{"id":322727,"date":"2020-05-13T06:06:43","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T20:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=322727"},"modified":"2020-05-13T06:06:43","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T20:06:43","slug":"uog-secures-20m-to-expand-coral-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/uog-secures-20m-to-expand-coral-research\/","title":{"rendered":"UOG secures $20M to expand coral research"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
David Burdick, a research associate at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory, looks through the online database of the UOG Biorepository. (UNIVERSITY OF GUAM)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Guam has been awarded $20 million to expand its research capabilities on coral reef survival in rapidly changing environmental conditions.<\/p>\n

The five-year grant is from the National Science Foundation\u2019s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, more commonly referred to as EPSCoR, and will considerably expand upon work undertaken during the previous five-year, $6 million Guam EPSCoR grant project, the\u00a0Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a major grant award, which not only validates and expands on the research work of Guam EPSCoR, our Marine Laboratory, and our partners, but it also further establishes the University of Guam as an emergent research institution in the Pacific region,\u201d said UOG president Thomas W. Krise.<\/p>\n

Starting July 1, the new grant project\u2014 titled the Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans, or GECCO\u2014will increase the collection, documentation, integration, and analyses of complex genetic and oceanographic data from reefs within the region.\u00a0These\u00a0research activities are necessary to understand the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive resilience in coral reefs under stress from climate change and other factors and could provide valuable insight into the development of viable management strategies.<\/p>\n

Dr. Terry J. Donaldson, professor of ichthyology at the UOG Marine Laboratory and the principal investigator and project director, said the need for modern, cutting-edge studies on reef ecosystems is urgent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsland communities of the Western Pacific and all around the world depend on coral reef ecosystems, but the reefs are struggling to survive amid our rapidly changing climate,\u201d he said. \u201cGuam has the nation\u2019s most diverse and complex coral reefs, so the UOG Marine Lab is the best place to do this research and inform how we can better protect this vital ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research team, led by\u00a0Dr. Bastian Bentlage, assistant professor of bioinformatics at the Marine Lab,\u00a0will collect\u00a0and analyze genetic, genomic, oceanographic, and ecological data sets. New collections of marine biodiversity from the region will be curated, imaged, and mapped, and specimens\u2014including cryo-preserved tissues for genomics research\u2014stored in the\u00a0UOG Biorepository,\u00a0along with historical collections dating back more than 50 years. Specimens and field collection data will be digitized and posted in the biorepository\u2019s online-accessible database that was established during the\u00a0Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium, providing the scientific community with valuable resource for marine biodiversity research.<\/p>\n

Mathematical models will use the data gathered to better predict changes in our reef ecosystems. To facilitate this ambitious research project, UOG\u2019s ability to conduct big-data analyses will be expanded by establishing a high-performance computing cluster on its campus and by strengthening its collaborative network with other research institutions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mildred Kelokelo, a graduate biology student at the University of Guam, documents a reef fish using equipment in the University of Guam Biorepository in 2019. (UNIVERSITY OF GUAM)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new grant will use cutting-edge instrumentation and innovative techniques, including:<\/p>\n

\u2022 hyperspectral scanning to automate mapping of reef communities;<\/p>\n

\u2022 DNA barcoding to facilitate identification of reef organisms, including coral microbiomes, and their role in the stress response of coral reefs;<\/p>\n

\u2022 seascape genomics, integrating genomics, and oceanographic modeling to trace connectivity between coral reefs within the region; and<\/p>\n

\u2022 micro-CT scanning techniques within the Biorepository to further the understanding of the morphology of marine organisms on reefs and promote a greater understanding of their taxonomic diversity.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoral reefs in the\u00a0Marianas archipelago\u00a0are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, and Guam represents the United States\u2019 only foothold in the region.\u00a0This award provides\u00a0researchers the opportunity to explore\u00a0these coral reef systems\u00a0and understand current\u00a0biodiversity challenges concerning how they\u00a0respond to climate change,\u201d\u00a0said NSF EPSCoR program manager\u00a0John-David Swanson. \u201cIn addition to improving infrastructure in the jurisdiction, this project aims to target underserved communities and develop innovative programs for STEM education and workforce development.\u201d<\/p>\n

The grant will grow UOG\u2019s research capacity by funding new and visiting faculty positions and post-doctoral fellowships to conduct research, teach specialized courses at the university, and engage graduate and undergraduate students in research.<\/p>\n

Beyond research, the GECCO project will develop innovative STEM education and community engagement programs\u2014an effort that will led by Dr. Austin Shelton, assistant professor of extension and outreach\u2014and collaborations within the national and international research communities, an effort that will be led by Dr. Rachael Leon Guerrero, vice provost for research and sponsored programs. (UOG)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Guam has been awarded $20 million to expand its research capabilities on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":322729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[445],"class_list":["post-322727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","tag-uog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}