College of Science Past News
Artificial Intelligence-Equipped Rovers: An Interview with Science Magazine
Elan Barenholtz, Ph.D., and William Hahn, Ph.D., co-directors of the Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Lab, are running versions of classic psychology experiments on robots equipped with artificial intelligence. Read the Science Magazine interview.
New AR/VR Lab Brings Imagination to Life for FAU Students
“The Portal,” a new lab in the S.E. Wimberly Library, will serve as a collaborative space specifically focused on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Helping to bring innovative technology into the library, The Portal is equipped with Magic Leap One, HTC Vive Eye Pro, and Oculus Quest technology. Read More.
13th Annual Pumpkin Drop and Physics Carnival
Thank you to FAU First Lady Carolyn Kelly for kicking off the annual event by dropping the first pumpkin off the SE-43 building roof. Department of Physics Chair and Professor, Luc Wille, hosted, discussing common physics principles demonstrated through the various different drops to a number of school groups in attendance. Following the pumpkin-smashing, everyone enjoyed physics-related carnival games, face painting, dunk tank, and nitrogen ice cream. Check out the photo album here!
More than two-thirds of Floridians concerned about Climate Change
According to the first-ever Florida Climate Resilience Survey conducted by the Florida Atlantic University Center for Environmental Studies(CES) in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, and the Business and Economics Polling Initiative (BEPI) in FAU’s College of Business. Read More
The Case for Space with Robert Zubrin, Ph.D.
In case you missed Robert Zubrin, Ph.D., speak at FAU on November 15, you can watch the talk in the video provided
here as well as a highlight video of the event. Thanks to Robert Zubrin, Ph.D., noted space expert and author, for the stellar talks at FAU, exploring how the revolution in spaceflight opens up a future of limitless possibility.
Pre-Health Advising now Available on Davie Campus
Beginning in November, the College of Science will position articulation specialist/advisor Ana Botero on the Florida Atlantic Davie campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. In Spring 2020, Ana will be available full-time on the Davie campus. Read More
Theodora Leventouri, Ph.D., Elected a 2019 Fellow of the American Physical Society
Professor of Medical Physics, Theodora Leventouri, Ph.D., was elected a 2019 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). APS recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise. Read More
Bilingual Children Need Robust Vocabulary
A new study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and collaborators at The George Washington University digs deep into these differences and finds that differences in the vocabulary used while talking to children affect how useful that speech is to the child trying to figure out the patterns of language. Read More
Colgan Foundation Supports FAU Shark Research
The migration and behavioral patterns of blacktip sharks can tell us a lot about the health of our oceans. That’s why we’re grateful for the generous and ongoing support from the Colgan Foundation to renowned shark researcher Dr. Stephen Kajiura, professor of Biological Sciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Watch Here
Second Annual FAU Research Showcase 2019
The second annual FAU Research Showcase, hosted by the FAU Division of Research, celebrated a wide range of research and scholarly activities by both faculty and students. Read More
Novel Study Identifies Three Types of Distinct Teen Popularity
Results from this study with collaboration from Dr. Brett Laursen Professor of Psychology, have identified three distinct groups of popular adolescents: prosocial popular; aggressive popular; and strategic popular or Machiavellian. Read More
Meet Astro, FAU's Smart RoboDog!
Using deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI), scientists from Florida Atlantic University ’s Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Laboratory ( MPCR ) in the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences at FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science are bringing to life one of about a handful of these quadruped robots in the world. Read More
Ask a Scientist with Dr. Christine Spadola
Florida Atlantic University College of Science Dean, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., discusses what Science is and how it works. He interviews Assistant Professor from the School of Social Work in the College of Design and Social Inquiry, Christine Spadola, Ph.D., who discusses how sleep can impact our health and behavior, and how alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine may impact your night of sleep. Listen Here
FAU Dynamical Systems and Topology Research Group
Meet some members of the Dynamical Systems and Topology Research Group from the Mathematical Sciences Department. Learn about what our faculty and students are working on in these areas of research. Watch Here
Maria Fadiman, Ph.D., Ethnobotanist
Maria Fadiman, Ph.D., is an ethnobotanist who studies the relationship between plants and people, focusing on conservation and sustainability. Maria serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and is also a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, whose studies take her all over the world. Watch Here
Dream Team Awarded 1.1 Million!
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators have received a three-year, National Science Foundation EDGE grant totaling $1,148,464 to integrate the expertise of multiple laboratories at FAU, Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, the University of Minnesota, and Barr-Ilan University in Israel to develop powerful transgenic tools and gene-editing technologies in the blind Mexican cavefish to significantly advance it as a research model system. Read more
Millennials Are Digitally Better Than Us!
Legend has it that millennials, specifically the “Net Generation,” use many technologies simultaneously, masterfully switching from one to the next. They claim that it’s easy and that they can do it much better than older generations. Research, so far, hasn’t proven this claim and the consequences of these incessant interruptions on attention and performance. Read more
Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Lab Short Course Success!
The Deep Learning Short Course offered by the Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Lab was a week packed full of hands-on experiences. From the basics of data-processing, model-building, and post-analytics, the course explored line-by-line code to developing training models from scratch. Read more
Young CryptograpHers Cybercamp 2019
The first Young CryptograpHers Cybersecurity Summer Camp took place at FAU’s Boca Raton campus on July 29 to August 2, 2019. The camp featured 46 enthusiastic girls from local high schools, spanning Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Read more
Gregg Fields Named Executive Director of I-Health
Florida Atlantic University has named Gregg B. Fields, Ph.D., as executive director of FAU’s Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH), one of the university’s four research pillars. Fields will lead efforts to develop interdisciplinary research by combining expertise across many FAU centers and colleges as well as forging strategic health care and research partnerships in the region. I-HEALTH’s service regions will include Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties. Read more
Meet Sarah Price
Spring 2019 graduate of the Professional Science Master of Medical Physics (PSMMP) program, Sarah Price, will soon begin a clinical-focused residency as a medical physicist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The residency involves eight rotations, which include Sarah getting hands-on and practical training, such as: providing patients radiation education, developing treatment plans, and providing quality assurance for patient treatments, among other duties. Read more
Research in Action
Science Dean Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D. speaks about the formation and evolution of the galaxy to an audience for the Research in Action Blog. Read more
FAU Marine Laboratory Helps Turtle Conservation
Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., researches marine turtles at the FAU Marine Laboratory in Boca Raton. With climate change causing longer and hotter summers in South Florida, the sea turtle gender ratio is being thrown way out of balance. The research performed by Jeanette’s lab indicates a large decrease in the male population among three different species that Dr. Wyneken has been monitoring over the past 20 years. Read more
Secretive and colorful dryas monkey isn’t as rare as once thought
Kate Detwiler, an anthropologist at Florida Atlantic University, decided to place cameras on the ground, in the understory, and up in the canopy, sometimes at a dizzying 30 meters (100 feet) high.. Read more.
Adolescent Bullying and Victimization may have origins in the home.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and Uppsala University in Sweden, have identified another type of parenting that contributes to peer difficulties: those who direct derision and contempt at their children. Read More.
Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion Joins the College of Science
I would like to welcome the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion (ESHP) to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The department comes to us from the College of Education and is led by Dr. Michael Whitehurst, who serves as the Chair and Professor. Read More.
Ask a Scientist with Dr. Rindy Anderson
Florida Atlantic University College of Science Dean, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., talks about how science is a self-correcting process through the testing of theories, and the fundamentals of research. He speaks with Rindy Anderson, Ph.D., a behavioral ecologist. Anderson studies the social behavior of songbirds, in particular, the vocal signals of Bachman's sparrows. This interview was made in partnership with the Research in Action lecture series, as part of the FAU Division of Research. Listen Here.
Fruit Fly Aging
With the help of the common fruit fly (D. melanogaster), which ages quickly because it only lives about 60 days, neuroscientists from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science provide insights into healthy aging by investigating the effects of a foraging gene on age and stress tolerance. Read more Here.
CMPD5 2019
The Fifth Conference on Computational and Mathematical Population Dynamics (CMPD5) took place at the Bahia Mar hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, from May 19 to May 25, 2019. This international conference was attended by more than 200 participants from 17 countries. More than 90 participants were graduate students, post-docs or young faculty up to 5 years past Ph.D. Read more Here.
Meet Sarah Price Professional Science Master of Medical Physics Alumna
Spring 2019 graduate of the Professional Science Master of Medical Physics (PSMMP) program, Sarah Price, will soon begin a clinical-focused residency as a medical physicist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Read more Here.
Human Mission to Mars
This first-of-its-kind course at FAU is open to all undergraduate students willing to be crew members for the University’s inaugural expedition to Mars. Only 50 seats are available. Plan your mission with faculty from across four colleges. Learn about propulsion when lifting off from Earth and landing on Mars, the psychological and physiological impacts of the 100 million mile journey, colonizing and surviving on the red planet and much more. Read more Here.
FAU Grad is Real Life Mermaid!
Chelsea Bennice, 33, could be described as a real life “science mermaid.” While spending more than 400 hours underwater studying octopus behavior as part of her Ph.D. research, she learned how two octopus species utilize different resources to allow coexistence, something that had previously never been studied. Bennice will be receiving her doctorate in integrative biology on Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m. Read more Here.
Student Spotlight with Catherine Lo
Catherine Lo is the first student at Florida Atlantic University to receive a Master of Science in Marine Science and Oceanography. The interdisciplinary program is jointly administered by the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Read more Here.
Donna Marion, Psychology Instructor, and Researcher
Donna Marion, Ph.D., is a dynamic instructor and active researcher in the Department of Psychology, using experiential learning in both online and traditional classrooms. Donna also discusses why students should choose FAU. Read more Here.
Ask a Scientist with Dr. Stephen Kajiura
Florida Atlantic University College of Science Dean, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., discusses the three steps in the scientific method. He interviews Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., who researches the seasonal aggregations of blacktip sharks that visit south Florida during the winter months. Stephen is a Professor of Biology at Florida Atlantic University. Read more Here.
Women in Science At Fau
EAs the nation continues to observe “Women’s History Month,” Florida Atlantic University has announced that it was recently accepted as an official chapter of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), a global network inspiring bold leadership, research, and solutions that advance women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Read more Here.
2019 Future Doctor's Reception
Each spring the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science celebrates its future doctors, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, and more. Read more Here.
FAU Celebrates 'Stellar' 2019 President's Gala
Through a year-long initiative and the gala, FAU raised more than $7 million in support of student scholarships. A monumental $5,992,864 was raised for scholarships from May 2018 to April 2019 with an additional $1,806,559 raised in scholarships from this year’s President’s Gala. Read more Here.
Ask a Scientist with Kate Detwiler
College of Science Dean, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., interviews Kate Detwiler, Ph.D., a primatologist at FAU. Detwiler studies monkeys in their natural habitat, specifical hybridization between different species of monkeys. She performs research in Gombe National Park in western Tanzania, Africa and other sites in the Congo Basin. Listen Here.
Doctoral Student Sarah Hoffman Published and Featured in Biology Open
February 2019 – Sarah Hoffman, a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative Biology, was published in Biology Open for her research titled “Three-dimensional movements of the pectoral fin during yaw turns in the Pacific spiny dogfish, Squalus suckleyi.” Learn More.
50th Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing
The Department of Mathematical Sciences hosted the 50th Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Computing (SEICCGTC) on March 4-8, 2019 on the FAU Boca Raton campus. This longstanding conference has been hosted by FAU’s Frederick Hoffman, Ph.D., a Professor of Mathematics, for 40 of the last 48 years.” Learn More.
Necibe Tuncer, Ph.D., Mathematical Biologist
Necibe Tuncer, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at FAU. Necibe studies how diseases spread, and uses modeling to better understand outbreaks, such as Zika. Learn More.
Ask a Scientist with Bill Louda
Science Dean and professor, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., discusses the impact of red tide and harmful algal blooms across the state of Florida with Dr. Bill Louda Listen Here.
Pre-Health Professions and Graduate Week
Pre-Health Professions Graduate Week included a number of activities throughout the week of March 18-22 for FAU students interested in pursuing a career in health care. Photo Album Here!
Microbiologist Gets Creative Using Instagram
With a big push to get a global audience – young and old – excited about science, a Ph.D. student at FAU's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is thinking outside-the-box. Hunter Hines has turned to the social media platform of Instagram to engage audiences in scientific exchange across the world and has come up with the right formula for success. Read More.
FAU Scientist Diane Baronas-Lowell, Ph.D. Searches for New Antibiotics
Diane Baronas-Lowell, Ph.D., is an associate scientist in the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. She discusses her work with the Tiny Earth project, where she works alongside her students seeking new antibiotics to kill superbugs. Watch Video Here.
FAU Scientist Gregg Fields, Ph.D.: The Search for Novel Cancer Inhibitors
Gregg Fields, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and director for the Center for Molecular Biology & Biotechnology in the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Gregg discusses his research that looks for novel inhibitors to slow the progression of cancer. Watch Video Here.
Meet Medical Physics Alumna Marjan Shojaei
Marjan Shojaei graduated with her Professional Science Master in Medical Physics (PSMMP) from FAU in the fall of 2018 and is currently working at the South Florida Proton Therapy Institute (SFPTI) as a Medical Physicist Assistant. Read more.
Dr. Rainer Steinwandt Awarded 2018 NATO Science
FAU’s Dr. Rainer Steinwandt was awarded the 2018 NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Partnership Prize at the NATO SPS program’s 60th anniversary on November 29, 2018. Read more here.
Ask A Scientist: Plants and People with Dr. Maria Fadiman
Science Dean and Professor, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., meets with Maria Fadiman, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Geosciences at FAU and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Ata speaks with Maria about her research as an ethnobotanist and the places around the world her studies take her. Maria discusses the relationship between people and plants, focusing on conservation and sustainability Listen here.
Ask a Scientist: Sea Turtle Conservation with Dr. Jeanette Wyneken
Science Dean and Professor, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., meets with Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., a Professor of Biological Sciences at FAU. Jeanette speaks about how the environment can impact sex determination of sea turtles, the effects of climate change on incubation temperatures in nests, and the research being performed in the FAU Marine Lab at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Listen here.
South FL Journal, Ask A Scientist: Sea Level Rise with Dr. Ata Sarajedini and Dr. Colin Polsky
Science Dean and Professor, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., meets with Colin Polsky, Ph.D., a Professor of Geosciences at FAU and the Director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies, to discuss how science is a tool used to better understand the natural world. Ata discusses the foundational principles of science, and Colin talks about sea level rise, its impact on the world, and how the scientific method is applied to an issue so large that its impacts are felt across the globe. Listen here.
Sea Turtle Researchers Recipients of Career Awards for Conservation
February 2019 -- The International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS) recognized Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., with the ISTS Champions Award for outstanding work towards the effective conservation of sea turtles. Read more.
Scientists now have intimate shark "diaries"
For almost a decade, Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., an internationally renowned shark researcher at Florida Atlantic University, has been tracking the migration patterns of these top predators by air and by sea. Now, the latest addition to his arsenal of tools is providing personal and intimate details about them. Read more.
2019 MuAlphaTheta Math Competition
The FAU’s Mathematical Sciences Department and the FAU Davie campus hosted nearly 1,300 students from 45 area high schools for the MuAlphaTheta Math Competition on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Congratulations to all of the winners that day! Read more.
Warner Miller to Serve on Specialized Agency of the United Nations
Dr. Miller was appointed as a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) focused on information and communication technologies. Read more.
Who's Tougher? Baby Sharks or Daddy Sharks?
The Scientists from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicted that the solid central part of the vertebrae in mature, older sharks would be stiffer and tougher. So they decided to put their theory to a test. Read more.
Middle School Math Day 2018
The Department of Mathematical Sciences hosted its ninth annual Middle School Math Day on Saturday, November 17, 2018 with nearly 120 middle school students from grades 6-8 in attendance. Read more here.
National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation Provides Funding for Scholarships!
Many thanks to The National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation for providing four senior-year undergraduate scholarships during the 2019-2020 academic year. The scholarships will provide financial assistance to Charles E. Schmidt College of Science seniors enrolled at the Boca Raton Campus who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and a commitment to become scholars and ambassadors that represent the Marine Science program at Florida Atlantic University. Read more here.
FAU Researchers Study Impact of Oil Spill on Stingrays
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are the first to quantify the physiological effects of whole crude oil on the olfactory function of a marine vertebrate. Read more here...
Can't sleep? Fruit Flies and Energy Drinks Offer new clues!
Research teams at Florida Atlantic University and McGill University in Quebec have discovered a new mechanism regulating sleep that involves glia and their ability to manage a common ingredient found in many energy drinks like Red Bull™ Read more here.
12th Annual Physics Pumpkin Drop
The 2018 Department of Physics Pumpkin drop was a success! Thank you to President Kelly, who dropped the first pumpkin off the Science building roof. Physics professors drop pumpkins to demonstrate common physics principles such as constant acceleration of gravity, terminal velocity, and Newton's laws. About 150 5th and 6th grad students from A.D. Henderson and Grandview Preparatory, as well as the FAU community, were in attendance. See more photos of the drop here and the carnival that followed here
Inaugural Data Science and Analytics Conference 2018
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science held its inaugural Data Science and Analytics Conference Saturday, October 13, attracting 138 participants from 40 local companies, five colleges and numerous departments across the University. Read more.
Explore FAU 2018 at The College of Science
The College of Science was packed with prospective students during Explore FAU Saturday, October 13! Take a look at all the fun and view photos from the event here.
Past Memory Cues Help People Juggle Pieces of Information
Findings from the study suggest that the brain can use several different methods to re-prioritize mental representations depending on how long they’ve been stored. More here...
Dr. Maria Fadiman Talks at National Geographic Festival
Dr. Maria Fadiman is an Associate Professor of Geosciences and National Geographic Emerging Explorer who was invited to speak at the National Geographic Explorer’s Festival. Read more here.
Dr. Sarah Milton Featured in National Geographic Kids Magazine!
Dr. Sarah Milton, Associate Professor, and Integrative Biology Program Associate Director, and Karen Pankaew have been featured in the September 2018 issue of National Geographic Kids magazine. Read more here...
Shark Scientist Dr. Marianne Porter Reviews "The Meg"
This week, I was invited to see The Meg at the AutoNation IMAX Theater with a reception in the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, home of a 50 foot Megalodon model. I expected a great action adventure movie - what could be more exciting than Jason Statham and a giant shark? As a female shark biologist, here are a few of my favorite aspects about The Meg. Read more here...
Dr. Gregg Fields Receives Grant
Dr. Gregg Fields is researching the use of chemical approaches to better understand cancer progression and to develop novel anti-cancer therapeutic agents. Read more here...
Black Tip Sharks Vanishing
Professor of Biological Science, Dr. Stephen Kajiura says the decline in blacktip sharks this year is substantial and warmer waters may be to blame. Read more here...
Extramural Research Funding
Congratulations to the inaugural recipients of the College of Science Initiative to Stimulate Extramural Research Funding: Internal Grants Program. A total of 23 proposals were submitted this Spring 2018 for the College’s seed funding initiative, and six were selected to receive funding. Read more here...
Florida Algae Blooms
FAU scientist, Dr. Bill Louda, discusses the hazards of the recent algal blooms. Watch the video
here. .
2018 MPCR SHORT COURSE
FAU’s Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics (MPCR) Lab launched its inaugural Deep Learning Short Course, attracting 49 students and researchers from across the University, the community, and institutions around the world.. Read more here...
2018 FUTURE DOCTOR'S RECEPTION
Each spring the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science celebrates the achievements of its future doctors, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, and physician assistants with the annual Future Doctor's Reception. Read more here...
College of Science Appoints Diversity and Inclusion Officer
The Dean of the College of Science, Dr. Ata Sarajedini, recently appointed Ms. Latarsha Morgan as the Assistant Director for Diversity & Inclusion. In this new role, she will work to ensure that all College of Science projects related to diversity align with the overall vision of the college to celebrate diversity, facilitate equity and inclusiveness, and inspire positive change. More here...
WHERE BABY WHITE SHARKS 'HANG OUT' IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
Using cutting-edge satellite and acoustic technology, and just in time for Shark Week 2018, a researcher from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is among a team of scientists who are the first to confirm the movement patterns and seasonal migrations of baby white sharks in the north Atlantic Ocean. Until now, there has...
FAU AND COLLABORATORS RECEIVE $1.68 MILLION NIH GRANT
A neuroscientist from Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter Life Science Initiative (JLSI) and collaborators from the University of Minnesota and Stowers Institute for Medical Research recently received a four-year, $1.68 million R01 research grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of General Medical ...
MALE SEA TURTLES ARE VANISHING CLOSER TO HOME
BY GISELE-GALOUSTIAN | 1/22/2018
Alarming results from a recent gender ratio study revealed that 99 percent of young green turtles from Australia's Northern Great Barrier Reef are female and that male sea turtles are disappearing. Closer to home, researchers from Florida Atlantic University have documented a similar trend in sea turtle hatchlings in southeast Florida. Since 2002, they have studied sea turtles in Palm Beach ...
NSF AWARDS GRANT FOR UNDERSEA COMMUNICATIONS, SURVEILLANCE
BY GISELE-GALOUSTIAN | 1/11/2018
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science have received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to design, deploy and evaluate a first-of-its-kind software-defined testbed for real-time undersea wireless communications (data, voice, and video streaming) and surveillance. The four-...
TINY TREADMILLS HELP TEST SEA TURTLE HATCHLING STAMINA
BY GISELE-GALOUSTIAN | 12/19/2017
If everything goes as planned, a newly hatched sea turtle should be able to crawl from its nest to the ocean in a couple of minutes. This trek happens in the first 24 hours when they emerge from their nests and is referred to as the "frenzy" period. Just like biathletes, these hatchlings sprint from the beach to the surf and then swim a long distance to reach their home. Unfortunately, things don't always go as nature planned.
CONGRATULATIONS 3MT CHAMPION, BORIS TEZAK
Boris Tezak's research identifies the sex of baby sea turtles to better predict gender ratios of south Florida's turtle population. Find out more about 3MT
here.
Watch the video
here!
STUDY FINDS CAUSE OF ALGAL BLOOMS AND THE RESULTS STINK
BY GISELE-GALOUSTIAN | 1/9/2018
All eyes were on southeast Florida's St. Lucie Estuary in 2016 as it received national attention due to beach closures on the Fourth of July weekend from the massive amounts of toxic green slime that covered parts of the 7-mile-long inlet linked to a coastal river system. Microcystis aeruginosa - a freshwater blue-green alga that can produce toxins - wreaked havoc on this important ecosystem prompting researchers...
Shark Week
Michelle McComb from Florida Atlantic University and her research team:
"[H]ammerhead eyes, though far apart, have the greatest overlap in their fields of view. The winghead shark has a 48-degree arc in front of it that's covered by both eyes, which must give it exceptional depth perception. By comparison, the scalloped hammerhead has a binocular overlap of 34 degrees, the bonnethead has a much smaller one of 13 degrees, and the lemon and blacknose sharks have the ...
Too Much Light at Night Causes Spring to Come Early
If trees are budding earlier, this could have a larger effect on the surrounding ecosystem. Eric Vandernoot, the lab coordinator of the Florida Atlantic University Astronomical Observatory, says light pollution alters plant cycles. It throws their bud dormancy out of whack, along with their growth patterns and time when they drop their leaves and fruit. Read more .
Learn more about...
Blacktip Sharks Annual Migration
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... Tens of thousands of blacktip sharks have been spotted in South Florida's water as they search for warmer waters and food. The sharks normally appear in the area in mid-January and remain for around two months, reported The Sun Sentinel. Stephen Kajiura, professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, studied the ocean from a plane Friday and recorded thousands of sharks off Palm Beach...
Generous Gift
Florida Atlantic University recently received a $1 million gift from Dr. Walter and Lalita Janke to establish the Walter and Lalita Janke Innovations in Sustainability Science Research Fund.
Should trash imported from Broward receive more scrutiny
A multi-million dollar state of the art Waste to Energy plant is bringing Palm Beach County lots of garbage and lots of money. "Can we trust them? Maybe but why take the chance? I'd much rather have local inspection. It's absolutely ridiculous to say okay, they did a fine job," said Dr. Bill Louda, FAU Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Is anybody looking at these trucks to see what they're hauling when they come here from Broward...
National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation Funds Renovations to FAU Turtle Lab
BOCA RATON, Fla. (July 30, 2015) - The National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation recently funded renovations in the FAU Research Laboratory at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Sea turtle research being done at the laboratory includes studies of fundamental importance to sea turtle conservation including sex-ratio of hatchlings, hatchling migration, growth, as well as several aspects of sea turtle behavior including the effects of artificial lights on sea turtles...
Using the Power of Computers to Harness the Human Genome May Provide Clues into the Ebola Virus
BOCA RATON, Fla. (July 30, 2015) - A limited knowledge base exists about the Ebola virus and companies are hastening to develop vaccines and other forms to treat and cure the virus. There are no FDA approved drugs, and developing vaccines or antibodies and testing them in clinical trials is an arduous process that takes considerable time. Currently, patients infected with Ebola are only able to receive supportive care such as fluid replacement, nutritional support, pain control and blood pressure maintenance. In some cases, patients may be fortunate enough to be treated with experimental drugs. Read More
FAU Researchers Find Novel Approach to Treating the Number One Cause of Blindness in Elderly
While oxygen is essential to our planet's life force and the way we function and stay healthy, high concentrations referred to as oxidative stress may very well be the cause of more than 70 widely-spread diseases such as cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and eye diseases including macular degeneration. Read more.
FAU Researchers Introduce 'The Human Dynamic Clamp' - a Groundbreaking Approach to Understanding Social Interaction
Scientists at Florida Atlantic University's Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences have created the Human Dynamic Clamp to address the difficult problem of studying social interactions in the laboratory. Their findings were released today in an article titled "The Human Dynamic Clamp as a Paradigm for Social Interaction" in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more.