May 10, 2011
Contact: James A. Lawrence, Fulbright Scholars Program
202-632-3241
Cal Poly Professor Mark Moline
mmoline@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Marine Biology Professor Named 2011 Fulbright Arctic Chair
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly Marine Biology Professor Mark Moline has been named the 2011 Fulbright Arctic Chair, one of the most prestigious awards in the international Fulbright Scholars program.
As the Fulbright Arctic Chair, Moline, director of Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, will conduct research and lecture at the University Centre (UNIS) in Svalbard, Norway, from July through February, 2012. This will be the sixth Arctic research trip for Moline.
While there, the professor will be using underwater robots to characterize the ocean foraging habitat that is key to a number of Arctic bird species. Recent warming trends have pushed warmer North Atlantic waters farther north into Arctic regions off Norway, changing the food web available to the birds. Moline will be working with UNIS students and remotely operated underwater vehicles to document current, temperature and ocean food web changes in the area.
Only 40 Fulbright Chairs are selected each year from among the ranks of eminent scholars. As part of the award, Moline’s wife and two sons will join the professor in Norway during his stay.
Moline’s research specialties include biological oceanography, phytoplankton ecology and physiology, polar marine ecosystems and climate change. He has received numerous grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Navy and other agencies. His research frequently makes use of autonomous underwater vehicles – small, remotely-operated submarines which collect data for analysis. He received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2002.
Read more about Professor Moline, his publications and research at:
http://www.marine.calpoly.edu/community/faculty/markmoline.php
Read about Professor Moline’s two most recent research expeditions on the Cal Poly Remote Adventures blog at: http://calpolymarine.blogspot.com. Moline and Cal Poly research scientists spent December, January and February in the Antarctic studying penguin feeding grounds. In March, Professor Moline and research scientists traveled to Palau to place data-gathering sensors to measure wave and current properties as they interact with coral reef islands.
About the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences
The Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences promotes and facilitates interdisciplinary studies of coastal marine systems in order to address environmental concerns and foster hands-on learning for Cal Poly students through discovery and outreach. Find out more on its web site at:
http://www.marine.calpoly.edu
About the Fulbright Scholars Program
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.
Note to editors: For a jpg of Professor Moline in Svalbard, contact Teresa Hendrix at thendrix@calpoly.edu.