEASE HAS KILLED
MANY SPECIES OF BOULDER CORALS
LIKE OUR BRAIN CORALS AND OUR,
UM, BIG MONTASTREA
CAVERNOSA HEADS.
SOME OF THEM ARE HUNDREDS OF
YEARS OLD AND WE DON'T REALLY
HAVE A VERY GOOD HANDLE ON IT.
SO WE JUMPED IN TRYING
TO JUST UNDERSTAND
A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND WE TEAMED UP WITH A WOMAN
NAMED GRETA ABBY, WHO'S DONE
A LOT OF CORAL DISEASE RESEARCH
IN THE, MOSTLY IN THE PACIFIC.
SHE'D WORK AT UNIVERSITY
OF HAWAII.
AND SHE INTRODUCED BLAKE TO US.
BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN A GRADUATE
STUDENT OUT THERE WORKING
ON CORAL DISEASE.
AND NOW WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE
TO HAVE HIM WITH US.
THIS YEAR HE'S ON
A SMITHSONIAN FELLOWSHIP,
CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS.
BUT WE STARTED DOING A LOT
OF EXPERIMENTS IN THE LAB.
AND WE JUST DID SOME VERY
SIMPLE EXPERIMENTS LIKE TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS THING
WAS SPREADING.
WE JUST DID SOME TANKS
WHERE WE HAD PIECES OF CORAL.
THIS X, THE RED X IS A DISEASED
PIECE AND WE PUT IT IN CONTACT
WITH OTHER PIECES OF
THE SAME SPECIES
OR DIFFERENT SPECIES.
AND THEN HAD ANOTHER PIECE
IN THE TANK THAT WASN'T
IN CONTACT.
AND WE LEARNED THAT THE DISEASE
COULD SPREAD BOTH WITH CONTACT,
NOT TOO SURPRISING,
BUT EVEN WITHOUT CONTEXT.
SO IT WAS GETTING UP INTO
THE WATER COLUMN AND OTHER,
OTHER CORALS IN THE TANK THAT
WE'RE NOT TOUCHING THE DISEASE
LESION WOULD STILL CATCH IT.
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF
SPECIES DIFFERENCES.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU MAY NOT
KNOW SOME OF THESE
CORAL SPECIES.
BUT THIS ORBICELLA FABALOTTA
WAS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO IT
THEN THESE OTHER TWO
CORAL SPECIES WHEN WE DID
THESE KINDS OF TESTS.
AND BLAKE HAS BEEN LEADING
THE EFFORT FOR TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE PATHOGEN IS.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT IF WE,
IN THE LABORATORY,
TREAT THE CORALS
WITH SOME ANTIBIOTICS
THAT IT SEEMS TO SOMETIMES
HELP THE DISEASE
OR CERTAINLY SLOW IT DOWN.
IN MANY CASES IT'S ACTUALLY
STOPPED IT.
AND SO IT SEEMS TO SUGGEST
A BACTERIAL, A BACTERIA
OR BACTERIA, MULTIPLE BACTERIA
ARE INVOLVED IN THE DISEASE.
SO BLAKE ALONG WITH SOME OF
OUR, UM, WONDERFUL INTERNS
AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS
HAVE BEEN ISOLATING
BACK DIFFERENT SPECIES
OF BACTERIA FROM THE DISEASE
CORALS AND THEN PURIFYING THEM
AND THEN RETESTING THEM.
AND TO DATE I HAD,
I HAD PUT ON HERE
OVER 300 ISOLATES
HAVE BEEN SCREENED,
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MORE
LIKE 400, THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY
TESTED TO SEE IF THEY CAN
FIND SOMETHING THAT IS
WHAT CAUSES THIS DISEASE.
BUT THEY HAVEN'T QUITE
FOUND IT YET.
BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE,
BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU
WITH A REALLY, UM,
SAD STORY THOUGH,
BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY
A SAD STORY, BUT, UM,
THERE ARE SOME BRIGHT,
BRIGHTER ASPECTS TO THIS.
ONE IS THAT PEOPLE
ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH SOME IN
THE WATER TREATMENTS OF,
OF THE DISEASE CORALS.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME GOOD LUCK
IN FORT LAUDERDALE
BY NOVA SOUTHEASTERN
AND THEN JOSH, JOSH VOSS
IS STARTING TO DO SOME WORK
ON SOME OF OUR MORE
NORTHERN REEFS,
LOOKING AT WHETHER
WE CAN PUT MARINE EPOXY
LADEN WITH CHLORINE POWDER,
WHICH JUST KILLS THINGS,
RIGHT, OVER SOME OF
THE LESIONS.
AND WHETHER THAT CAN STOP
THE DISEASE.
AND, AND WE GET SOME
PRETTY GOOD RESULTS,
ESPECIALLY ON THE
ORBICELLA FABALOTTA,
IT SEEMS TO STOP THE DISEASE
IN SOME CASES.
SOMETIMES IT WILL SHOW UP AGAIN
AT ANOTHER SPOT ON THE CORAL.
BUT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING
ONE VERY LARGE CORAL HEAD,
ORBICELLA, OFF OF OUR
FORT LAUDERDALE SITE FOR
THE LAST TWO YEARS AND IT'S,
WITH A COUPLE OF TREATMENTS
ON LITTLE TINY PATCHES,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP
THE DISEASE SPREAD ON THAT ONE.
THE OTHER THING IS TO LOOK
FOR BACTERIA THAT CAN PROTECT
THE CORAL.
AND FROM A COUPLE OF SPECIES
THAT ARE A COUPLE OF PIECES
OF CORAL THAT WE BROUGHT BACK
TO THE LAB THAT SEEMED
RESISTANT TO THE DISEASE.
FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY
WOULDN'T CATCH IT WHEN
WE PUT IT IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ISOLATE
SOME BAC, SOME BACTERIA THAT
ARE VERY, PRODUCE ANTIBIOTICS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THESE
PLATES, THESE ARE ALL THIS
KIND OF A BEIGE COLORED STUFF
IS BACTERIA GROWING ON
THESE PLATES.
BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE
OTHER BACTERIA HAVE
THESE CLEAR ZONES AROUND THEM.
AND THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT
THEY'RE PRODUCING ANTIBIOTICS
AND THEY'RE KEEPING
THIS BACTERIA AT BAY.
SO WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING
FOR THINGS THAT MIGHT
BE PROTECTIVE, NATURALLY
PROTECTIVE FOR THE CORALS.
AND WE'VE GOT ONE STRAIN
THAT WE'VE ISOLATED,
THIS COMPOUND THAT'S ACTUALLY
A KNOWN COMPOUND
CALLED CORORA MEISSEN
AND IT'S EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE
AGAINST GROUND NEGATIVE
BACTERIA.
AND BLAKE'S BEEN PLAYING
AROUND WITH IT, TRYING TO SEE
IF, IF IT CAN EITHER HALT
THE DISEASE OR AT LEAST
SLOW IT DOWN.
AND IT DOES SEEM
TO SLOW IT DOWN IN SOME
OF THE AQUARIUM EXPERIMENTS
WE'VE BEEN DOING.
SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT
THIS DISEASE?
AND THIS IS KIND OF COLLECTED
BETWEEN SOME OF OUR WORK
AND OTHERS.
SO WE KNOW IT'S TRANSMISSIBLE.
IT'S INFECTIOUS.
SO IT DOES ACT LIKE A DISEASE.
IT CAN PASS FROM DIRECT CONTACT
FROM CORAL TO CORAL,
AS WELL AS THROUGH
THE WATER COLUMN.
IT INFECTS ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT
SPECIES OF CORALS.
SO IT'S NOT SPECIES SPECIFIC,
THAT'S ALSO KIND OF BAD.
BUT DIFFERENT SUBSPECIES
ARE MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE
THAN OTHERS.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENTIAL
SUSCEPTIBILITY.
AND UH, I'M SORRY,
AND CERTAINLY BACTERIA
ARE INVOLVED IN THIS.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK
ON THIS PROBLEM.
THERE IS A LOT OF,
A LOT OF INTEREST IN IT
OF COURSE, AND TRYING
TO UNDERSTAND IT AS BEST
WE CAN TO DEVELOP WAYS TO,
TO POSSIBLY TREAT IT AND
PREVENT LOSS OF MORE CORALS.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK
LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE.
OF COURSE, I DIDN'T DO THIS
WORK BY MYSELF.
AND I'VE HAD GREAT TEAMS OF
RESEARCHERS BOTH AT
THE MARINE STATION AS WELL
AS COLLABORATORS,
RESEARCHERS THAT I WORKED
WITH OVER THE,
OVER THE LAST COUPLE,
15 YEARS OR SO.
AND REALLY IT'S BEEN
A GREAT LOT OF FUN.
AND THIS IS KIND OF
THE CURRENT TEAM.
A LOT OF THESE MEMBERS ARE
OUT IN THE AUDIENCE,
RANGING IN SKILL SETS
FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS
LIKE SKYLAR AND...
TO MICROBIOLOGISTS LIKE JEN,
LIKE JENNY AND BLAKE,
AND EVEN A CORAL ALGAL
SPECIALIST AND VARIOUS INTERNS
WHO'VE WORKED WITH US.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN GREAT
AND WE'VE REALLY, REALLY, UM,
WORK TOGETHER WELL AS A TEAM.
AND OF COURSE JUST WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE
FUNDING SOURCES.
BECAUSE WITHOUT FUNDING,
ALL OF THE RESEARCHERS IN
THE AUDIENCE WOULD AGREE, IT'S
REALLY HARD TO DO THIS WORK.
AND WE REALLY, REALLY
APPRECIATE THE FUNDING SOURCES
THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THIS WORK.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR ALL YOUR ATTENTION.
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
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