Dr. Patrick Biber

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University of Southern Mississippi
College of Science and Technology
Department of Coastal Sciences
Assistant Professor
Professional Headshot of Patrick Biber

Mailing Address

703 East Beach Dr.
Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (228) 872-4270
Fax: (228) 872-4204
patrick.biber@usm.edu
http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/contacts/view_vitae.php?id=852

Qualifications

Ph.D., University of Miami, Marine Biology and Fisheries, 2002.
B.Sc., University of Queensland, Zoology/Marine Biology, 1993.

Expertise and Research Interests

Marine botany – phycology, seagrasses, mangroves, salt-marsh plants
Plant physiology, in particular stress-response research using multiple methods to assess photosynthesis
Photo-physiology using PEA and PAM to determine Fv/Fm, JIP-parameters and their utility in marine research
Community changes along gradients, in particular light and salinity stressors
Landscape characteristics of marine vegetation using remote sensing and GIS tools
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) mapping and trend analysis
Water quality changes that influence the distribution and abundance of SAV
Monitoring and modeling of vegetation change in response to landscape drivers

Other Expertise

- Dept. of Interior Motorboat Operator Certification Course
- Small boating skills in near-shore, marsh, and coral reef habitats
- AAUS certified SCUBA diver, NAUI Master and Rescue Diver ratings, approx. 450 dives logged
- Research diving experience in coral reef diving, night diving, current and drift dives, deep dives (max. depth 45m/140ft), boat and shore dives
- Nitrox certified

Future Research

- Wetland and submerged aquatic plant nursery (Spartina, Juncus, Ruppia, Halodule, Thalassia)
- Coastal Observing Systems and water quality monitoring for seagrass/SAV habitat protection.
- SAV photophysiology, "remote-sensing" of chlorophyll using reflectance and fluorescence instrumentation.

Industrial Relevance

Seagrass CriteriaBase - software that can be used by managers to determine water quality suitability for SAV survival, using existing monitoring data.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Botany, Ecosystems, Estuarine Sciences, Fish and Fisheries, Limnology, Marine Biology, Oceanography, Phycology, Plant Physiology Or Morphology, Wetlands.

Additional Terms:

Algae, Ecology, Harmful Algal Bloom, Marine Botany, Phytoplankton, Restoration, Saltmarsh, Seagrass.

Languages

(Reading, Writing, Speaking)

English: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)
German: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)
Saami (Swiss German): (Functional, Functional, Fluent)
French: (Functional, Functional, Functional)
Spanish: (Functional, Basic, Basic)

Memberships

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Estuarine Research Federation

Previous Positions

2002-2004, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Institute of Marine Science
2002-2004, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, NOS/NCCOS/CCFHR/Beaufort Laboratory
1994-2002, Graduate Research Assistant, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

Funding Received

  • CIAP, MS-DMR: Native Plant Nursery for Restoration of Mississippi Coastal Vegetation, $300,000, 2009 to 2012.
  • CIAP, MS-DMR: Colonization and succession of new habitats: Implications for the success of artificial reefs, $89,000, 2009 to 2012.
  • The Nature Conservancy: Seagrass Monitoring - Gulf Islands National Seashore, $25,000, 2008 to 2009.
  • MS DMR Tidelands: SAV restoration in Grand Bay NERR, $10,000, 2008 to 2009.
  • Co-PI with Jinx Campbell, CREST: The role of root-associated fungi in saltmarsh restoration success, $79,900, 2008 to 2010.
  • MS DMR - CIAP: Deer Island Restoration - Plant Nursery, $130,000, 2007 to 2009.
  • RAND foundation: Seagrass and Saltmarsh Nursery - awarded to M.S. student, $10,000, 2007 to 2008.
  • Co-PI with Jinx Campbell, NOAA - SeaGrant (MASGC): The Diversity and Role of Root-Associated Fungi in Saltmarsh and Seagrass Plants and Implications for Restoration Success, $213,043, 2006 to 2008.
  • MS - Tidelands Trust Fund: Cumulative Effects of Pier Shading on Marsh Plant Productivity, $87,400, 2006 to 2007.
  • Co-PI with Mac Alford, NSF-SGER: Restoration of Herbarium Specimens at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Damaged by Hurricane Katrina, $21,643, 2006 to 2007.
  • NOAA-GoMP + MS DMR Tidelands: Plant Nursery for Tidal Marsh Restoration in Mississippi GEMS, $100,000, 2005 to 2007.
  • MS DMR: Mississippi Native Plant Nursery Technician, $125,000, 2005 to 2010.
  • Co-PI with Hans Paerl, US EPA STAR Grant: R828677C004: Seagrass Photosynthetic Efficiency as an Indicator of Coastal Ecosystem Health, $50,000, 2003 to 2004.

Profile Details

Last Updated: 8/8/2009

COS Expertise ID #1173028
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/PatBiber