DATE: April 20, 2007

CONTACT:

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899
pkent@clemson.edu

Selected list of environmental researchers

RESTORATION ECOLOGY- REPAIRING THE DAMAGE DONE: Gene W. Eidson, a nationally recognized restoration ecologist has been named to lead environmental efforts at Clemson University's Restoration Institute (CURI). Eidson is founder and president of Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy in Augusta, Ga. Eidson has 25 years of experience in ecological research. He founded Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy as a public-private partnership, raising more than $6.5 million to support research, education and outreach programs in watershed research and ecological restoration. Contact Eidson at (864) 656-2619.

LANDFILLS ARE FOR THE BIRDS: For grasshopper sparrows, landfills have become places of refuge, not refuse. A Clemson naturalist has found reclaimed landfills make homes for imperiled species. On a trip to a landfill, Drew Lanham heard the buzzing insect-like trill of a small, inconspicuous bird - the grasshopper sparrow. Excited by his discovery, Lanham approached Oconee County solid-waste managers about surveying birds on the reclaimed portion of the landfill. The meeting led to a partnership between Oconee and Clemson to examine closed landfills as habitat for grasshopper sparrows, a S.C. Species of Concern, and other birds. Contact Lanham at (864) 656-7294.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE AND NOT A DROP TO DRINK: Clemson University environment toxicologist John Rodgers is a nationally known expert on wetlands and toxic effluent in waterways. He has constructed numerous artificial wetlands for industries that cause water pollution that must be cleaned up. One of his projects was just west of New Orleans, a Shell Oil refinery. Rodgers met with the EPA and other federal officials to discuss the problems of toxic chemicals in the floodwaters from Katrina. Rodgers also works at the Savannah River Site, which has one of the largest artificial wetlands. He can show how to build new wetlands to protect our coastlines and reclaim polluted waterways. Rodgers is in Clemson's forestry and natural resources department. Contact him at his office (864) 656-0492 or (864) 646-2960.

TOO MUCH SALTWATER IS A BAD THING: Coastal wetland forests can stand up against hurricane-strength winds, but storm surges can drown them in saltwater. Clemson University researchers are looking at data from South Carolina and Louisiana to learn about the effects of excess saltwater on coastal ecosystems. For more information, contact forestry scientist William Conner at (843) 546-6323.

"CAROLINA CLEAR" HELPING COMMUNITIES: Seventy South Carolina communities must implement new, rigorous and potentially costly storm water runoff programs. Clemson University has launched a program to help local municipalities and counties develop programs that will meet the federal mandate. Called "Carolina Clear," the Clemson program works with communities to help them understand the problems created by nonpoint source pollution and what they can do to raise awareness of the issue. Nonpoint source water pollution is simply a technical term for water pollution that doesn't come from a fixed source, like a factory or municipal wastewater treatment facility, says Cal Sawyer, coordinator of Carolina Clear. For more than a decade, federal law has required big cities and operators of industrial facilities and large construction sites to have storm water permits, making them accountable for pollution violations. Now, EPA added smaller cities and communities that are part of urbanized areas. For more information, contact Sawyer (864) 656-4072.

OYSTERS MAY OFFER MORE THAN PEARLS: A Clemson University researcher is unlocking the secrets of how oysters make shell and in the process has found a promising process to deal with a billion-dollar problem that affects maritime industries. Studying the cells of oysters, marine biologist Andrew Mount hypothesized that part of the shell-making process - calcification - likely enabled bio-fouling sea creatures to colonize an underwater surface. Mount has focused on disrupting the process, preventing creatures from adhering to a surface. Traditional remedies have been to either scrape surfaces or to chemically coat them. Scraping is an expensive, temporary answer, and chemical coatings have been found to be environmentally dangerous. Researchers are investigating a number of alternatives, including "nonstick" coatings. Mount has targeted the biochemical signal that oysters transmit to repel hangers-on. Contact Mount at (864) 656-3597.

USING MICRO-ALGAE TO IMPROVE THE WORLD: Throughout his 30-year science career, David Brune has worked with micro-algae - microscopic plants that grow in water - to clean up the environment and to make food. Instead of getting us to eat algae, Brune has developed a system that uses micro-algae to produce fish and shrimp. Then we eat the fish and shrimp. In the process, he has boosted food production and eliminated pollution from fish farming, or aquaculture. Brune figures out ways to use algae to convert solar energy into fuel, food and fertilizer. It's not magic; it's biosystems engineering, a combining of engineering with biological and environmental sciences. To learn more, visit www.clemson.edu/scg/aqua or contact Brune at (864) 656-4068.

PESTY ISSUES: Hurricanes and similar storms, including tornadoes, high winds and flooding, can wreak havoc with agricultural operations. In addition to the disastrous effects, severe weather events can cause both dollar loss and environmental pollution from agricultural chemicals. Fertilizers, pesticides, solvents, fuels and other agricultural chemicals can be lost, contaminated or contaminate the surrounding environment and environments downstream of storage and use areas. For more information, contact Bob Bellinger, extension pesticide coordinator, at (864) 656-5042.

FILL 'ER UP WITH FRENCH FRY OIL: Researchers at Clemson University look to reduce the cost of biodiesel fuel, turning used oils and fats into a delicious alternative to high-dollar petroleum-based fuel. Contact James Goodwin (864) 656-6614.

UP, UP AND AWAY: Environmental scientist and nationally recognized researcher Bill Bowerman climbs trees for a living to check on the health of baby eagles. By doing so, he says it's a window into our own health. Bowerman and other researchers go to sites in northern Minnesota, Michigan and South Carolina, where they sample feathers and blood from eagle nestlings retrieved from nests as high as 130 feet off the ground. Because the nestlings -- an ironic term since the six-to-nine week-old 'babies' weigh up to 10 pounds and have eight-foot wing spans -- get food only from the parents' near-home hunting forays, studying them gives researchers an innovative way to study the health of the surrounding areas. That's because pollutants, as well as nutrition, are absorbed through food. Over time, these samples give a clear indication of the eco-system's health. Contact Bowerman at (864) 656-6192.

EROSION CONTROL ALONG INTERCOASTAL WATERWAYS: Boat wakes, tidal influences and drainage are taking a toll on the 1,200-mile protected water route connecting Cape Cod to Key West. Responsible for maintaining the waterway for waterway traffic, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would like to find a method to control bank erosion and shore up basins containing dredging residue. Willam Conner, a professor of forest resources at Clemson University's Belle Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown, is working on the project. The goal of the study is to find out whether native plants can prevent erosion from coastal development runoff and wave action. A study to examine the use of bioengineering -- the use of living material for construction -- was undertaken by the Corps. Conner was invited to help select the vegetation to use and to monitor the growth and survival of the plantings. Contact Conner at (843) 546-6323.

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