Áurea E. Rodríguez Santiago
Ph.D. Candidate
Biological Oceanography
Department of Marine Sciences
Marine Station at Magueyes Island
La Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
Phone: (787) 899-2048
Mobile: (787) 637-5952
Email: auryro@gmail.com
Education:
B.S. Industrial Microbiology
M.S.M.S (Master in Marine Science) Biological Oceanography
Research Description:
My work focus on ichthyoplankton ecology, lately I have been working on genetic species identification of snapper fish larvae, because of the difficulty of their identification using conventional morphological techniques and the importance in the understanding their life cycles and the. This research is integrated within some others related to the extend of dispersal of coral reef fishes on their larval stages and the implications on the capacity of those larval fishes to subsist and settle in other reefs away from where they were born or if they are retained near, within natal reefs. So, there is a question on if whether populations of coral reef fishes are open or closed, meaning there a “big whole” population or if there are subpopulations that sustain themselves within the Caribbean. This is known as connectivity and recently many studies suggest that those populations are more “closed” that previously thought. Now there is another concern; to determine the scale and size of those subpopulations.
The understanding of those dynamics is relevant to the evaluation of strategies for the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) that include No take Marine Reserves (NTMR’s), which can help to reestablish the declining stocks of many overexploited coral reef fishes.
Presentations
Rodríguez, A.E., E. Otero, J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García. Mitochondrial DNA analyses as a tool for family and species identification of fish larvae: Emphasis on Snapper (talk). 2nd Symposium for Coastal and Marine Applied Research, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. October 2006.
Rodríguez, A.E., E. Otero, J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García.
Snapper larvae (Family: Lutjanidae) species identification based on mitochondrial DNA analyses. 2 nd Latin American and Caribbean Biotechnology Congress. Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. September 2005.
Rodríguez, A. E., J. T. Ramírez, J. C. Martínez, and J. R. García. Description of a distinct snapper larvae and species identification based on mitochondrial DNA analyses (talk). Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) annual conference, November 7-11, 2005, San Andrés, Cololmbia.
Rodríguez, A. E., J. T. Ramírez, J. C. Martínez, and J. R. García.
Species Identification of snapper larvae (Family Lutjanidae) based on mitochondrial DNA analyses (talk). 1st Symposium for Coastal and Marine Applied Research, Unoversity of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. October 2005.
Rodríguez, A.E., J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and, J.R. García. Mitochondrial DNA analyses on Caribbean Snapper Larvae for species identification (poster). First AGEP Island Wide Conference, March 2005. Hotel Boquemar, Boquerón, PR
Rodríguez, A.E., J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García. - Species Identification of Snapper larvae (Family: Lutjanidae) based on mitochondrial DNA analyses (talk). V Congreso de la Biodiversidad Caribeña, January 25-28, 2005. Santo Domingo, República Dominicana.
Rodríguez, A.E., J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García. 2003. Mitochondrial DNA Analyses on Caribbean Snappers (Subfamily: Lutjaninae) for Species Identification of larvae (poster). Emerge Workshop 2003. Atlanta, Georgia.
Rodríguez, A.E., J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García. 2002. Analyses of the 12S rRNA Mitochondrial DNA as a method for species identification of Caribbean Snappers larvae (talk). Latin American and Caribbean Biotechnology Congress. Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
Rodríguez, A.E., J.T. Ramírez, J.C. Martínez, and J.R. García. 2002. Mitochondrial DNA Analyses of various snapper larvae (Subfamily: Lutjaninae) for species identification (poster). V Larval Biology Meeting, 2002. Vigo, Spain.
Rodríguez, A.E., Martínez, J.C. and J.R. García. 2001. Mitochondrial DNA Analysis for Species Identification of Snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae) from Caribbean waters (poster). Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) 54th annual conference. Turks and Caicos, Providenciales.
Rodríguez, A.E., and J.R. García. 2000. Taxonomic composition and seasonal abundance of zooplankton in the vicinity of the San Juan Power Plant, Puerto Rico (poster). American Society for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rodríguez, A.E., and J.R. García. 1999. Taxonomic composition and seasonal abundance of zooplankton entrained by a thermoelectric power plant in San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico (poster). American Society for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Rodríguez, A.E., and J.R. García. 1997. Taxonomic structure and seasonal abundance of zooplankton at the thermoelectric power plant intake and outfall in San Juan Bay, Puerto Rico (talk). Asociación de Laboratorios Marinos del Caribe (ALMC). San Pedro, Costa Rica.
Rodríguez, A. E. Characterization of Coral Reef Fish Eggs (talk). 1997. American Society for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). Student Symposium, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
Fellowships and Grants
Central New York – Puerto Rico Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (CNY-PR AGEP) fellow. August 2003 – present.
Peer mentor – Participant in the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program. 2001 – 2005. University of Puerto Rico. Application of mentoring strategies to coach and support incoming Ph. D. students in critical stages of their graduate programs.
NSF Puerto Rico Graduate Fellows for K-12 Education. June 2002 – May 2003. Scientific content assessor for schoolteachers.
Mitochondrial DNA Analysis for Species Identification of Snappers (Pisces: Lutjanidae) from Caribbean waters. March 2000 – February 2002. Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program – Omnibus 2000 award.
CNYPR-AGEP Activities:
1st CNYPR-AGEP
Fellows and Mentors Meeting, Hotel Condado Plaza, San Juan, PR. January, 2004.
2nd CNYPR-AGEP
Fellows and Mentors Meeting, Syracuse, USA. June 2005.
3rd CNYPR-AGEP
Fellows and Mentors Meeting, Cornell University, USA. June 2006.
1st Symposium for Coastal and Marine Applied Research, UPRM October 2005.
The Howard University/University of Texas at El Paso Institute on Postdoctorate Preparation, Washington D.C., USA September 2006.
2nd Symposium for Coastal and Marine Applied Research October 2006.
