Michael G. Hadfield - US grants

Metamorphosis consists of a dramatic, temporally compressed series of developmental events that includes cell death, cell movement, cell division, and tissue transformation. It thus offers numerous developmental processes for simultaneous study. Knowledge of the developmentally timed endocrine control of metamorphosis in amphibians and insects is extensive. However, most of the animal species with metamorphic development are marine invertebrates, and most marine invertebrates have externally, not hormonally, triggered metamorphoses. The research described here will utilize the marine slug Phestilla sibogae to explore further the mechanisms by which externally induced metamorphosis is activated within the larva. Because of their proven utility as a model for such studies, larvae of Phestilla will serve as a source of tissues for in vitro investigation of their priming for metamorphosis (i.e. competence) and their specific chemical sensitivities. Neurophysiological experiments will be used to locate and characterize the neurons and nervous mechanisms that bring abut tissue-specific responses throughout the larva. At the completion of these studies Dr. Hadfield should have sufficient understanding of the inductive pathway to begin examination of the intracellular responses that culminate in metamorphosis. %%% There are hundreds of thousands of marine invertebrate species which undergo metamorphosis. The understanding of this process in any of these species is very slight compared to that in insects and amphibians. The current proposal is to continue a study of metamorphosis in one such model marine invertebrate.

The Kew Marine Laboratory was constructed in 1971-72. In addition to the building and its excellent sea-water system, the laboratory was equipped with essential core equipment, including a large-capacity water-distilling system, a laboratory-glassware dishwasher, an autoclave and a liquid- scintillation counter. In the subsequent 26 years, the Kewalo Lab has provided the space and facilities for outstanding research by resident and visiting scientists and for graduate and postdoctoral training. Recent renovations, at state expensive, have renewed the building structurally, replaced an aging, PCB-containing transformer, built a new sea-level pump house for the sea-water system, replaced the central water-distilling system with a reverse-osmosis system, and provided hard-wire computer contact with the main University of Hawaii campus. This project will worn out dish washer and autoclave and the outmoded liquid- scintillation counter, all of which are essential, on site, to the research activities of all who work at the lab, and provide computers for a central system that will allow researchers in the lab to share peripheral hardware and build a database on occurrence, reproduction and development of common Hawaiian marine animals. The redefined goals statement for the Kewalo Marine Laboratory sets the focus on "bio-molecular interactions in coastal environments," with an emphasis on organismal biology, utilizing the most up-to date technology and molecular approaches to answer questions on development and recruitment, sensory biology, symbiosis, microbial ecology, environmental biology,enviromental biology, population/evolutionary biology, and the effects of introduced species

A confocal imaging system will be purchased and coupled with a fluorescence microscope. These instruments will be utilized by five investigators studying (1) chemical signaling in developing and adult marine snails and worms; (2) the dynamics associated with the process of colonization of a host squid by its luminescent bacterial symbionts; (3) the structure and function of sensory antennae of marine copepods; (4) the temporal and spatial gene expression patterns of symbiotic luminous marine bacteria in their host' s tissues; and (5) the molecular basis of interaction between spores of marine green algae and microbial films on marine surfaces.

Hadfield
9907545

The objective of this project is to determine whether water-borne chemical cues can affect the settlement of larvae of benthic marine invertebrates in habitats subjected to the wave-driven water flow that characterizes many coastal habitats. This question will be addressed by studying the nudibranch Phestilla sibogae, whose larvae metamorphose in response to a species-specific metabolite of its prey, Porites compressa, an abundant coral that forms reefs in shallow, wave--dominated habitats in Hawaii. The well-studied coral-eating nudibranch P. sibogae will serve as a model for benthic invertebrates that live on coral reefs and rely on recruitment of larvae from the plankton to found and replenish populations and maintain genetic continuity across small and large distances. The expertise of Hadfield in larval biology will be combined with that of Koehl in biomechanics and Koseff in environmental hydrodynamics to address the following questions: (1) How does ambient water flow disperse dissolved cues in nature? (2) Do P. sibogae larvae recruit in the field in microhabitats where advection and mixing of dissolved cues is low? (3) Do larvae of P. sibogae respond to water-borne cues in ways that affect their retention and settlement on a reef in wave-driven water flow?
This mechanistic study of the role of dissolved cues in larval settlement at sites exposed to wave--driven flow goes beyond earlier studies of such processes in unidirectional flow. This investigation of the effects of rigid canopy-forming organisms on small-scale flow and mass transport in coastal habitats complements similar studies in flexible macrophyte canopies, and also complements larger--scale flow studies of coral reefs. The project has a potential impact on both larval ecology (larval recruitment processes can have profound effects on the dynamics and genetic structure of populations, and on community structure in coastal benthic habitats), and on coral reef ecology (reef structure can alter the small-scale flow and transport of water-born nutrients, food, wastes, and propagules to the community of organisms living in these important tropical ecosystems).
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DEB-9975287

The high levels of endemism in the insular Pacific create a situation where environmental concerns are of critical importance. Despite these concerns, environmental biology is not often considered as a viable career option by Pacific Island peoples. This project would develop an undergraduate program in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology to increase the participation of students in these areas throughout the Pacific. It will develop a primary collaboration among three primary academic institution: the two main campuses of the University of Hawaii (UH), in Manoa and Hilo, and the University of Guam. This project will foster environmental training by coordination with two existing environmental resource management programs: The UH Hawaiian Internship Program and the Micronesia and America Samoa Student Internship Program. Students will be recruited throughout the Pacific. They will be able to interact from widespread institutions using a sophisticated distance learning technology available at UH. This project will greatly increase the number of Pacific Island people pursuing advanced training in environmental biology.

"UMEB: Environmental Biology in the Pacific Islands," based at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will train students from the Polynesian and Micronesian islands, highly under-represented in the biological sciences, to pursue professions in environmental biology. Coming from thousands of islands scattered over more than 160,00 square miles of the tropical Pacific Ocean, the UMEB interns, selected during their freshman and sophomore years, will have the opportunity to participate in environmentally relevant training and research at the University of Hawaii at Manoa or Chaminade University, a small private college near the UHM campus. The program will enroll up to seven student interns each summer, with 4 - 5 expected to continue with year-round support. As a cohort, the students will participate in a series of field trips to expose them to both nearly intact and heavily disturbed terrestrial and marine habitats and will attend lectures/discussions with participating faculty and with representatives from governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations that are concerned with environmental issues. Each student will join a research group in the laboratory of one of 11 mentors where s/he will gain hands-on research experience. With guidance from mentors, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other undergraduates in each laboratory, each Pacific Islands intern will gain skills by apprenticeship and undertake an individual research project on a topic such as endangered species conservation, impacts of invasive alien species, and the effects of pollutants on life processes at many levels. Each student's project will include a field component, so the participants become familiar with the problem they are studying in nature, as well as bench top lab activities. Students will present their research results each year at an end-of-summer symposium; students accepted into the full year program will be encouraged to develop their projects for presentation at national scientific meetings and for publication in professional journals. Over 4 years, the program will support 8 - 12 students to the completion of bachelor's degrees after which students are expected to apply for graduate schools or environmentally relevant jobs. The present grant builds on a prior UMEB award that supported 40 Pacific Islanders in environmental research, and provided a cohort of role models for the new group of students. The newly funded program will start with an excellent group of interns who were supported and trained on the prior UMEB award.

"UMEB: Environmental Biology in the Pacific Islands" includes a Research Opportunity Award (ROA) that will bring six instructors from Pacific Islands community colleges to the University of Hawaii, for 6 weeks of intensive exposure and training in local environmental problems and to conduct research into potential solutions. Through field trips, visits to active research laboratories, and lectures and practical in-lab training, participants will be taught modern approaches to environmental biology and the molecular methods for examining genetic diversity at a variety of levels. They will be supplied with modern equipment for performing such studies that they will take back to their home institutions to use in training and mentoring students and carrying out relevant research. Together with student-intern training of Pacific Islanders, the ROA effort will significantly improve the capacities to of the local community colleges to train and practice sound environmental practices and remediation.

This program will produce a new and somewhat unique group of culturally-connected Pacific Islanders specifically trained to serve their home islands as informed leaders in natural resource protection and restoration. Further, they will be positioned to provide information to the world on the special problems experienced in island nations relative to topics such as resource sustainability, protection of biodiversity, management of coral-reef fisheries, integrated watershed management and control of invasive species. Because many of the targeted islands have long depended on the mainland U.S. for trained scientists to fill research, management and policy-oriented positions, environmental programs have often failed due to lack of follow up from those on short term contract and because of a lack of community acceptance and involvement. For more information, contact Dr. Michael G. Hadfield (Phone: 808-539-7319; e-mail: hadfield@hawaii.edu).

The Kawalo Marine Laboratory, a unit of the University of Hawaii, was established in 1971 with funding from the NSF and the state of Hawaii. The laboratory provides infrastructure for research and training in basic biological research, marine biotechnology and conservation biology. This award provides support for 1) the upgrade and renovation of portions of the seawater system and 2) the installation of an emergency notification system for freezers and incubators whose failure could have serious impacts within hours. Planned improvements in the seawater system include new seawater table supports, a sand filter unit and UV water sterilization equipment. The permanent research staff at Kewalo includes six University of Hawaii faculty. In addition, the laboratory hosts 5 to 10 visiting scientists each year. University of Hawaii students receive training and participate in undergraduate and graduate-level coursework at the Laboratory, which provides access to nearby coral reefs, estuaries, extensive beaches and deep ocean. Research interests of Kewalo scientists range from biodiversity to invasive species and study of well-developed marine model organisms.

URM: Environmental Biology in the Pacific Islands

This program, based at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will significantly increase the number of Pacific Islanders pursuing bachelors and advanced degrees by recruiting and training promising students from the islands of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, and the U.S. Compact-of-Free-Association Micronesian states (Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of the Marshall Islands) in modern approaches to environmental biology. Research areas include: field ecological studies on marine ecosystems that are largely intact, as well as those that are badly damaged by invasive alien species and pollution; studies of both coastal and mountain biota, with emphases on invertebrate, vertebrate (esp. Hawaiian birds) and plant communities; biodiversity investigations using classical and molecular approaches; and species-focused research on island endemics. Thirteen students will be trained each years, eight during summer-only research internships, plus five, selected from the summer interns, who will remain in the program throughout the year. Up to 45 students will be extensively trained throughout five years of the program. Internships will be intimately tied to faculty-mentor laboratories for training in scientific research and preparation for graduate school, augmented by important cohort training in ?how to do science,? scientific writing, and oral presentations. Emphasis will be on one-on-one training by the mentor and others in her/his lab and student ?ownership? of a research project. Interns will be guided to develop all aspects of an individual research project that will contribute to the solution of globally felt problems. Additionally, the program will introduce interns to activities in governmental agencies and NGOs involved with environmental management and conservation. This URM will contribute to understanding biodiversity and conservation problems, with a particular focus on island ecosystems where impacts of modern society are heavy and where, for many, global climate change is not just a concept but a threat to the Islanders? way of life. The program will return to the islands a group of native islanders exceptionally trained to recognize and resolve local problems and to serve as role models and educators for other young residents. For additional information, contact: Dr. Michael G. Hadfield, hadfield@hawaii.edu or website, http://www.kewalo.hawaii.edu/labs/hadfield/

Communities of animals that grow on surfaces in the sea originate and maintain themselves by the steady recruitment of minute larvae produced by animals. The larvae of sponges, clams, snails, worms, etc., swim in the sea for various periods of time and then must settle in the right places to survive, grow and reproduce. In this way, both desired marine animals, such as those important to marine farming (e.g., clams, oysters, shrimp and lobsters) and undesirable ones, such as those that make up the fouling communities on boats, piers, and power plant pipes (e.g., sponges, barnacles, mussels and tube worms) become established and are maintained. This research will focus on members of the fouling community and ask questions about how tiny larvae can recognize specific surface requirements and settle onto them in the kinds of very active water movement that characterize all marine habitats.

The Kewalo Marine Laboratory of the University of Hawaii has acquired a suite of instrumentation for gene delivery and microscopy with support from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. Because of their proximal location to marine fauna, marine laboratories provide unprecedented access to a diverse array of research opportunities unavailable at most university campuses. Researchers at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, uniquely situated adjacent to living coral reefs near downtown Honolulu, use cellular and molecular approaches to investigate a wide variety of biological phenomena utilizing a full range of marine organisms. Research at the Kewalo Marine Lab runs the gamut of studies that includes the evolution of body plan diversity, life history evolution, regeneration, symbiosis, and effects of biofilms and environmental stressors on developing embryos and larvae. This grant funds an integrated system for labeling, tracking, and documenting living single cells over time within the intact organism. Cell labeling strategies include a precision intracellular microinjection apparatus and a gold particle ballistic delivery system, both of which have advantages in particular preparations. Imaging of labeled cells will be performed by multi-channel confocal microscopy that can image the variety of fluorescent proteins/reagents simultaneously required for each preparation while eliminating background noise. The integrated system is effective and adaptable to the wide array of animal models currently utilized at the Kewalo Marine Lab. This system of cell labeling and documentation will allow students/trainees to exploit the most modern techniques to address fundamental problems in cellular, developmental, evolutionary, and environmental biology. Results from the studies will be disseminated by student and faculty presentations at local and national meetings, and in peer-reviewed journals.

The Partnership for Advanced Marine and Environmental Science Training for Pacific Islanders improves technological education at the undergraduate and secondary school levels through the community colleges of the Pacific Islands by supporting regionally relevant curriculum development, the professional development of community college faculty and secondary school teachers, internships and field experiences for faculty, teachers, and students, and by strengthening the scientific infrastructure of the participating institutions. The activities include workshops that provide both training and the necessary tools to perform relevant research, development of articulation agreements between marine and environmental sciences programs at regional two-year colleges and minority-serving universities, research experiences and collaborations, secondary school teacher and student support, and will build on existing programs supported by NSF and NOAA to address the scientific and technical needs of the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. The Pacific Islands contain highly diverse and unique coral reef and terrestrial ecosystems that are under elevated levels of stress and degradation due to development pressures, the effects of overfishing, and coastal pollution from sedimentation and the increased use of agrochemicals. The future of the Islands and their populations depends on the technical skills and knowledge available to local resource managers, policy makers and stakeholders. An effective means of providing critical access to accurate and adequate information, in a culturally appropriate manner, is to strengthen the capacity of the local institutions of higher education: American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia - FSM, the College of the Marshall Islands, Northern Marianas College, and Palau Community College. Input from local agencies, businesses and stakeholders will identify the skills needed by community college graduates to fill positions within the government and private sector.

The University of Hawaii is awarded a grant to advance marine genomics and light microscopy imaging facilities at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory. Marine labs are ideally suited to study interactions of organisms at the interface of terrestrial and marine environments. This proposal requests funds to update molecular and optical imaging resources leveraging existing strengths to facilitate cutting edge research and training in broad areas of marine biology and biotechnology. These instruments will allow students/trainees to exploit the most modern techniques in DNA sequencing and live cell imaging to address fundamental problems in cellular, developmental, evolutionary, and environmental biology of our local marine biodiversity. KML is uniquely situated for the study of marine life in the sub-tropical northern Pacific environment. Marine habitats on O`ahu, easily accessed from the Laboratory, include coral reefs, sandy beaches, soft sediments, estuaries, and the deep sea and open ocean zones. The marine fauna of Hawai`i reflects a rich tropical diversity: local habitats boast over 2000 species. Due to the relative isolation of the archipelago, the marine fauna and flora provide unique opportunities for the study of speciation, biogeographic distribution and population genetics of coastal marine organisms.

This funding will not only facilitate research on local fauna of the highly productive NSF-funded marine laboratory (and their diverse undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral fellow trainees), but will also bolster the active Visiting Scientist program. Kewalo Marine Laboratory has a strong record of placing trainees in academic and professional positions. KML hosts several NSF supported programs (Undergraduate Research Mentoring, Advanced Technological Education, and Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence) that train under-represented Pacific Islander students and high school teachers. Faculty and students disseminate research results locally and internationally at scientific meetings, and hold outreach programs for K-12 field trips. The instruments acquired with this award will be used for both research and teaching, allowing a diverse group of students to gain a better understanding of key biological processes that will help preserve and appreciate the unique local environment. For further information about Kewalo Marine Laboratory, please see the website at: http://www.kewalo.hawaii.edu/

The Kewalo Marine Laboratory (KML) is one of only three marine research facilities in the state of Hawaii, which uses modern molecular techniques along with other laboratory and field-based research to understand basic principles of marine biodiversity, resilience and ecosystem responses. Faculty, postdoctoral associates, undergraduate and graduate students and visitors are all involved in research of fundamental importance and applied value for academic, environmental, biomedical and conservation science. Research at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory uses marine organisms to study a variety of biological phenomena and processes that range from molecules to ecosystems. The common thread in all KML research programs is the important use of molecular techniques that require specific instrumentation to detect, quantify, and manipulate small quantities of rare and precious biomaterials from organisms maintained in a high quality flow through sea water system. New and upgraded equipment and instrumentation will help KML users keep pace with ever-evolving molecular techniques and associated research opportunities through access to new multi-user instruments and an upgraded flowing seawater system and will enhance and expand research and training capabilities at KML. The instruments will allow students and trainees to employ cutting edge technologies to address fundamental problems in cellular, developmental, evolutionary, and environmental biology of the unique Hawaiian marine biodiversity. The improvements will also support training programs for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island students who are highly under-represented in the STEM disciplines.

Marine laboratories provide unprecedented access to a diversity of organisms and associated research opportunities unavailable at most research universities. At the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, uniquely situated adjacent to living coral reefs near downtown Honolulu, researchers and their trainees use modern cellular and molecular approaches to investigate a wide variety of basic biological phenomena using a full range of marine organisms, including molluscs, annelids, flatworms, reef corals and marine microbes. The new instruments and seawater facilities will not only facilitate research by the resident researchers of KML (and their diverse undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows), but will bolster the active Visiting Scientist program. Improvements will be used to support both research and training efforts, allowing a diverse group of students to gain a better understanding of key biological processes that will help in the preservation of unique local and regional marine ecosystems. Additional details on the facility, and associated research and training programs can be found on the KML website: http://www.kewalo.hawaii.edu/index.php

As a group, Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians constitute one of the most significantly under-represented minorities in both college enrollment and STEM careers. This award will support a two-day workshop to be convened at the University of Hawaii (UH), on June 1-2, 2016, to answer two crucial questions: (1) what are the major barriers to STEM training and careers for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders; and (2) what can be done to reduce these barriers and increase participation? Taking part in the workshop will be faculty from UH and other 2-year and 4-year-colleges in Hawaii and across the central Pacific Ocean, undergraduate advisors who are experienced in guiding Pacific Islanders into STEM studies and careers, and recent graduates of the University of Hawaii who have achieved STEM-relevant careers. Two professionals from the University of California with expertise in expanding diversity in education will provide a context for underrepresentation of groups in STEM. It is anticipated that solutions may differ because of cultural differences between island groups, so sufficient time will be given for discussions that reveal such differences. At the end of the workshop, an annotated document that summarizes recommendations for reducing barriers to STEM education and careers for Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders will be assembled for dissemination via websites and a journal focusing on such issues. It is anticipated that such document will be useful to faculty who mentor Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in STEM, specifically those in the biosciences.

Training Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in STEM fields will allow them to actively engage in devising solutions to the many problems faced by the islanders due to climate change. The proposed workshop will provide a group of faculty and staff at colleges across the Pacific with deepened insights about the causes of under-participation of their students in STEM careers. Participants in the workshop will be better informed about how to overcome barriers to college attendance and STEM training at their colleges. New training approaches will increase the number of students well trained in STEM fields. It is hoped that this workshop will inspire Hawaiian and Pacific Islander faculty to implement better strategies for engaging this group of students in STEM careers. STEM training will allow Pacific Islanders to compete for local employment in agencies involved with environmental protection, fisheries, agriculture and development. This project is supported by the Division of Biological Infrastructure in the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences.

This REU Site award to the University of Hawaii Manoa, located in Honolulu, HI, will support the training of 12 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2017- 2019. This award is supported by the Divisions of Biological Infrastructure (BIO/DBI) and Oceanic Sciences (GEO/OCE). Research will be conducted at the main campus of the University and its affiliated marine laboratories co-located on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. The project focuses on training Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, a group under-represented in STEM. Interns will spend one day each week engaged in group activities (field trips, lectures, and instruction in the ethical conduct of research) and the remainder of the week in mentors' laboratories. Interns will choose mentors from 25 faculty investigating 1) terrestrial ecology and evolution (Depts. of Botany and Biology); 2) marine and coral reef biology (Kewalo Marine Laboratory and Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology); and 3) animal/plant-microbe interactions (Pacific Biosciences Research Center). These future island leaders will experience quality training to catalyze the development of their scientific careers and benefit their home islands

A total of 36 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. Two-year colleges in the Pacific islands of Palau, the Northern Marianas, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and American Samoa, will comprise up to three-quarters of the intern cohort each summer, with the remaining coming from colleges in Hawaii. Students will learn to conduct research, write scientific papers and present research results orally in an end-of-program symposium. Many will present their research results at national scientific conferences and in publications in professional journals.

A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by BIO/DBI will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program to follow their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information is available at http://www5.pbrc.hawaii.edu/reu/ or by contacting the PI (Dr. Michael G. Hadfield at < hadfield@hawaii.edu>) or the co-PI (Dr. Matthew Medeiros at ).

This project will support a two-day workshop to be convened in Guam, on July 17-18, 2017, to discuss ways to mitigate cultural barriers that challenge the full participation by Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) in STEM. Participating in the workshop will be community leaders, faculty and teachers from schools in the US Pacific Island territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Compact-of-Free-Association countries (CoFA).

This workshop follows the recommendations from a prior workshop, held in 2016, that discussed various barriers that prevent NHPI students from pursuing a STEM career. One of the main issues that surfaced at that workshop was the presence of strong cultural practices that could be seen as a barrier for young students to pursue a STEM career. Currently, there is an imminent risk presented by rising sea levels that have resulted in threats to homes, agriculture and continued residence in some of the islands. Therefore, there is a strong desire to grow native NH and PI talent who have the expertise to address the threats.

The workshop will result in active discussions of the issues facing NHPI, and the creation of plans to address the barriers to STEM participation. It is anticipated that when changes in local attitudes, including understanding for the pressing need for STEM-literate citizens, and in the curricula and academic structure of some of the island schools are made, more students would be inclined to pursue STEM degrees. An outcome of this workshop will include a written document/report that will be made publicly available.

Increasing the number Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in STEM fields will allow this group to actively engage in devising solutions to the many problems faced by the islanders due to changing climate. The proposed workshop will provide a group of citizens, faculty and staff at schools and colleges across the Pacific with potential solutions to be able to attract more talent into STEM. This project is supported by the Division of Biological Infrastructure in the NSF Directorate for Biological Sciences.