Patrick Kociolek

The notes from nature tool for unlocking biodiversity records from museum records through citizen science

Abstract Legacy data from natural history collections contain invaluable and irreplaceable information about biodiversity in the recent past, providing a baseline for detecting change and forecasting the future of biodiversity on a human-dominated planet. However, these data are often not available in formats that facilitate use and synthesis. New approaches are needed to enhance the rates of digitization and data quality improvement. Notes from Nature provides one such novel approach by asking citizen scientists to help with transcription tasks. The initial web-based prototype of Notes from Nature is soon widely available and was developed collaboratively by biodiversity scientists, natural history collections staff, and experts in citizen science project development, programming and visualization. This project brings together digital images representing different types of biodiversity records including ledgers , herbarium sheets and pinned insects from multiple projects and natural history collections. Experts in developing web-based citizen science applications then designed and built a platform for transcribing textual data and metadata from these images. The end product is a fully open source web transcription tool built using the latest web technologies. The platform keeps volunteers engaged by initially explaining the scientific importance of the work via a short orientation, and then providing transcription “missions” of well defined scope, along with dynamic feedback, interactivity and rewards. Transcribed records, along with record-level and process metadata, are provided back to the institutions. While the tool is being developed with new users in mind, it can serve a broad range of needs from novice to trained museum specialist. Notes from Nature has the potential to speed the rate of biodiversity data being made available to a broad community of users.

Spacecraft cabin environment effects on the growth and behavior of Chlorella vulgaris for life support applications

An Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is necessary for humans to survive in the hostile environment of space. As future missions move beyond Earth orbit for extended durations, reclaiming human metabolic waste streams for recycled use becomes increasingly important. Historically, these functions have been accomplished using a variety of physical and chemical processes with limited recycling capabilities. In contrast, biological systems can also be incorporated into a spacecraft to essentially mimic the balance of photosynthesis and respiration that occurs in Earths ecosystem, along with increasing the reuse of biomass throughout the food chain. In particular, algal photobioreactors that use Chlorella vulgaris have been identified as potential multifunctional components for use as part of such a bioregenerative life support system (BLSS). However, a connection between the biological research examining C. vulgaris behavior and the engineered spacecraft cabin environmental conditions has not yet been thoroughly established. This review article characterizes the ranges of prior and expected cabin parameters (e.g. temperature, lighting, carbon dioxide, pH, oxygen, pressure, growth media, contamination, gravity, and radiation) and reviews algal metabolic response (e.g. growth rate, composition, carbon dioxide fixation rates, and oxygen evolution rates) to changes in those parameters that have been reported in prior space research and from related Earth-based experimental observations. Based on our findings, it appears that C. vulgaris offers many promising advantages for use in a BLSS. Typical atmospheric conditions found in spacecraft such as elevated carbon dioxide levels are, in fact, beneficial for algal cultivation. Other spacecraft cabin parameters, however, introduce unique environmental factors, such as reduced total pressure with elevated oxygen concentration, increased radiation, and altered gravity, whose effects on the biological responses of C. vulgaris are not yet well understood. A summary of optimum growth parameter ranges for C. vulgaris is presented in this article as a guideline for designing and integrating an algal photobioreactor into a spacecraft life support system. Additional research challenges for evaluating as of yet uncharacterized parameters are also identified in this article that have the potential for improving spaceflight applications as well as terrestrial aquatic algal cultivation systems.

Eugene F. Stoermer (1934–2012)

After a nearly 2-year battle with esophageal cancer, the world of diatom and phycological research lost one of its leaders, Eugene Filmore Stoermer. Gene left a remarkable impact, in quality and quantity, in the training and placing of students and research productivity, in the fields of freshwater ecology, paleolimnology and diatom taxonomy and systematics. Gene’s life and times were chronicled recently in a warm tribute paid by Gene’s first student (Andresen 2009). Here, we offer several remembrances about the man and his significance, as well as a complete bibliography of his published works and patrionyms dedicated to him. First and foremost, Gene had high standards for research. While he was an encouraging mentor, research projects from Gene’s lab had to pass the high standard he had for himself and his students. This was acknowledged broadly, and Gene’s intellect, expertise and high standards were called upon all over the world, as a collaborator, external reviewer and mentor (in Russia, China, Scandanavia, India and across Europe). Many of the collaborators made their way to Ann Arbor, and Gene’s students were able to meet and talk with many of the top researchers in the world. Evidence of his high level of research could be found in the number, diversity and dollar value of the many grants he received to pursue his research interests and ambition. And this high standard for his students led to many of them receiving job offers, as Gene placed students in academia, research scientist positions and federal and local agency leaders. At one time, Gene’s students curated the two major diatom collections in the USA (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) and California Academy of Sciences (CAS)). Gene provided tremendous support for his students. This support and loyalty to his students was expressed in the levels of financial support he generated for them. Gene’s appointment at the University of Michigan was initially as a research scientist in the Great Lakes Research Division, and it was difficult if not nearly impossible for him to have students. Subsequently he had appointments in the School of Natural Resources (later to have ‘and the Environment’ added to its title) and University Herbarium, and Gene’s ability to chair committees was established. Since few of his students had teaching assistantships, this meant acquiring research assistantship money to support his large lab. In addition to the financial support he provided, his example was a great one for students to emulate, and nearly everyone who graduated with Gene produced grant applications (many of them successful) at some level. Gene was fiercely loyal to his students, which meant supporting them intellectually in the rigorous (and sometimes combative) environment that was the University of Michigan. Legions were some of the debates amongst freshwater biologists at Michigan, in which students sometimes waded. Gene was there to lend his intellectual weight and confidence to support students and colleagues in these interesting discussions. Finally, Gene’s support came from promoting his students after they had fledged from the ‘Phyto Lab’ by writing numerous letters, and suggesting students for prestigious positions in societies and meetings. And Gene’s impact went far beyond Michigan. He taught ‘Systematics and Ecology of Freshwater Diatoms’ at Iowa Lakeside Lab to many students from around the country, served on many committees of students around the world, and near the end of his career was a mentor to students during an annual sojourn to Shanghai Normal University.