FDEP and SFWMD Projects Tracking Microbiomes and Assessing Mitigation Tactics for Harmful Algal Blooms
Jose Victor Lopez, PhD, is a professor of Biological Sciences within the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lopez is also affiliated with the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI).
Tell me briefly about your recent grant-funded projects.
I have two new grant projects this year. We have recently started a new Department of Environmental Protection project to track microbiomes that may originate from Port Everglades. The bacterium within the port is distinct from the communities on the natural reef, and we are trying to determine if the effects are beneficial or harmful to reef habitats. This also parallels growing concerns about sedimentation and turbidity that could cover already stressed reef areas.
For a recent South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) project, we are following up on an earlier study of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. As we know from the past decade, blooms can be harmful to people and the environment. We know that they destabilize various types of communities, and we want to know what happens after mitigation events (such as applying hydrogen peroxide).
You can find more details about my research at
https://nova.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/jose-v-lopez/
and
Who is working with you on this project?
For the DEP reef project, I am working with Dr. Brian Walker and Dr. Nick Jones. For the SFWMD project, I have external collaborators from Florida Gulf Coast University, Dr. Hidetoshi Urakawa and Dr. Serge Thomas.
What opportunities and/or benefits does this grant bring to the NSU community?
My grant projects support 1-2 graduate research assistants through stipends and then waivers. We are trying to contribute to the basic knowledge about water quality, and how microorganisms may benefit or affect natural and human built habitats. As the cliché’ goes, our state of Florida is surrounded by and sometimes inundated with water. We have tools to better understand what organisms live in that water. We aim to know the basis of harmful algal blooms of cyanobacteria, which can produce toxins. We have just published two new peer-reviewed papers describing our work funded by the Army Corps of Engineers’ Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program (ANSRP) of the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
How does this project connect with your other work at NSU?
Our laboratory efforts strongly hinge on the One Health theory that environment, wildlife, and human well-being are closely interconnected. The more we understand each of these components, we can then predict and implement initiatives that will bolster our overall well-being into the future. Our focus on biodiversity is wide ranging, since diversity is required for evolution, and it is very exciting to delve into the details of how organisms evolve at the genomic level.
How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? NSU resources used?
NSU has strongly supported my growth as a scientist, teacher, and as an individual during my tenure. I am greatly indebted to the administration, which has provided competent support. For example, I have witnessed how the NSU Office of Sponsored Research (OSP) has also grown through the years, as NSU has generally become more successful external funding. OSP should be fully funded with the personnel since they need to keep up with the growing volume of funded grants, so that we do not lose our opportunities and maintain our edge in nimble research capacities.
Over the last 17 years, I am pleased to see my own research grow into the Marine Microbiology and Genomics (MMG) laboratory housed at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center. We have used cutting-edge sequencing instruments over the last decade. There are so many unanswered questions in molecular biology, genomics and evolution of marine organisms left to answer and so having modern tools is essential. My time at NSU has also allowed me to write my first reference book titled “Assessments and Conservation of Biological Diversity from Coral Reefs to the Deep Sea” (Academic Press), which addresses some of these pressing marine topics.
I am grateful for the high quality and motivation of many of the students who have passed through my lab and am proud to see many of them achieve their own scientific milestones. For example, five of my former students have gone on to earn doctoral degrees in science after graduating with NSU master’s degrees. Most of my former students have remained in scientific positions and kept in contact.
What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?
Be persistent and seek out collaborations. Of course, principal investigators must reach out to the granting agencies to determine what exactly they are looking for. Also, they should try to establish personal relationships, so that the agencies know who they are dealing with.
What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?
We are looking into some promising opportunities through the National Academies Gulf Research Program, as well as opportunities from the National Science Foundation.