The Charlie Kontos Environmental Activist Award is named for Charlie Kontos, who passed away in 2010 and was, at the time, enrolled as a doctoral student in the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program administered by the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Before his premature passing at age 33, Kontos had already made a significant contribution to wildlife biology studies with …
SEBS Researchers Receive NSF Funding to Explore Social and Ecological Factors of Pathogen Occurrence in Amphibian Pet Trade
Professor Julie Lockwood, Department of Ecology Evolution and Natural Resources, and Ryan Almeida, School of Graduate Studies, will work with collaborators across four universities to characterize the trade of pet amphibians within the United States, including the range of amphibian species sold as pets and which species are the most common and cheapest to purchase. For the next five years, the team—which …
Scientists Believe Evolution Could Save Coral Reefs, If We Let It
Research shows protecting “hot reefs” is key to saving coral reefs. Coral reefs can adapt to climate change if given the chance to evolve, according to a study led by Coral Reef Alliance, Rutgers University, the University of Washington and other institutions. The recent study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, finds that coral reefs can evolve and adapt …
Understanding the Impact of Marine Viruses on the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle and Role in Climate Change
By Carol Peters, EOAS Communications To address one of the most pressing issues impacting human civilization, pioneering work by EOAS faculty members Kay Bidle and Kimberlee Thamatrakoln is, for the first time, changing the ways scientists understand the impact marine viruses have on phytoplankton, the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle, and ultimately on Earth’s changing climate. Arriving on the …
Rutgers Marine Field Station: On the Edge of Climate Change
As the facility marks its 50th anniversary, here is a look back at its history and how it developed into a crucial research station in New Jersey. Rutgers Marine Field Station stands at the heart of where climate change is happening the fastest in the world, providing a unique and crucial window into the future for researchers. A former U.S. Coast …
Feasible Surfclam Husbandry Techniques for Northeast Shellfish Growers
Editor’s note: Michael Acquafredda (GSNB’19) earned a doctoral degree in Ecology and Evolution in the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies A study that provides technical aspects of Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) husbandry supports the feasibility for the culture of the species in the U.S. Northeast region. “Overall, successful surfclam nursery culture aligns well with the Northeast’s established shellfish farming framework, and …
Bee It Known: Biodiversity Is Critical to Ecosystems
A Rutgers-led study on bees shows how different species pollinate the same plants over time. Rutgers has conducted the first study showing how many more species of bees are needed to maintain crop yields when a longer-term time frame is considered. In the paper, which was recently published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists said biodiversity of the bee population is …
EOAS In the News: “Tiny Oysters Are a Hopeful Sign in the Hudson River”
New York Times reporter James Barron joined #EOAS faculty member Thomas Grothues and other #Rutgers scientists on a trip on the Hudson River in lower Manhattan to check on the “oyster habitat enhancements” they had installed last year and seeded with juvenile oysters. Barron reports “The oysters were small, barely the size of a thumbtack. The people measuring them, on a skiff rocking …
Rutgers Awarded $12.6 Million Grant to Create Oyster Habitat for Coastal Resilience
The university-led project is in response to a broader effort to protect critical coastal civilian and Department of Defense infrastructure and personnel at risk of climate change. Rutgers has been awarded $12.6 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop an oyster-based shoreline ecosystem to help protect coastlines from storm damage, flooding and erosion. The Rutgers-led project, …
Rutgers Shellfish Breeding Program Enters the Genomic Era
A consortium of scientists led by Rutgers University has developed a high-density DNA chip for the eastern oyster to better research and breeding. The Rutgers shellfish breeding program, an ongoing project supported by the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fishery Service, is testing a high-density DNA chip for genomic selection, which is expected …