Microfossils 2 Initial Organizing Committee Assembled

NAMS has planning underway for the March 2009 conference "Geological Problem Solving with Microfossils 2." As of mid-July, 2007, an initial organizing committee has been formed and a meeting site selected at the University of Houston, Houston, Texas. Please visit our Meetings Page for more information.

NAMS Sessions at 2007 AAPG/SEPM Showcase Micropaleontology

NAMS activities at the 2007 AAPG/SEPM annual meeting, which was held April 1-4 in Long Beach, CA, highlighted beneficial and innovative applications of micropaleontology.

A NAMS-organized poster session, "Integrated Biostratigraphic Analyses," co-chaired by Nancy Englehardt-Moore and Pete McLaughlin, had excellent contributions (click here for the program and abstracts). The session had a good volume of foot traffic and the authors all looked to have prodctive discussions with poster visitors. The presentations included:

• Dave McNeil (coauthored by J. R. Dietrich, D. R. Issler, J. Dixon, K. Hu): Deep-Water Foraminifera and Petroleum Geology of the Oligocene Kugmallit Submarine Fan Complex in the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Canada
• Stacy Blair (coauthored by D. K. Watkins): High-Resolution Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy of the Santonian Stage Boundary, Western Interior Basin
• Eva Tuzzi (coauthored by R. D. Cody, D. M. Harwood, R. Levy, D. M. Winter): Development of High Resolution Chronostratigraphic Models for the Southern Ocean Using Quantitative Biostratigraphy
• David Watkins (coauthored by J. M. Self-Trail): Paleoceanographic Cause for Nannofossil Biostratigraphic Discordance between Adjacent Nearshore and Deepwater Localities in the Upper Maastricthian of the Atlantic Margin, Southern United States
• Dragana Nebrigic: Planktic Foraminiferal Paleoecological Events - Tool for High Resolution Biochronostratigraphic Correlations – Cenomanian-Turonian Time, San Felipe Formation, NE Mexico
• Pete McLaughlin: Integration of Palynology and Sequence Stratigraphy in the Analysis of Miocene Siliciclastic Aquifers, Delaware, USA
• Soma De (coauthored by A. K. Gupta): Effect of Watermass Properties on the Distribution of Recent Deep-sea Benthic Foraminifera Across the Indian Ocean.

NAMS also sponsored a small but dynamic joint meeting of the Marine Micropaleontology Research Group and the Quantitative Stratigraphy Research Group on Monday evening. The meeting started with a group reception for all of the SEPM research groups meeting that evening, which provided a great opportunity for cross-disciplinary socializing and discussion. The meeting program of the MMRG/QS session, organized by Ron Waszczak (ConocoPhillips) and Rich Lane (NSF) had three thought provoking talks:

• Claudia J. Schroder-Adams (Carleton University - Ottawa), "Influence of sediment transport dynamics and ocean floor morphology on benthic foraminifera offshore Fraser Island, Australia" co-authored by Ron Boyd and Kevin Ruming, University of Newcastle, Australia - Dr. Schroder-Adams reviewed a recent project that was a great example of the integration of foraminifera with other geologic/oceanographic data to make a seamless multidisiplinary story.


• David K. Watkins (University of Nebraska - Lincoln), "Quantitative biostratigraphy Versus the fossil record" - Dr. Watkins showed examples from his recent work that highlighted the importance of exercising care in interpreting biostratigraphic data using quantitative methods.


• Walter S. Snyder (Boise State University), "Interactive data systems for sedimentary geology and paleontology -- the PaleoStrat example". Dr. Snyder gave a comprehensive overview of the current capabilities of PaleoStrat and an enthusiastic pitch for participation in this project.

 

NAMS Council News: In with the new, thanks to the old

NAMS installed two new officers at the April, 2007, meeting of the NAMS Council in Long Beach, CA.

Dr. Ronald Martin, Professor of Geology at the University of Delaware was chosen as President-Elect.

Dr. Donald van Nieuwenhuise, University of Houston, is the new NAMS Treasurer.

Dr. David Watkins (University of Nebraska) and Rick Fluegeman (Ball State University) were kind enough to for agreeing to stand as candidates in the same election (President and Treasurer, respectively). Many thanks to both for their willingness to serve NAMS (and hoping they might consider running for an office again?).

NAMS is also indebted to our two outgoing officers for significant contributions to the section. Martin Farley has served as NAMS Treasurer since 1999 and been a voice of wisdom on the board; NAMS funds have been carefully managed during his eight years of service. Jim Gamber, who just completed a cycle as President-Elect, President, Past-President, has been a positive voice for micropaleontology as a NAMS office the last three years and a great proponent for our disciplines.

 

Micropaleontology Conference Volume in the works

Review and editing work is underway for a volume of papers presented at the NAMS-cosponsored conference, "Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils," held in memory of former NAMS President Garry Jones in March 2005 at Rice University in Houston. The volume is being edited by Thomas Demchuk (ConocoPhillips) and Anthony Gary (University of Utah). Details on content, publication date, etc., will be posted here as the volume takes shape.

 

NAMS 2007 Student Grant Awarded

NAMS is happy to support the graduate research of Andrew Kemp of the University of Pennsylvania by awarding him the 2007 NAMS Garry Jones Award for Student Research. This $1500 grant supports student research with a substantial micropaleontological component. Andrew's topic is "Microfossils as indicators of Late Holocene relative sea level change in the Ablemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, North Carolina, USA." We wish Andrew the best of success in undertaking this excellent project.

The review panel was impressed with the quality of the eleven international submittals that we had this year - they speak well of the work currently being done by micropaleontology students.

Applications for the 2008 award will be solicited late this year with a deadline likely in February 2008.

 

Latest Science News in Micropaleontology

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