[DIALOGnews] DIALOG/DISCCRS News 08/12/2005
Susan Weiler
weilercs at whitman.edu
Mon Aug 15 13:30:01 CDT 2005
DIALOG and DISCCRS News
08/12/2005
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) has just updated its
"What's New"
http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/new.htm
A New Climate Weblog Section - Tiempo Climate Newswatch
http://www.tiempocyberclimate.org/newswatch/index.htm
New Book Available - "Long-term Environmental Change in Arctic and
Antarctic Lakes"
http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/
0,11855,1-10012-22-35894243-0,00.html
SCIENCE NEWS
Coral Reef Fish Larvae Settle Close to Home
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/cp-crf072005.php
House Science Committee Passes Bill To Restructure NOAA
Climate change 'means heat waves'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4140388.stm
Changes to Pacific Coast Marine Ecosystem
Census Of Marine Life Researchers Find Downward Trend In Diversity Of
Fish In The Open Ocean
http://as01.ucis.dal.ca/fmap/news.php#13
Errors Cited In Assessing Climate Data
http://tinyurl.com/7pmgc
Warming Hits 'Tipping Point'
http://tinyurl.com/93equ
FORUM
AGU and AMS Presidents Criticize Congressman Barton in Letter
http://www.house.gov/science/hot/climate%20dispute/index.htm
SUMMER PROGRAMS, COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, MEETINGS
Coalition for Earth Science Education 2005 Meeting, September 23 and 24
www.regonline.com/26329
JOBS
Entry-level Environmental Scientist/Policy Analyst - I.M. Systems
Group, Inc.
www.imsg.com
The Smithsonian Institution is accepting applications and nominations
for the position of Sant Chair for Marine Science
www.mnh.si.edu/ocean
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Resources
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) has just updated its
"What's New"
http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/new.htm
With a wide-ranging set of organized links to new online
material, the page is periodically updated and provides an easy way
to monitor important scientific developments -- without having to dig
around dozens of different web sites.
********************
A New Climate Weblog Section - Tiempo Climate Newswatch
A weekly online magazine on climate and development, has added a
new section to their webpage. See the "weblogs" section of http://
www.tiempocyberclimate.org/newswatch/index.htm
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New Book Available - "Long-term Environmental Change in Arctic and
Antarctic Lakes"
Volume 8 of the "Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research" Series
Editors: Reinhard Pienitz, Marianne S.V. Douglas, and John P. Smol
562 pages - ISBN: 1-4020-2125-9 - Price: 105,93 Euros
For further information and to order this book, please go to:
http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/
0,11855,1-10012-22-35894243-0,00.html
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Science News
Coral Reef Fish Larvae Settle Close to Home
Tracing the larvae of marine organisms from where they were born
to their ultimate destination has been regarded as one of the
greatest challenges in ocean science. Managers of marine reserves
areas have eagerly sought this information to help determine the
optimal size and spacing of marine reserves; well-planned reserves
should help ensure that protected populations can sustain themselves
as well as provide a source of larvae to maintain exploited
populations in areas open to fishing.
In a new study, researchers have managed to uncover the patterns
of local dispersion for a small coral reef fish species by employing
a combination of inventive tracking techniques. In addition to
providing ecological information about one particular fish species,
the work suggests ways that the ecology of other fish can be studied
and applied to strategies for the maintenance of stable populations.
For the full story, http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-07/cp-
crf072005.php.
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House Science Committee Passes Bill To Restructure NOAA
AGU ASLA 05-18 by Gene Bierly:
The House Committee on Science passed H.R. 50, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Act on 17 May 2005.
This act would, for the first time in NOAA's history, define and
codify NOAA's core mission and functions. Since its creation by
executive order in 1970, NOAA has been operating without the guidance
of a congressional mandate, limiting the agency's ability to provide
authority and leadership in ocean science research and resource
management. "Our bill will do more than merely found NOAA in law,"
said committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) during the mark-up.
"It will raise the profile of science at NOAA and improve its
management."
NOAA's mission, as laid out in the bill, is "to understand the
systems of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere and to predict changes
in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere and the effects of such changes
on the land environment, to conserve and manage coastal, ocean, and
Great Lakes ecosystems to meet national economic, social, and
environmental needs, and to educate the public about these topics."
H.R. 50 leaves the National Weather Service (NWS) in NOAA, noting
that one of NOAA's 11 function is "issuing weather, water, climate,
and space weather forecasts and warnings." Under the bill NOAA will
also maintain:
1) programs to support operational and service functions,
including all activities of the National Environmental Satellite
Data and Information Service (NESDIS) as well as the mapping and
charting activities of the National Ocean Service (NOS);
2) programs to conduct and support research and education and the
development of technologies relating to weather, climate, and the
coasts, oceans, and the Great Lakes;
3) a system of laboratories to perform these functions, as well
as the National Sea Grant College Program; and
4) an extramural peer-reviewed competitive grant programs.
H.R. 50 would establish a Deputy Assistant Secretary position for
science and technology to oversee ocean research programs, and it
would codify the NOAA Science Advisory Board, which advises the NOAA
administrator on strategies for research, education and the
application of science.
Public outreach is also a priority of H.R. 50. Throughout the
bill, emphasis is placed on fostering the public's ability to
understand and integrate scientific information into considerations
of national environmental issues.
During the May 17 hearing, an additional bill regarding NOAA was
passed and sent to the House floor. H.R. 2364, would establish a
Science and Technology Scholarship Program to award scholarships to
recruit and prepare students for careers in the NWS and in NOAA's
marine research, atmospheric research, and satellite programs. The
bill would specifically include Historically Black Colleges and
Universities and institutions serving a large proportion of
underrepresented groups.
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Climate change 'means heat waves'
BBC News - UK
The survey, which analysed climate change across 16 European
capitals, suggested London's temperature rise of two degrees was one
of the most significant in ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/
northern_ireland/4140388.stm
********************
Changes to Pacific Coast Marine Ecosystem
SAN FRANCISCO, California (Associated Press) -- Marine biologists
are seeing mysterious and disturbing things along the Pacific Coast
this year: higher water temperatures, plummeting catches of fish,
lots of dead birds on the beaches, and perhaps most worrisome, very
little plankton -- the tiny organisms that are a vital link in the
ocean food chain.
Is this just one freak year? Or is this global warming?
Few scientists are willing to blame global warming, the theory
that carbon dioxide and other manmade emissions are trapping heat in
the Earth's atmosphere and causing a worldwide rise in temperatures.
Yet few are willing to rule it out.
"There are strange things happening, but we don't really
understand how all the pieces fit together," said Jane Lubchenco, a
zoologist and climate change expert at Oregon State University. "It's
hard to say whether any single event is just an anomaly or a real
indication of something serious happening."
Scientists say things could very well swing back to normal next
year. But if the phenomenon proves to be long-lasting, the
consequences could be serious for birds, fish and other wildlife.
This much is known: From California to British Columbia, unusual
weather patterns have disrupted the marine ecosystem.
Normally, in the spring and summer, winds blow south along the
Pacific Coast and push warmer surface waters away from shore. That
allows colder, nutrient-rich water to well up from the bottom of the
sea and feed microscopic plants called phytoplankton.
Phytoplankton are then eaten by zooplankton, tiny marine animals
that include shrimp-like crustaceans called krill. Zooplankton, in
turn, are eaten by seabirds and by fish and marine animals ranging
from sardines to whales.
But this year, the winds have been unusually weak, failing to
generate much upwelling and reducing the amount of phytoplankton.
Off Oregon, for example, the waters near the shore are 5 to 7
degrees warmer than normal and have yielded about one-fourth the
usual amount of phytoplankton, said Bill Peterson, an oceanographer
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Newport,
Oregon.
"The bottom has fallen out of the coastal food chain, and there's
just not enough food out there," said Julia Parrish, a seabird
ecologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Seabirds are clearly distressed. On the Farallon Islands west of
San Francisco, researchers this spring noted a steep decrease in
nesting cormorants and a 90 percent drop in Cassin's auklets -- the
worst in more than 35 years of monitoring.
On Washington state's Tatoosh Island, common murres -- a species
so sensitive to disruptions that scientists consider it a harbinger
of ecological change -- started breeding nearly a month late. It was
the longest delay in 15 years of monitoring.
Researchers have also reported a sharp increase in dead birds
washing up in California, Oregon and Washington.
Along Monterey Bay in Central California, there are four times
the usual number of dead seabirds, said Hannah Nevins, a scientist at
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
"Basically, they're not finding enough food, and they use up the
energy that's stored in their muscles, liver and body fat," Nevins said.
Fish appear to be feeling the effects, too. NOAA found a 20
percent to 30 percent drop in juvenile salmon off the coasts of
Oregon, Washington and British Columbia in June and July, compared
with the average over the previous six years.
And researchers counted the lowest number of juvenile rockfish in
more than 20 years of monitoring in Central and Northern California.
Fewer than 100 were caught between San Luis Obispo and Fort Bragg
this year, compared with several thousand last year.
Scientists have seen some of these strange happenings before
during El Nino years, when higher water surface temperatures in the
equatorial Pacific alter weather patterns worldwide. But the West
Coast has not had El Nino conditions this year.
As for the possibility that this is being caused by global
warming, scientists are not so sure, since climate change is believed
to be a gradual process, and what is happening this year is
relatively sudden.
But "if we did see this next year, the notion that global warming
plays a role in this carries more weight," said Nathan Mantua, a
climate expert at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
********************
Census Of Marine Life Researchers Find Downward Trend In Diversity Of
Fish In The Open Ocean
Exerpted from CORE weekly newsletter
Diversity of fish in the open oceans has declined by up to 50%
over 50 years due to fishing. In a study, published in the July 28th
issue of Science, the Census of Marine Life’s Future of Marine Animal
Populations (FMAP) scientists Boris Worm, Ransom Myers and their
colleagues at Dalhousie University show a clear link to overfishing
and fish diversity. The paper reports their findings of rapidly
shrinking hotspots for tuna, marlin, and swordfish in five ocean
basins. The complete article can be found at the FMAP press page at
http://as01.ucis.dal.ca/fmap/news.php#13.
********************
Errors Cited In Assessing Climate Data
from The New York Times (Registration Required) via Sigma Xi Science
in the News
Some scientists who question whether human-caused global warming
poses a threat have long pointed to records that showed the
atmosphere's lowest layer, the troposphere, had not warmed over the
last two decades and had cooled in the tropics.
Now two independent studies have found errors in the complicated
calculations used to generate the old temperature records, which
involved stitching together data from thousands of weather balloons
lofted around the world and a series of short-lived weather satellites.
A third study shows that when the errors are taken into account,
the troposphere actually got warmer. Moreover, that warming trend
largely agrees with the warmer surface temperatures that have been
recorded and conforms to predictions in recent computer models.
http://tinyurl.com/7pmgc
********************
Warming Hits 'Tipping Point'
from The Guardian (UK) via Sigma Xi Science in the News
A vast expanse of western Sibera is undergoing an unprecedented
thaw that could dramatically increase the rate of global warming,
climate scientists warn today.
Researchers who have recently returned from the region found that
an area of permafrost spanning a million square kilometres - the size
of France and Germany combined - has started to melt for the first
time since it formed 11,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age.
The area, which covers the entire sub-Arctic region of western
Siberia, is the world's largest frozen peat bog and scientists fear
that as it thaws, it will release billions of tonnes of methane, a
greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, into the
atmosphere. http://tinyurl.com/93equ
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Forum
AGU and AMS Presidents Criticize Congressman Barton in Letter
AGU ASLA Press Release # 05-19, authored by Cathy O'Riordan, AGU
AGU and AMS Presidents have submitted a letter to House Energy
and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) in response to
request of three climate scientists on 23 June for detailed
information related to their research on climate change. The AGU-AMS
letter is available at: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/
barton_response.pdf
Barton requested access to data archives, lists of all private,
state, and federal financial support, and asked questions about the
calculations and conclusions of a paper authored in 1998 by Michael
Mann, Ray Bradley, and Malcolm Hughes. Barton also sent a letter to
the Director of NSF, Arden Bement, asking for detailed information
about research grants in climate change and one to the Chair of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri,
requesting information about the IPCC Third Assessment Report. The
Barton letters are available at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/
Letters/06232005_1570.htm
AGU and AMS publish much of the research in climate change. But
the joint letter reaches beyond climate change to underscore the
importance of the scientific quality control that is part of the peer
review process. The letter requests that Congress support the
resolution of divergent scientific views in the peer reviewed
literature. It also outlines the respective roles of scientists and
policy makers in the process of making sound policy.
In the past few weeks, congressmen, scientists, and leaders of
scientific organizations have sent letters of protest to Barton. The
Chair of the House Science Committee, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, sharply
chastised Barton for launching a "misguided and illegitimate
investigation." The letters can be viewed at: http://www.house.gov/
science/hot/climate%20dispute/index.htm
Write to Chairman Barton and other members of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee to express your views! To check if your
member of Congress is a member of the Energy Committee, visit http://
energycommerce.house.gov/108/members/members.htm
Contact information for all members of the House of
Representatives can be found at http://www.house.gov/writerep/.
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Summer Programs, Courses, Internships, Meetings
Coalition for Earth Science Education 2005 Meeting, September 23 and 24
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Register on line at: www.regonline.com/26329
The 2005 Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) meeting
will focus on increasing and improving implementation of the Earth
System Science (ESS) in K–12 schools by creating a large-scale effort
and unified voice to bring about greater and more widespread teaching
of ESS. The goal of the meeting will be (1), to establish action
items to work toward overcoming barriers to implementation of ESS and
(2), to facilitate development of partnerships to work on selected
action items. Attendees will collaboratively determine which barriers
are most significant, then participants will select breakout groups,
and work together to create partnerships for addressing action items.
Attendees invited to present their own work in an interactive poster
session. Presentations from invited speakers will highlight related
initiatives, including status of the Revolution in K–12 Earth and
Space Science Education and efforts in Texas and California to keep
Earth science in state curricula. A special session will feature
information on federal education initiatives—NSF, NASA, NOAA, and USGS.
The meeting will be held Friday, September 23rd and Saturday,
September 24th at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
Please go to www.ceseweb.org too find out how to register for the
meeting, lodging information, and to learn more about CESE. Early
registration is important due to security restrictions at GSFC.
Register on line at: www.regonline.com/26329
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Jobs
Entry-level Environmental Scientist/Policy Analyst - I.M. Systems
Group, Inc.
Introduction and Description: I.M. Systems Group is a leading
consulting firm that provides professional management, scientific and
information technology services. I.M. Systems Group is seeking to
fill a full time Environmental Scientist/Policy Analyst contract
position.
The position will help support the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program
in the National Ocean Service (NOS) office in Silver Spring,
Maryland. This position primarily involves assisting with policy and
program development. Tasks include coordinating meetings, drafting
program guidance, developing bi-weekly program reports, responding to
public information requests, contributing to education and outreach
activities, assisting with management of the NOS coral reef project
database, and other projects that may arise. Travel may be required.
The approximate salary for the position is in the mid-$30s. I.M.
Systems group provides a competitive benefits package including a
matching 401(K) retirement program. Learn more about I.M. Systems
Group at www.imsg.com.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Minimum qualifications include
a bachelor’s degree in environmental science or policy (or a related
field), an interest in coral reef conservation, strong oral and
written communication skills, the ability to multi-task and be
innovative, and a familiarity with standard word processing and
spreadsheet programs. Training for database will be provided. Some
experience with formal education practices and materials is
desirable, but not required.
To Apply: Please send or email a cover letter, resume, and list
of three references to Michael Loomis at Michael.Loomis at noaa.gov or:
Michael Loomis, NOAA National Ocean Service
Office of Coast Survey (N/CS2X1) - SSMC3, #7220
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
********************
The Smithsonian Institution is accepting applications and nominations
for the position of Sant Chair for Marine Science
Recent reports by the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S.
Commission on Ocean Policy have called for an increased understanding
of the interaction of the oceans with human life. The Smithsonian
Institution, with its vast resources in marine science, is in a
unique position to create a new era of ocean literacy. The National
Museum of Natural History has a large faculty of scientists concerned
with investigating and documenting marine biodiversity and is home to
unparalleled collections that comprise over 33 million specimens of
marine organisms. The Smithsonian's Marine Science Network with
facilities in Maryland, Florida, Belize, and Panama provides
outstanding opportunities for field research. The National Museum of
Natural History's Ocean Science Initiative ( www.mnh.si.edu/ocean) is
directed toward both increasing public knowledge and facilitating and
communicating scholarly research. It comprises three major
components: A spectacular new Ocean Hall, developed in collaboration
with and major funding provided by NOAA, is scheduled to open in
2008, and will educate and inspire the public. A new Ocean Web
Portal will provide access for all audiences to digital records of
collections, published research, video conferences, and other
educational resources. The Sant Chair for Marine Science, made
possible by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Roger Sant, will
provide intellectual leadership for the new Center for Ocean
Research. As a critical component of the Ocean Science Initiative,
the Center will expand our knowledge of the oceans' physical and
biological composition and interactions through scholarly research.
The Center's goal is to foster interdisciplinary research and provide
a venue to share the knowledge with the research community,
conservationists, and policymakers.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Articulate and advance the Ocean Science Initiative.
Develop and perform highly visible scholarly research in marine
science building or using the National Collections.
Stimulate multidisciplinary, multi-collaborator research projects
with Smithsonian and affiliated-agency scientists as well as outside
researchers.
Independently seeks funding within and outside the Smithsonian.
Serve as professional consultant and expert advisor to government
agencies, national and international organizations, academic
community, and policymakers.
Maintain visibility within the international scientific community
through publication of peer-reviewed reports or articles in
professional journals as well as active participation in professional
organizations.
Involvement with the Museum's public programs and exhibitions
staff as technical consultant.
Train graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows.
QUALITIES WE SEEK:
Ph.D. with a record of superior achievement in collections-based
research in the marine sciences including systematics, ecology,
evolutionary biology and paleobiology.
Demonstrated ability to initiate and pursue multidisciplinary or
collaborative research projects.
A record of involvement with scientific or professional
organizations concerning marine science, marine conservation, and/or
management of ocean resources.
Defined interest in increasing public knowledge of marine science
and the importance of oceans.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This is a Smithsonian Trust position. Trust employees enjoy a
comprehensive benefit program including a lucrative TIAA-CREF
retirement program that is fully vested. Salary range is $124,736 -
$149,200
The position is located in the National Museum of Natural History
in Washington, DC and reports to the Museum's Associate Director for
Research and Collections.
The incumbent will be allowed wide latitude for professional
independence and is relied upon for scientific originality,
productivity, and judgment.
TO APPLY:
Send a CV and cover letter, including the names and contact
information of 5 references, to:
Thomas Lawrence, Smithsonian Institution
Executive Resources, PO Box 37012 Victor Bldg
Suite 6100, MRC 912
Washington, DC 20013-7012
FedEx :
Thomas Lawrence, Smithsonian Institution
750 9th Street , NW
Suite 6100
Washington, DC 20013-7012
Questions? Please contact Mr. Lawrence phone 202-275-0944 or E-
mail - lawrencet at hr.si.edu
**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute
information of potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in
interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate-change research, and to
build an international sense of community among recent grads. It
provides an international forum for the exchange of information and
opinions regarding research, professional and social issues. The
views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler reserves the
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.
Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to
phd at whitman.edu. Send a short message in the body of an e-mail
message, and link to any appropriate websites. Do not send attachments.
Moving? Send address changes to dialog at whitman.edu or
disccrs at whitman.edu
**********
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Office for Earth System Studies Tel: 509-527-5948
Whitman College Fax: 509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler at whitman.edu
Programs for Recent PhDs http://aslo.org/phd.html
DIALOG poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/dialogposter.pdf
DISCCRS poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduates in a
Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/
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