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		function showAbstract (researcher) { 
			switch (researcher)
			{
				case 'allam': header='Bassem Allam, Assistant Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on the interactions between marine shellfish and pathogenic microorganisms, including the mechanisms of resistance to diseases, and the effect of environmental factors on these interactions. My current projects use field and laboratory studies to cover host pathogen interactions at different scales. I am particularly interested in the early interactions between waterborne pathogens and their bivalve hosts. With funding form the NSF, we have been using modern tools (confocal microscopy, flow cytometry) to investigate the mechanism and factors influencing the colonization of bivalve tissues by infectious agents, including factors controlling the adhesion/attachment of parasites at their portal of entry. Another important research activity in my lab is the investigations of Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX), a fatal protistan parasite affecting the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. In addition to a large field surveillance program that uses both traditional and modern (qRTPCR) techniques to unravel disease dynamics in situ, we investigate host-pathogen interactions at cellular and molecular scales. In this context, we developed gene expression studies and DNA microarrays (DNA chips) to unravel clam\'s immune response to the infection. For more information about these projects and other activities, please visit: <a href="http://somas.stonybrook.edu/~MADL/allam.html">http://somas.stonybrook.edu/~MADL/allam.html</a>'; break;
				case 'allerj': header='Josephine Aller, Research Professor'; abstract='Research interests and projects concern 1) the importance of macrofauna and meiofauna to microbial activities, particularly as they affect organic matter decomposition in marine sediments; 2) the bacterial dominance of benthic biological communities and processes in tropical deltaic environments; 3) the impact of physical disturbance on the structure and functioning of benthic communities in marine environments and the identification of biological indicators of those physical processes; 4) the development of biosensors for the study of microbial processes; and 5) mechanisms by which biogenic particles including microorganisms are concentrated and transferred from the ocean through the sea surface microlayer to the atmosphere as aerosols, characteristics of these aerosols, and transport in the atmosphere as an mechanism for the dispersal of viable microorganisms and for atmospheric processes.'; break;
				case 'raller': header='Robert Aller, Distinguished Professor'; abstract='My research is centered on the biogeochemistry of sedimentary systems and on associated diagenetic processes such as diffusion - advection.  On the one hand, I am particularly interested in the effects of bottom-dwelling macrofauna on sediment – water exchange, diagenetic reaction rates and balances, and elemental storage patterns, for example: C, N, P, S, Si, Fe, Mn.  Such biologically-controlled early diagenetic regimes have a complex, 3-dimensional, time-dependent structure and have dominated much of the seafloor since the Cambrian.  On the other hand, I am also intrigued by physically-controlled diagenetic systems exemplified by the vast mobile mud deposits that often characterize tropical deltaic regions, or more localized estuarine turbidity zones.  These deposits typically behave as episodically mixed, batch reactors.  Both bioturbated and mobile mud diagenetic regimes play critical roles in determining global and local biogeochemical cycle reaction balances, fluxes, and elemental storage.'; break;
				case 'black': header='David Black, Assistant Professor'; abstract='I am working on reconstructing the paleoclimate and paleoceanographic conditions that existed during the Quaternary Period using a variety of techniques, including micropaleontology, isotope geochemistry, and trace element geochemistry.  Information is critically needed about the patterns and processes of climate change on a variety of time-scales in order to help fill critical gaps in our understanding of the climate spectrum.  My current emphasis is on decadal- to century-scale climate and ocean variability as these are the time scales on which we expect anthropogenic climate change to occur.  I am also interested in calibrating and developing new paleoclimate proxies.  Comparing materials collected in sediment traps and high-resolution sediment cores to instrumental measurements of sea surface temperature, wind stress, ocean and atmosphere circulation, etc., allows us to groundtruth existing proxies and discover new ways to reconstruct past climate change.  I currently have research projects in the tropical Atlantic and subtropical Pacific oceans.'; break;
				case 'bokuniewicz': header='Henry Bokuniewicz, Professor'; abstract='My research is concerned primarily with the behavior of coastal sedimentary systems and coastal groundwater hydrology.  My students and I are working with the dynamics of coastal processes, exploring, now, the role of infragravity waves and edge waves in modulating coastal conditions especially the occurrence of rip currents.  We are involved with monitoring programs for ocean beaches to investigate shoreline changes, beach dynamics and responses to storms.  Field work also is undertaken to quantify the seepage of groundwater across the sea floor especially around oceanic islands as well as to investigate the global impact of coastal groundwater seepage. Much of this research is directly applicable to problems of coastal zone management.  I remain interested in applying my research to practical problems of groundwater seepage at the sea floor, shore erosion, the dispersion of contaminants, dredging and the disposal of the dredged sediments and marine mining.'; break;
				case 'bowman': header='Malcolm J. Bowman, Professor'; abstract='My research interests as a physical oceanographer presently focus on climate change issues for Metropolitan New York and Long Island. I coordinate the Stony Brook Storm Surge Research Group which seeks to make accurate and timely short-term (60 hr) predictions of coastal storm surge and inundation threats from extra-tropical storms such as winter nor\'easters and hurricanes.  Through serving on New York City Mayor Bloomberg\'s Panel on Climate Change, I work to help identify the threats, evaluate the risks, and to derive solutions to protect the infrastructure of Metro New York and the millions of residents at risk from coastal flooding and future sea level rise.  I have an abiding interest in marine conservation and fisheries rehabilitation by the philosophy, design and formation of networks of marine protected areas and marine preserves.'; break;
				case 'cerrato': header='Robert M. Cerrato, Associate Professor'; abstract='Populations of large suspension feeding bivalves such as the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria have declined in the shallow, enclosed bays that are common features on Long Island.  For a number of years, my research has tried to identify factors that contributed to the decline, and more recently it has focused on the loss of function created by the decline and its consequences.  Colleagues, students, and I have found strong evidence suggesting that the decline in extensive populations of suspension feeders has altered the food web structure of the plankton, has resulted in the collapse of a positive feedback loop between the bivalves and the plankton, and has contributed to the abundance of the toxic brown tide alga Aureococcus anophagefferens.  This research has also suggested that rapid recovery may not occur unless stocks are rebuilt to a large enough size to restore lost function.'; break;
				case 'cess': header='Robert Cess, Professor Emeritus'; abstract='.'; break;
				case 'chang': header='Edmund Chang, Professor'; abstract='My main research focus is on investigating the large scale dynamics of the mid-latitude troposphere. The phenomena that I have investigated range from baroclinic waves/cyclones up to storm tracks and the large scale mean circulation. The distinctive characteristic of my research lies in the fact that I employ a wide range of tools in my research, ranging from analyses of gridded atmospheric analyses and GCM simulations to learn about the basic characteristics of the phenomena, examination of actual observations to validate what have been learnt from the gridded data, and dynamical studies using a suite of intermediate/mechanistic models and GCMs to achieve better understanding of these observed phenomena. My major research interests are: variability and trends of storm tracks,  storm track dynamics, dynamics and life cycle of baroclinic waves and cyclones, wave/mean flow interactions,  tropical/extratropical interactions, and tropical meteorology.'; break;
				case 'cochran': header='Kirk Cochran, Professor'; abstract='My research uses natural radionuclides, as well as those produced by activities such as atomic weapons testing, to study earth surface processes. The fact that different chemical elements are represented in the suite of radionuclides permits studies of chemical behavior, and the property of radioactivity provides a clock with which to measure rates. Much of my recent research has focused on using naturally occurring thorium isotopes to determine rates of particle cycling and particulate organic carbon fluxes in the open ocean. This work has as its goal an understanding of the fate of carbon in the open. The thorium isotopes provide a means of determining the export of particulate organic carbon from the upper ocean and provide information on this important aspect of the carbon cycle. My group also has used natural radionuclides to characterize carbon export and transport in seasonally ice-free areas (polynyas) of the Arctic Ocean We have also used natural and anthropogenic radionuclides to study the transport of sediments and associated contaminants by sea ice in the Arctic.'; break;
				case 'colle': header='Brian Colle, Associate Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on improving our understanding of the meteorology around the coastal margins of North America and the atmospheric predictability in these regions. Many near-shore phenomena such as coastal fronts, land/sea breeze circulations, and cyclonic storms interacting with coastal terrain are frequently difficult to forecast. This difficulty arises because of inadequate understanding of the physical mechanisms, deficiencies in model physics, relatively coarse resolution in operational models, and relatively sparse observations over the oceans. Using conventional data, field observations, and mesoscale models (Penn State-NCAR MM5 and Weather Research and Forecasting model), my research has explores many types of coastal atmospheric circulations and model sensitivities. Topics of interest include: terrain-coastal flows (barrier jets, downslope/gap winds, etc), orographic precipitation (moist dynamics and microphysics), severe convection over the Northeast U.S., precipitation banding within extratropical cyclones, ensemble forecasting and applications (storm surge, hydrological modeling, fire weather, and air dispersion).'; break;
				case 'collier': header='Jackie Collier, Assistant Professor'; abstract='The Collier lab is investigating relationships between microbial diversity and ecosystem structure and function. We use a combination of classical microbiological cultivation and physiological techniques plus cutting-edge molecular genetic and genomic methods in our research. For example, we are investigating the diversity and distribution of the Labyrinthulomycetes (Labyrinthulids, Aplanochytrids and Thraustochytrids), a group of fungus-like marine protists that participate in the decomposition of particulate organic matter (and which includes the hard clam pathogen, QPX). In another major project, we are working to understand the role that different forms of nitrogen play in structuring planktonic ecosystems by identifying which bacteria and phytoplankton are using urea as a nitrogen source. One focus of this research is in Long Island&apos;s Great South Bay, where urea may play a role in the development of the harmful algal blooms known as brown tides.'; break;
				case 'conover': header='David Conover, Professor'; abstract='The research in my lab involves the ecology and evolutionary biology of fishes and the application of this knowledge to fisheries science. In general, we seek to understand the adaptive significance of reproductive, behavioral, physiological, or life history traits in fishes. The goal is to increase our knowledge of the adaptive responses of fish populations to both natural (biotic and abiotic factors) and un-natural (fishing) selection and to extend this knowledge to fundamental problems in resource management. We believe that population dynamics of fishes cannot be understood by treating natural mortality as a constant composed of unknown sources. Our goal is to identify stage-specific and population-specific mechanisms of natural mortality. Our observations demonstrate that adaptation to local environmental change is far more prevalent than currently believed, even in open marine populations with extensive gene flow. In addition, we use experiments to explore the evolutionary consequences of size-selective fishing.'; break;
				case 'dezafra': header='Robert L. de Zafra, Professor Emeritus'; abstract='.'; break;
				case 'fast': header='Mark Fast, Assistant Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on the interactions between fish hosts and the pathogens they come into contact with.  I use a variety of tools, including proteomic, molecular, and immunological assays to elucidate these host-parasite relationships.  Specifically, my research investigates immunological and physiological processes of the host/parasite and how these are altered following exposure to one another.  Furthermore, I am interested on the effect environmental parameters have on these interactions.   How these interactions manifest themselves in terms of disease outbreaks and ecological costs to the host are overarching themes.  Currently, we are working on host-pathogen dynamics of striped bass and mycobacteriosis, as well as the Atlantic sturgeon and ectoparasitic copepod infection, under anthropogenic stressors.  My previous work has concentrated on Atlantic and Pacific salmonids and their interactions with parasitic and bacterial pathogens (<em>Lepeoptheirus salmonis</em>, <em>Aeromonas salmonicida</em> and <em>Moritella viscosa</em>).  Our lab also conducts monitoring and diagnostic projects through our partnerships with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.'; break;
				case 'fisher': header='Nicholas Fisher, Distinguished Professor'; abstract='My research considers the interactions of metals with marine organisms. We examine various abiotic and biological processes regulating the uptake and trophic transfer of these contaminants in pelagic and benthic food webs and consider the toxicological and geochemical implications of metal bioaccumulation for diverse oceanic regimes. Metal bioaccumulation and toxicity/nutrition are simultaneously evaluated. We use a bioenergetic-based kinetic model to quantify metal bioaccumulation from aqueous and dietary pathways in zooplankton, fish, and bivalve molluscs, including important bioindicator species. Model predictions are field-tested in marine and freshwater environments. My group has also developed the capability of analyzing the trace element composition of individual plankton cells using synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence microscopy. We are applying this tool toward understanding elemental stoichiometries in diverse plankton cells and for evaluating biological responses to iron. We have recently worked in polar regions, the Mediterranean, San Francisco Bay, the Equatorial Pacific, and New York\'s coastal waters.'; break;
				case 'flagg': header='Charles Flagg, Research Professor'; abstract='My research has focused on the kinematics and dynamics of the world\'s coastal ocean, in particular, the processes at the edge of the broad continental shelf of the Middle Atlantic Bight and the Gulf of Maine that control the exchange of mass and material between the deep ocean and shelf.   This research led to an increasing realization of the importance of long-term climatic fluctuations on the shelves.  The focus on climate-scale processes of the coastal and adjacent waters spurred the development of a long-term upper ocean current observation program using an ADCP on a volunteer observing ship, the container vessel Oleander that makes weekly trips between New York and Bermuda and an effort to apply the same techniques to monitor the northern limb of the meridional over-turning circulation over the Iceland to Scotland ridge.  Recently, my research has expanded to the circulation in the coastal lagoons of southern Long Island using a combination of numerical modeling and observations.'; break;
				case 'frisk': header='Michael Frisk, Assistant Professor'; abstract='Michael Frisk\'s research focuses on the interaction of population dynamics, ecology and life history evolution in fishes in the general areas of applied ecosystem and population modeling, basic ecological questions and meta-analyses.  He is developing a length-based statistical catch-at-age model for winter skate in the western Atlantic and a multi-species model of Delaware Bay using Ecopath and Ecosim.  Knowledge of a species\' basic vital rates and ecology is essential for development of population models and management.  For example, Frisk has estimated growth, age, fecundity and maturation for little skate and winter skate in the western Atlantic.  Lastly, meta-analyses use previously published data to develop mathematical and statistical trends of related species to gain insight into the ecology, evolution and management of animal taxa.  In this vein, Frisk\'s current research focuses on developing meta-analyses for elasmobranchs and teleost species.'; break;
				case 'flood': header='Roger Flood, Professor'; abstract='I am presently studying sedimentation processes and patterns in several marine and fresh water environments. I am particularly interested in the use of high-resolution methods, including geophysical techniques (side-scan sonar, seismic profiling, physical property analysis, and high-resolution bathymetry), photography, submersible studies and sediment analysis, to provide new insights into sedimentary processes. My current research includes sedimentation patterns in modern environments (including the Great Lakes, the Hudson River, and local estuaries), the structure and evolution of sedimentary bodies on the continental margin, and new methods of rapid sediment characterization.'; break;
				case 'geller': header='Marvin Geller, Professor'; abstract='My research group is currently involved in four distinct research areas to better understand various atmospheric phenomena: (1) to better understand what controls upwelling through the tropical tropopause and its effect on stratospheric water vapor; (2) using high resolution radiosonde data to characterize atmospheric gravity wave activity and better understand the sources for this activity; (3) using high vertical-resolution and conventional radiosonde data, together with modeling, to investigate the nature of the extratropical tropopause; and (4) to see the influence of the quasi-biennial oscillation on deep tropical convection. Recent Ph.D dissertations include the following diverse topics: (1) using mechanistic modeling to understand the controls on upwelling through the tropical tropopause; (2) using high vertical-resolution radiosonde data to get information on gravity waves in the troposphere and lower stratosphere; and (3) using diagnostic procedures, idealized models, and numerical experiments to explain some shortcomings in constituent transport by winds from data assimilations.'; break;
				case 'gobler': header='Christopher Gobler, Associate Professor'; abstract='My lab group researches on factors which promote phytoplankton growth (organic and inorganic nutrients), as well as factors which are responsible for algal mortality (zooplankton, viruses, filter-feeding bivalves) in diverse aquatic ecosystems with a particular focus on harmful algal blooms (HABs), such as <em>Aureococcus</em>, <em>Microcystis</em>, <em>Anabaena</em>, <em>Synechococcus</em>, <em>Cochlodinium</em>, <em>Alexandrium</em>, and <em>Pheopolykrikos</em>.  Our research is both field and lab-oriented and utilizes traditional, molecular, and experimental techniques to contrast the dynamics and ecological niche of HAB species with those of co-occurring non-harmful species. We have recently sequenced and annotate dthe complete genome of the harmful brown tide forming-pelagophyte, <a href="http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Auran1/Auran1.home.html"><em>Aureococcus anophagefferens</em></a>. My lab group is also engaged in research aimed toward understanding how anthropogenic processes such as ocean acidification, climate change, eutrophication, overharvesting of fisheries, and salt marsh modification may alter the natural ecological and/or biogeochemical functioning of estuarine ecosystems and their resident populations. Much of this research is conducted with the program headed by the Gobler lab: <a href="http://www.scerp.net/">The Stony Brook-Southampton Coastal and Estuarine Research Program</a>.'; break;
				case 'hameed': header='Sultan Hameed, Professor'; abstract='I study the large-scale semi-permanent high and low pressure systems known as the Atmospheric Centers of Action. The major centers are the Icelandic Low, the Azores High, the Aleutian Low, the Hawaiian High and the Siberian High in the Northern Hemisphere and the Subtropical Highs in the southern Atlantic, Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Variations in the global circulation cause variations in the intensities and the morphologies of the atmospheric centers of action (COA). In turn, these systems influence atmospheric and oceanic circulations over their respective domains. The centers of action therefore provide links between variations on the global and regional scales. Conventional wisdom is that the NAO describes variability over the North Atlantic and surrounding regions. I have shown in several examples that climate variations are understood much better, quantitatively as well physically, in terms of the fluctuations of the Azores High and the Icelandic Low.'; break;
				case 'Khairoutdinov': header='Marat Khairoutdinov, Associate Professor'; abstract='The main goal of my research is to better understand the role of clouds in the Earth climate system through high-resolution cloud modeling. The foci of modeling activities include microphysics processes, cloud mixing and entrainment, life-cycle of boundary layer clouds, drizzle, turbulence, shallow and deep convection, interactions of clouds with radiation and with atmospheric aerosol.'; break;
				case 'knopf': header='Daniel Knopf, Assistant Professor'; abstract='Our research focuses on the physical and chemical properties of aerosol particles and their interaction with the atmosphere. These particles play an important role in air pollution, health related issues, and climate via cloud formation. In particular we are interested how aerosol particles interact with clouds. This also termed aerosol indirect effect. Phase transitions of aerosol particles are studied and a special focus is placed on homogeneous and heterogeneous ice nucleation. The effect of organic material on ice nucleation is determined using newly developed aerosol nucleation chambers coupled to optical microscopy. We also study gas-to-particle reactions, termed heterogeneous reactions. These reactions can lead to the chemical modification of the particle with subsequent consequences for the particle\'s composition, hygroscopicity, and toxicity. In particular, we are studying the oxidation of organics containing particles by atmospheric trace gases in the laboratory and in model simulations.'; break;
				case 'lee': header='Cindy Lee, Distinguished Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on the distribution and behavior of biogenic organic compounds in the marine environment, and the role of these compounds in the global carbon cycle. Understanding how organic compounds behave requires knowledge of biological, geological, and physical processes in the sea. Most biogenic organic compounds are produced in surface waters by phytoplankton as a result of photosynthesis. These compounds enter the marine food chain by acting as food for bacteria or zooplankton. Organic compounds are also affected by chemical and physical processes, such as adsorption, photochemical degradation, and transport. I am interested in how these processes affect rates and mechanisms of organic compound transformation. To study transformation reactions, we measure the amount of individual organic compounds present in the environment with analytical techniques like high performance liquid chromatography. Current research concentrates on how particulate organic matter sinks out of surface waters, and how dissolved organic nitrogen compounds are decomposed in seawater.'; break;
				case 'lonsdale': header='Darcy Lonsdale, Professor'; abstract='My research addresses ecological problems related to marine invertebrates, especially zooplankton. I have focused on measuring and understanding the significance of variations in life history and physiology among estuarine copepod populations; e.g. as adaptive responses to age-specific mortality and water temperature. To understand the selective forces that may drive life-history variation, I have investigated planktonic trophic interactions, and have demonstrated the importance of predation in zooplankton feeding and population dynamics. I have used both laboratory studies showing the genetic basis of phenotypic variation among copepod populations, and field and modeling studies suggesting environmental factors that influence copepod fitness, to illustrate the significance of life-history variation.'; break;
				case 'lopez': header='Glenn Lopez, Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on ecological and oceanographic processes in the benthos, especially in the nutrition of deposit feeding invertebrates.   We have integrated physiological, geochemical, ecological, and oceanographic approaches in these studies.</p><p>In current research I am collaborating with several colleagues to study Great South Bay that will provide the foundation for ecosystem-based management of the system. My lab is examining the role of benthic suspension feeders such as tunicates and tube worms in this shallow ecosystem.</p><p>Other recent research has focused on the role of ice algae and phytoplankton in fueling the benthos of arctic shelves, development of <em>in vivo</em> methods to characterize the chemical environment of the digestive tracts of small invertebrates, and determining the physiological and trophic consequences due to acclimation and adaptation to cadmium exposure.'; break;
				case 'lwiza': header='Kamazima Lwiza, Associate Professor'; abstract='I study physical ocean processes that affect transport (e.g., currents and tides) and distribution of water column properties. My research interests include regional climate change and variability, structure and dynamics of the shelf-seas, remote sensing. I design field experiments to observe these processes by incorporating modern technology, with a particular emphasis on the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), GPS-tracked Lagrangian drifters, ocean gliders and satellites. In one of my research projects we are analyzing water column data from Long Island Sound from to determine factors that control the dynamics of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters. We have so far been able to demonstrate that the recovery from hypoxic conditions in late summer is not necessarily associated with increase in wind strength. This result contradicts the traditional paradigm about oxygen balance in coastal ocean that increased wind mixing is considered to be the process for increasing oxygen during early fall.'; break;
				case 'mak': header='John Mak, Associate Professor'; abstract='Professor Mak\'s research is centered around trace gas marine and atmospheric chemistry, and his group is known for specialized compound specific isotopic analysis of trace species. Currently his projects include the measurement of atmospheric <sup>14</sup>CO, <sup>13</sup>CO, and C<sup>18</sup>O, the determination of the stable isotopes of trace gases from ice cores, nitrogen turnover in sediment off the coast of French Guiana, novel 3-D inversion model analyses of atmospheric CO and C<sup>18</sup>O, and emissions of trace gases from marine phytoplankton. New projects include determination of the anthropogenic component of organic aerosols by measuring <sup>14</sup>C abundance, and trace gas emissions from the estuarine/riverine/tidal regions in coastal French Guiana. Strong collaborative ties exist with scientists at NCAR, Laboratory of Glaciology, LGGE (France), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany, and colleagues at SOMAS.'; break;
				case 'mcelroy': header='Anne McElroy, Associate Professor'; abstract='My research broadly focuses on how aquatic organisms interact with toxic chemicals in their environment. Specifically I am interested in how organisms accumulate and metabolize organic contaminants, and how they respond to such exposure at the cellular, biochemical, and physiological levels.   A recent focus in my lab has been development of fish embryos as test organisms.  Using embryos of zebra fish and medaka from our breeding colony, we can evaluate  gene expression, resulting enzymatic activity, and developmental defects in organisms exposed to either pure contaminants or contaminants associated with water or sediments collected from the field.  Current projects  in my lab include an examination of the combined effects of hypoxia and sewage derived contaminants in urban estuaries; evaluation of feminization of local fish species associated with sewage-derived contaminants;  and  the relationship between immune response and epizootic shell disease in lobsters from Long Island Sound.'; break;
				case 'munch': header='Stephan Munch, Assistant Professor'; abstract='Research in my lab uses mathematical models, laboratory experiments, and field work to answer pure and applied questions in evolutionary ecology, resource management and conservation.  Current work focuses on two main themes: the evolution of growth trajectories and the development of statistical methods for studying population dynamics.  Students in my group work on a wide range of topics including: parasite community ecology, evolutionary issues in fisheries, nonparametric approaches to resource management, and conservation planning.'; break;
				case 'peterson': header='Bradley Peterson, Assistant Professor'; abstract='My research is focused on understanding the role of organisms in changing nutrient availability within their communities and how these interactions might affect community development and stability.  I use manipulative experiments in nearshore marine habitats to examine how "resource providers" affect other members of their communities.  Most of my work is with plant-animal interactions within seagrass ecosystems along the eastern coast of the U.S.   Despite the recognized importance of seagrasses, the critical environmental factors limiting seagrass assemblages are poorly understood, as are the biological interactions that directly and indirectly affect the health of seagrass ecosystems.'; break;
				case 'scranton': header='Mary Scranton, Professor'; abstract='My research focuses largely on the controls of a variety of redox sensitive chemical species (elemental S, sulfite, thiosulfate, iron and manganese)  in the suboxic zone of the Cariaco Basin, the second largest oxygen depleted system on earth. As a part of this project we are looking at the role of biotic and abiotic factors as well as the importance of "external" events like earthquakes, floods, oceanographic phenomena and so on in controlling the chemistry and biology of this important system. To me the attractive parts of this project are the complexity of this apparently simple system, the very interdisciplinary nature of the research and the opportunity to work closely with scientists from several US and Venezuelan institutions.'; break;
				case 'swanson': header='Robert Lawrence Swanson, Professor'; abstract='R.L. Swanson is involved in research, assessment, policy analysis, and community education.   His broad research interests include physical oceanography, marine boundary disputes, hypoxia in regional coastal waters, environmental legislation and policy, the impact of waste generation on society, and identifying the appropriate use of the ocean as part of a comprehensive waste management strategy.  He also works closely with local municipalities, community groups, and government agencies to translate sound scientific research and understanding into public policy and educational programs.</p><p>Dr. Swanson is interested in the consequences of urban population centers and their infrastructure and waste management practices on coastal waters.  Sewage, storm water, and municipal solid waste all have pronounced impacts.  Hypoxia, marine debris, and cycling of contaminants are major causes of impaired economic and societal uses of coastal resources.'; break;
				case 'taylor': header='Gordon Taylor, Professor'; abstract='My research encompasses three major areas: microbial mediation of biogeochemical process, trophic interactions among microorganisms, and coastal microbiological contamination. I am especially interested in microbiological and chemical exchanges across interfaces, such as oxic/anoxic, sediment/water and air/water boundaries.  As part of NSF\'s CARIACO Time Series Program (CArbon Retention In A Colored Ocean), we are examining temporal variations in carbon cycling in the permanently anoxic Cariaco Basin on Venezuela\'s Caribbean coast.  My lab focuses on processes controlling chemolithoautotrophic production across the O<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>S interface. In another project, we are exploring the cycling of bacterially-produced B-vitamins to better understand their influence on B-vitamin-dependent phytoplankton populations.  In a NOAA-funded project, we are investigating fundamental oceanographic processes regulating loss and decay of viruses in the coastal ocean.  My lab combines geochemical and traditional microbial ecological approaches with molecular techniques (ssu rRNA libraries, T-RFLP, Q-PCR, FISH, microautoradiography-FISH, etc.) to unravel the interplay between elemental cycling and microbial population dynamics.'; break;
				case 'wang': header='Dong-Ping Wang, Professor'; abstract='My research is focused on model and analysis of physical processes in estuaries and continental shelves and slopes. My students and I have conducted extensive data-assimilation model studies of coastal upwelling circulation in the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Maria Basin (SBC/SMB), Long Island Sound outflow plumes at the mouth of the Long Island/Block Island Sound, interaction of Gulf Stream warm-core rings with the Mid-Atlantic Bight shelf/slope, and deep eddies and hurricane induced extreme waves and currents in the Gulf of Mexico. We also are developing a size-resolving sediment transport model which incorporates explicitly the flocculation processes. I am also engaged in international collaborations with partners in Taiwan and Spain.'; break;
				case 'warren': header='Joseph Warren, Assistant Professor'; abstract='My primary research interest is zooplankton ecology,  specifically improving our ability to remotely assess these populations as well as the biological and physical processes which affect the distribution and abundance of these animals. I am a bioacoustician who uses acoustic techniques to study these organisms in both the field and the laboratory. I have conducted research throughout the world (Arctic, Antarctic, Mediterranean, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans) as well as in the local waters surrounding Long Island. In addition to zooplankton ecology, I am interested in how charismatic megafauna are affected by prey abundance and distribution as well as the development of acoustic techniques for monitoring and measuring submerged aquatic vegetation populations. More information can be found at my <a href="http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/~warren">research lab homepage</a>.'; break;
				case 'zhang': header='Minghua Zhang, Professor'; abstract='My research focuses on numerical modeling of climate and climate change. One theme is to improve existing climate models by reducing their systematic biases in clouds, convection, and cloud-climate feedbacks.  Coupled ocean-atmospheric models also display a spurious feature of double bands of precipitation along two sides of the Equator known as double ITCZ, which affect the fidelity of the models in simulating El Nino and other events.  A second theme of my research is data assimilation and integration of heterogeneous measurements from multiple measurement platforms.  I work on analyzing field experimental data and interface them with physical parameterizations in atmospheric models.   A new theme of my research is on regional climate change.  I am developing nested modeling tools to study winter storms and hurricanes as well as extreme weather events, including their past history, the current status of numerical prediction, and future change of these weather systems under global warming.'; break;
				case 'zhu': header='Qingzhi Zhu, Assistant Professor'; abstract='I am interested in the development of chemical and biochemical optical sensors for in-situ studying trace elemental cycling and biogeochemical heterogeneity and dynamics in the complex bioturbated zone in marine sediments. Many chemical parameters and trace elements play key roles in environmental and biogeochemical reactions and processes. Understanding their multidimensional distributions with high spatial and temporal resolution associated with the complex sediment structure is essential for conceptualizing and modeling heterogeneous biogeochemical reactions, microbial metabolism, and solute transport in bioturbated deposits.</p><p>My current work includes designing and developing chemical/biochemical sensors for particular parameters (such as H<sup>+</sup>, CO<sub>2</sub>, O<sub>2</sub>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Fe<sup>2+</sup>, Mn<sup>2+</sup>, S<sup>2-</sup>, enzyme and B<sub>12</sub>...), in marine environments, and their application in lab and field measurements. I am also interested in relating this research to the monitoring and solution of practical environmental problems, such as the speciation and behavior of heavy metals in marine environments.'; break;

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