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Phytoplankton Community Structure: From the Molecular to the Global
Scale</blockquote><br>
Announcement for Training Programme in<br><br>
Phytoplankton Community Structure:<br>
From the Molecular to the Global Scale<br><br>
A Training Course Sponsored by the Nippon Foundation (NF) and the
Partnership for Observations of the Global Ocean (POGO)<br>
Organized by the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)<br>
Dates: 21 September - 07 October 2009 ; <br>
Venue: Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<br>
_______________<br><br>
<br><br>
An intensive graduate level course in ocean biology/biogeochemistry will
be offered at Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira,
Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during 21 September - 07 October
2009. The major theme of the course is remote sensing of phytoplankton
functional types for biogeochemistry applications. The rationale for the
course is that partitioning the autotrophic plankton community into
functional types is expected to improve the modeling of primary
production and increase our understanding of the role of phytoplankton in
the global carbon cycle. Lectures on theoretical fundamentals will be
complemented by practical demonstrations. The course will provide
trainees with a fundamental knowledge of phytoplankton community
structure, including laboratory and field methods for identifying
composition and taxa, relation with optics, remote sensing approaches,
and biogeochemical significance. <br><br>
The course is part of a training program undertaken by the NF-POGO Center
of Excellence in Observational Oceanography at the Bermuda Institute of
Ocean Sciences (BIOS), whose objectives are “to expand world-wide
capacity to observe the oceans; to develop human resources in developing
countries, and to expand international networking in ocean sciences, with
an emphasis on training young scientists from developing countries”. This
initiative is also a contribution to ANTARES, an integrated network of in
situ and remote-sensing stations focused on detecting long-term changes
in marine waters around Latin America.<br><br>
<br>
Course Content:<br><br>
Lectures<br><br>
1. Phytoplankton Community Structure: Definition and
Significance<br><br>
a. Phytoplankton under the Microscope: Cell structure, organelles and
molecules.<br><br>
b. How to Divide: Taxonomic Composition, Morphology, Size, Functional
Types, and Phylogenetics<br><br>
c. Phytoplankton under the Macroscope: Macro-Ecological Patterns, and
Global Biogeography<br><br>
d. Why Size and Taxa Matter: Global Biogeochemical Cycles and Ecosystem
Dynamics<br><br>
2. Methods of Examining Community Structure in the Field<br><br>
a. Microscopy (light, electron, and fluorescence types)<br><br>
b. High Performance Liquid Chromatography<br><br>
c. Flow Cytometry <br><br>
d. Molecular Techniques (DNA Sequencing, Probing)<br><br>
3. Links between Optical Properties and Community Structure<br><br>
a. Interaction of Light with Phytoplankton, Radiative Transfer <br><br>
b. Inherent Optical Properties of Phytoplankton<br><br>
c. Dependence on Size, Composition, Shape, and Internal
Structure<br><br>
4. Discriminating Phytoplankton Groups by Remote Sensing<br><br>
a. Principles of Ocean Color Remote Sensing<br><br>
b. Estimation of Phytoplankton Biomass and Inherent Optical
properties<br><br>
c. Identification of Phytoplankton Groups (Abundance-Based,
Spectral-Characteristics, and Ecological Approaches)<br><br>
<br>
Practical Demonstrations Field and Laboratory<br><br>
1. Microscopy (Phytoplankton Composition, Taxa)<br><br>
2. Flow Cytometry (Physical and Chemical Structure of Individual
Particles)<br><br>
3. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (Pigment Diversity)<br><br>
4. Radiometry (Absorption, Scattering, and Back-Scattering
Coefficients)<br><br>
<br>
Instructors:<br><br>
Heather Bouman (Oxford Univ., England), Robert Frouin (Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, USA), Hubert Loisel, (Univ. Littoral Cote
d’Opale, France), Vivian Lutz (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y
Desarrollo Pesquero, Argentina), Milton Kampel (Instituto Nacional de
Pesquisas Espaciais, Brasil), Roberto Millan (Univ. Autónoma de Baja
California, Mexico), Gerald Plumley (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences,
Bermuda), Silvana Vianna Rodriguez (Univ. Federal de Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil), Eliane Gonzalez Rodriguez (Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante
Paulo Moreira, Brazil), Rodolfo Paranhos (Universidade Federal do Rio de
Janeiro)<br><br>
<br>
Eligibility and Prospects: <br><br>
The course is open to a limited number of participants (10 to 15) from
Latin America. Travel and subsistence costs will be defrayed for the
successful candidates. Depending on the availability, other candidates
could be also accepted. The course is aimed at doctoral students and
young researchers with interests in quantitative analyses of biological
data from the marine environment, remote sensing and physical-biological
interactions. The course is the continuation of a long-term, sustained
effort at capacity building in the region. For some participants, the
course will lead to other opportunities for advanced training and
scientific exchange. <br><br>
<br>
Application and Selection Procedure: <br><br>
Applications are invited from research institutes and universities in
Latin America countries. Those institutes and universities interested in
sending participants to the course are requested to forward the CV’s of
proposed candidates, along with a statement of their current activities
and long-term goals. Individual applicants will be also considered and
must submit their respective CV’s and a letter of request stating the
reasons for requesting training in this field, the candidate’s own
research interests, and the relevance of the training to the activities
of the trainee’s home institute and/or work.<br><br>
In the selection of participants, preference will be given to young
researchers starting their scientific careers. All participants will be
expected to be present in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the
entire duration of the course. The intention is to transfer knowledge to
researchers who will continue to study coastal ecosystems around Latin
America into the future, and who will also help train the next generation
of local scientists in remote sensing, biological oceanography, and
biogeochemistry.<br><br>
<br>
Recommended Format for Application:<br><br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Name <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Designation
<br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Affiliation and
mailing address <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Phone, fax,
e-mail <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Passport
details (in case of foreign applicants)<br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Qualifications
(Degree, Subjects, Specialization, Grade) <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Professional
experience (Designation, From, To, Organization) <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Summary of the
work being carried out currently (100 words)<br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Long-term goals
(100 words)<br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>List of
publications (including reports, proceedings papers, dissertation,
refereed articles) <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Signature (with
date) <br>
•<x-tab> </x-tab>Recommendation
of the Head of the Institute/Department (including any partial/complete
financial support offered)<br><br>
The applications should be sent (preferentially via E-mail) to:<br><br>
Dr. Milton Kampel, National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Av. dos
Astronautas, 1758, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil,
12227-010<br>
E-mail: milton@dsr.inpe.br<br><br>
and<br><br>
Dr. Robert Frouin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Nierenberg Hall,
Mail Code 0224, 8810 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 929037,
USA<br>
E-mail: rfrouin@ucsd.edu<br><br>
<br>
and <br><br>
Dr. Gerald Plumley, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, St George’s
GE01, Bermuda<br>
E-mail: education@bios.edu<br><br>
<br>
Deadline:<br><br>
Applications will be accepted until 31 July 2009.<br><br>
Applicants will be informed on the success of their application by 07
August 2009.<br><br>
All fields of the application must be provided by the candidates. Please
give as much detail as you think necessary to enable us to com to a final
decision on your application.<br><br>
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