Working from the Department of Marine Science and Fisheries at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman, Smith will teach in the undergraduate program and mentor graduate students in their plankton research, even training a plankton technician in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
"This opportunity allows me to advance my Arabian Sea research program and share the knowledge I've gained over the past 28 years with the young scientists being trained in the Sultanate," Smith said. "I hope to convince at least several to direct their attention to the remarkable plankton of the Omani waters."
Smith is set to study the surface plankton community of the Arabian Sea during onset of the Southwest (SW) Monsoon. Numeric models, paleoclimate records and correlations to present-day monsoon variables all point to a consistent paradigm that forecasts global warming's impact on the Arabian Sea region.
Warming will reduce snow and ice cover on the Tibetan Plateau, the starting point of the monsoon system of this region and south Asia. Less ice and snow leads to increased winds during the SW Monsoon, causing more vigorous upwelling, increased deposition on the seabed, and changes in the kinds of surface plankton that marine life feed on, including the food that commercially viable yellowfin tuna, billfish, and large squid like best. Masirah Island, off the south coast of Oman, is perfectly positioned to be a
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Contact: Ivy Kupec
ikupec@miami.edu
305-421-4704
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science
26-May-2006