WIlliam Cargile dissects a specimen of the gastropod mollusk Conus ermineus to extract its radula and radular ribbon on board the R/V Pelican, August 2008. The cone shell was dredged in the deep waters offshore Louisiana in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The comparative morphology of the radula, the structure composed of rows of many small teeth used for rasping at food and scraping it into the mouth, is important in the taxonomy of cones.

Other species of cones seen in this video clip include Conus stimsonii, C. armiger, and an undescribed species. Some shells are covered with epiphytic red algal crusts. Filmed and edited by S. Fredericq in Lafayette LA

Cone snails are predatory sea snails that hunt and immobilize prey using a modified radular tooth along with a poison gland containing neurotoxins launched out of its mouth in a harpoon-like action. Cone venom shows great promise as a source of new, medically important substances. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C one_snail

This dredging expedition was sponsored by Dr. Cargile and also included other malacologists, and biologists from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who study the systematics of mollusks, seaweeds and crustaceans.

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html .
An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) try to climb the "knees" (pneumatophores) of a bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) to dry off and bask in the sun. The alligator falls back in the water and crawls over the turtles to find a good spot. The turtles who try to climb are male individuals who are seemingly exhausted from having courted female turtles for hours in the water; they now have hardly any strength left for the climb, and one individual falls back in the water as well. The male turtles are recognizable by their long claws and their carapaces on which grow individuals of the green alga Basicladia crassa. Filmed in the swamp ("Cypress Lake") on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on April 6, 2009. Filmed by S. Fredericq in Lafayette, Louisiana

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html .
Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), common turtles in the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp ("Cypress Lake") on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have emerged from the water to rest and bask in the sun on dry land near near the "knees" (pneumatophores) of the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Filmed in April 6th, 2009, by S. Fredericq. The carapaces are covered with the water fern Azolla, and some duckweed (Lemma). Most turtles are males, easily recognized by their long claws.

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http://www.ted.com Legendary ocean researcher Sylvia Earle shares astonishing images of the ocean -- and shocking stats about its rapid decline -- as she makes her TED Prize wish: that we will join her in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/t alks/top10

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http://www.artnet.com/awc/euge ne-j-martin.html .
This is part 1 of a 4-part series on the whimsical animals of visual artist Eugene J. Martin. The works dating from 1981-1982 are brown ink drawings created with a bamboo reed stick pen in Washington D.C. Video clip montage by S. Fredericq, filmed in Lafayette, LA (Louisiana). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E ugene_J._Martin

"That Someone Must Be You", Music by Earl Hardy. Fats Navarro (trumpet), Tadd Dameron (piano), Ernie Henry (alto saxophone), Curly Russell (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), Kay Penton (vocals).

Fats Navarro - Gone with the Wind. New York, 1947; ©Original Jazz Standards (2006 reissue).

http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Win d-Fats-Navarro/dp/B000FKO4CA/r ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid= 1217647604&sr=8-1

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http://www.artnet.com/awc/euge ne-j-martin.html .
This is part 3 of a 4-part series on the whimsical animals of visual artist Eugene J. Martin. The works dating from 1969-1990' are colored drawings, mixed media and acryclic paintings created in Washington D.C. and Chapel Hill N.C. Video clip montage by S. Fredericq, filmed in Lafayette, LA (Louisiana). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E ugene_J._Martin

"I can't believe you're in love with me", Music by Clarence Gaskill & James McHugh. Coleman Hawkins & The Chocolate Dandies: Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Carter (alto saxophone), Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone), Bernard Addison (guitar), John Kirby (bass), Sid Catlett (drums). New York, May 25, 1940.

Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Trumpet Giant. Disc 2 (The Gasser), ©Proper Records.
http://www.amazon.com/Little-J azz-Trumpet-Roy-Eldridge/dp/B0 001ZXOLG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s= music&qid=1220410358&sr=8-2

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html
Dense mats of the water fern Azolla cover the carapaces of the red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), common turtles in the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp ("Cypress Lake") on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The turtles are also seen sunning near the "knees" (pneumatophores) of the bald cypress along with foraging boat-tailed grackles (Quiscalus major). Filmed in April, 2009, by S. Fredericq.

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html .
Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), common turtles in the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp ("Cypress Lake") on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette have emerged from the water to rest and bask in the sun on dry land near near the "knees" (pneumatophores) of the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Filmed in April 6th, 2009, by S. Fredericq. The carapaces are covered with the water fern Azolla, and some duckweed (Lemma). Most turtles are males, easily recognized by their long claws.

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html .
This video clip shows the courtship behavior of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), common turtles in the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) swamp ("Cypress Lake") on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Courtship and mating activities take place underwater. In this instance, two sexually active males simultaneously swim toward the female, stretch out their front feet, and flutter or vibrate their long claws on the female's head and neck in a courtship dance. Attempted mating by the two males is also shown.

The male is usually smaller than the female with a much longer and thicker tail. The cloacal opening of the male is beyond the edge of the carapace while the female's opening is at or under the rear edge of the carapace. Males have longer, curved claws that they use in courtship and mating.

The epizoic green macroalga Basicladia crassa (Cladophoraceae, Cladophorales) grows exclusively on the turtles' carapaces. In the individuals filmed, the algae only grew on the males' shells. Filmed by S. Fredericq on the first day of Spring, March 20th, 2009.

Not shown here is that when the female is receptive, she will eventually stop swimming and slowly sink to the bottom. The male then follows and climbs on top of her, holding her carapace with all four claws while bending his tail under hers. During this time the male may bite the female on the neck. Once in place, the male will let go with his front legs and swim backwards until he is nearly in vertical position. From this position mating occurs and lasts about fifteen minutes.

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html
The hard banks of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, FLorida, at depths of 45-95 m harbor diversity-rich communities of marine macroalgae (seaweeds), macrocrustaceans, and other invertebrates.

The seaweeds are highlighted in this clip and include representatives of the red, green and brown macroalgae.

During transit from Louisiana to Florida, collections were also made on rubble and red algal nodules (rhodoliths) offshore Louisiana.

This dredging expedition on board the R/V Pelican (LUMCON) took place May 29-June 7, 2004.


This expedition was sponsored by National Science Foundation Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories grant DEB-0315995 (S. Fredericq & D.L. Felder, PIs, University of Louisiana at Lafayette).

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html
The hard banks of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, FLorida, at depths of 45-95 m harbor diversity-rich communities of marine macroalgae (seaweeds), macrocrustaceans, and other invertebrates.

During transit from Louisiana to Florida, collections were also made on rubble and red algal nodules (rhodoliths) offshore Louisiana. It is at Sackett Bank, offshore Louisiana, that Haliotis pourtalesii, a rare abalone in the Gulf of Mexico, was collected and documented.

This dredging expedition on board the R/V Pelican (LUMCON) took place May 29-June 7, 2004.

The seaweeds include representatives of the red, green and brown macroalgae.

This expedition was sponsored by National Science Foundation Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories grant DEB-0315995 (S. Fredericq & D.L. Felder, PIs, University of Louisiana at Lafayette).

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http://morayeel.louisiana.edu/ SeaweedsLab/phycomirth.html
The hard banks of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Dry Tortugas, FLorida, at depths of 45-95 m harbor diversity-rich communities of marine macroalgae (seaweeds), macrocrustaceans, molluscs, and other invertebrates.

This dredging expedition on board the R/V Pelican (LUMCON) took place May 29-June 7, 2004.

The seaweeds include representatives of the red, green and brown macroalgae.

During transit from Louisiana to Florida, collections were also made on rubble and red algal nodules (rhodoliths) offshore Louisiana.

This expedition was sponsored by National Science Foundation Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories grant DEB-0315995 (S. Fredericq & D.L. Felder, PIs, University of Louisiana at Lafayette).

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http://striweb.si.edu/taxonomy _training/past_courses/2008/20 08_phycology.html . This videoclip shows students who were enrolled in the Tropical Field Phycology Workshop held at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) at Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Panama, 9-23 July 2008, at work in the laboratory.

The aim of this course was designed to orient participants to the biodiversity of tropical marine floras through field and laboratory work. Specifically, it emphasized the development or enhancement of practical skills essential for identification, characterization and preservation of tropical marine macroalgae (seaweeds). Sampling forays in diverse environments (e.g., mangrove habitats, seagrass beds, coral reefs, sponge communities) on protected and exposed shorelines throughout the Bocas del Toro Archipelago complemented morphological and molecular investigations in the laboratory.

Funding was made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian's Marine Science Network, with additional support from the National Science Foundation's Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program, the NSF Partnership for the Enhancement of Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) Program, and the Smithsonian's Institution's DNA Barcode Initiative.

The Workshop was organized by Rachel Collin (STRI); lectures on barcoding were provided by Amy Driskell (Smithsonian Institution); and the Phycology lectures were given by Brian Wysor (Roger Williams University), Wilson Freshwater (University of North Carolina at Wilmington) and Suzanne Fredericq (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Videoclip montage by S. Fredericq in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Additional information about the Bocas del Toro research Station can be viewed at: http://www.stri.org/english/re search/facilities/marine/bocas _del_toro/ .

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http://striweb.si.edu/taxonomy _training/past_courses/2008/20 08_phycology.html . This videoclip shows part of the preliminary "Field Guide to Common Algae of the Bocas del Toro Area". 11 graduate and 2 undergraduate students enrolled in the Tropical Field Phycology Workshop held at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) at Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Panama, 9-23 July 2008. Instructors and students collected multiple samples of over 200 algal species by SCUBA diving, snorkeling and intertidal surveys. As part of the training in tropical taxonomy, many of the collected samples were used by the students to create this guide. The Field Guide can be downloaded at:
http://striweb.si.edu/PDFs/boc as_field_guides/algal_booksmal l.pdf.

The aim of this course was designed to orient participants to the biodiversity of tropical marine floras through field and laboratory work. Specifically, it emphasized the development or enhancement of practical skills essential for identification, characterization and preservation of tropical marine macroalgae (seaweeds). Sampling forays in diverse environments (e.g., mangrove habitats, seagrass beds, coral reefs, sponge communities) on protected and exposed shorelines throughout the Bocas del Toro Archipelago complemented morphological and molecular investigations in the laboratory.

Funding was made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian's Marine Science Network, with additional support from the National Science Foundation's Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program, the NSF Partnership for the Enhancement of Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) Program, and the Smithsonian's Institution's DNA Barcode Initiative.

The Workshop was organized by Rachel Collin (STRI); lectures on barcoding were provided by Amy Driskell (Smithsonian Institution); and the Phycology lectures were given by Brian Wysor (Roger Williams University), Wilson Freshwater (University of North Carolina at Wilmington) and Suzanne Fredericq (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Videoclip montage by S. Fredericq in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Participating students representing 6 countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Drance and the US) included: Margarita Rosas Albis Salas, Jesse Alden, Olga Maria Camacho Hadad, Martha Cecilia Dîaz Ruiz, Cindy Ferdández García, Ryan Fikes, Anna Fricke, Kevin Miklasz, Andrea Eugenia Planas Orellana, Jimena Samper Villareal, Liz Sargent, Thomas Sauvage, Samantha Schmitt.

Additional information about the Bocas del Toro research Station can be viewed at: http://www.stri.org/english/re search/facilities/marine/bocas _del_toro/ .

"Creole Love Call", Music by Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington (p); Bubber Miley, Louis Metcalf (t); Tricky Sam Nanton (tr); Otto Hardwicke (ss, as, bs); Harry Carney (bs, cl, as); Rudy jackson (cl, ts); Fred Guy (banjo); Wellman Braud (b); Sonny Greer (d); Adelaide Hall (v). October 26, 1927.

"Swampy River", Music by Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington (p). October 1, 1928.

"Louisiana". Duke Ellington (p); Bubber Miley, Arthur Whetsol (t); Tricky Sam Nanton (tr); Otto Hardwicke (ss, as, bs); Harry Carney (bs, cl, as); Johnny Hodges (as, ss, cl); Barney Bigard (cl, ts); Fred Guy (banjo); Lonnie Johnson (g); Wellman Braud (b); Sonny Greer (d). October 17, 1928.

Duke Ellington - The Bubber Miley era: 1924-1929. Jazz Legends. http://www.amazon.com/Bubber-M iley-Era-1924-1929/dp/B0000C23 A3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music& qid=1239418481&sr=8-1

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http://www.stri.org/english/re search/facilities/marine/bocas _del_toro/ .
This videoclip shows leaf-cutting ants that were filmed during the Tropical Field Phycology Workshop held at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) at Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Panama, 9-23 July 2008. http://striweb.si.edu/taxonomy _training/past_courses/2008/20 08_phycology.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L eafcutter_ant:
These unique ants are social insects found in warmer regions of the Americas and have evolved an advanced agricultural system based on ant-fungus mutualism. They feed on special structures called gongylidia produced by a specialized fungus that grows only in the underground chambers of the ants' nest. Different species of leaf-cutting ants use different species of fungus, but all of the fungi the ants use are members of the Lepiotaceae family. The ants actively cultivate their fungus, feeding it with freshly-cut plant material and maintaining it free from pests and molds. This mutualist relationship is further augmented by another symbiotic partner, a bacterium that grows on the ants and secretes chemicals- essentially the ants use portable anti-microbials.

Leaf-cutting ants are sensitive enough to adapt to the fungi's reaction to different plant material, apparently detecting chemical signals from the fungus. If a particular type of leaf is toxic to the fungus the colony will no longer collect it. In addition to feeding the fungus, the ants also produce a natural antibiotic to protect the fungus from a mold. This mold is present in nearly all colonies of leaf-cutting ants. The antibiotic consists of a white coating on the bodies of many ants made up of bacteria. Close inspection of the bacteria shows that it is that which makes half of our modern antibiotics. The natural antibiotic produced by the ants does such a good job of keeping the mold in check that it was only recently that anybody thought to investigate infestations in the ant colonies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L eafcutter_ant

The aim of this course was designed to orient participants to the biodiversity of tropical marine floras through field and laboratory work. Specifically, it emphasized the development or enhancement of practical skills essential for identification, characterization and preservation of tropical marine macroalgae (seaweeds). Sampling forays in diverse environments (e.g., mangrove habitats, seagrass beds, coral reefs, sponge communities) on protected and exposed shorelines throughout the Bocas del Toro Archipelago complemented morphological and molecular investigations in the laboratory.

Funding was made possible by a grant from the Smithsonian's Marine Science Network, with additional support from the National Science Foundation's Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program, the NSF Partnership for the Enhancement of Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) Program, and the Smithsonian's Institution's DNA Barcode Initiative.

The Workshop was organized by Rachel Collin (STRI); lectures on barcoding were provided by Amy Driskell (Smithsonian Institution); and the Phycology lectures were given by Brian Wysor (Roger Williams University), Wilson Freshwater (University of North Carolina at Wilmington) and Suzanne Fredericq (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Videoclip montage by S. Fredericq in Lafayette, Louisiana.

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