The 2020 PSA Meeting and Covid-19 Update - Annual Meeting Canceled

Greetings fellow phycologists,

 I think that we can all agree that the greatest strength of our society is the fantastic folk of which it is comprised.  We have members from around the planet, at every stage of professional development, all unified by our love of all things algal.  Thus, it is with a heavy heart that after consultation with, and on behalf of, the Executive Committee, we have decided to cancel the meeting in Rhode Island this year for several Covid-19 related reasons.

 First, the expanding nature of the virus carries a significant risk of quarantine for travelers.  We do not want our members to be trapped somewhere due to the vicissitudes of public health.  Second, by making this decision early, we hope to stave off as much financial loss as possible.  This way folks do not need to cancel reservations, air-travel, etc.  Third, and most significantly, we love our members and would not want to endanger any by exposing them to potential pathogens.

 So, what about the meeting?  For example, what about the folks who were looking forward to the Bold Competition?  The excellent folks on the Executive Committee are currently discussing several options, ranging from a possible one-day, video-conference to moving the meeting itself to 2021.  Alas, we do not have anything definitive yet, but are working on resolutions that we will pass along to everyone.

 I sincerely apologize for this message: if you are like me, the annual meeting is one of the things most anticipated every year.  That said, sometimes events transpire that are out of our hands, and this appears to be the case.

 If I may be of any help answering questions or assisting in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.  We will also be posting information on the PSA website and in subsequent emails as information becomes available.  

 On behalf of the EC, we hope that you understand our abundance of caution, and further hope that everything resolves as soon as possible. 

Best,
 Dale Casamatta
dcasamat@unf.edu

Dr. Dale Casamatta, Professor
President, Phycological Society of America
Department of Biology
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL 32224

Wanted: Webmaster and Social Media Liaison for PSA

The Phycological Society of America is looking for two members in good standing who would like to help us get out the good news about algae on the Internet. Specifically, we are looking to recruit a Webmaster and a Social Media Liaison.

Webmaster Duties:

• Make changes as needed to the PSA website

• Contact PSA committee chairs to conduct semiannual reviews of different sections of the website

• Work with Program Committee to advertise the PSA Annual Meeting

Social Media Liaison Duties:

• Queue weekly content for the PSA Twitter feed

• Advertise PSA activities, deadlines, and funding opportunities via Twitter and Facebook

• Live-tweet talks during the PSA annual meeting (and/or other phycology meetings)

• Work with Program Committee to advertise the PSA Annual Meeting

Both the Webmaster and the Social Media Liaison will receive a $500 travel award each year of service to attend the PSA annual meeting or another research conference of their choosing. If you are interested — or if you have qualified colleagues or students — please contact the PSA Communications Director Jeff Morris (evolve@uab.edu). 

The 2019 Prescott Award

The Gerald W. Prescott Award recognizes scholarly work in English in the form of a published book or monograph devoted to phycology. This year the Prescott Committee received four nominations for books and monographs published in 2017 and 2018. Each of nominated books were outstanding contributions to the field of phycology. After lengthy and careful deliberation, this year’s award is presented to John Huisman for “Algae of Australia: Marine benthic algae of northwestern Australia, 2. Red algae.” (2018, CSIRO Publishing, Locked Bag 10, Clayton, South VIC 3169, Australia. [ISBN 9781486309542]). This volume provides descriptions of the red macroalgae ranging across tropical and warm temperate ecosystems in a region of Australia that has been understudied due to its remoteness. The volume complements the 2015 publication of the region’s green and brown macroalgae by the same author. The monograph includes newly described genera and species (7 and 88, respectively); some were described by the author, others reflect the work of the author and collaborators. The taxonomic work incorporates both morphological and molecular data and has keys, photographs, and diagrams to help readers who are new to this flora. Excellent and detailed reviews of the book are provided by Kraft (2019) and Wynne (2019), which we encourage you to read along with John’s book. As Kraft (2019) suggests, “If the reader has a favorite family or genus of warmwater red in any number of taxonomic groups, he or she is sure to find endless pleasure in delving deeply into or just recreationally browsing big chunks of this very user-friendly book.” Congratulations John!

Kraft, G.T. (2019) Algae of Australia: Marine benthic algae of northwestern Australia, 2. Red algae, Phycologia, DOI: 10.1080/00318884.2018.1551025 Wynne, M.J. (2019), Book Review. J. Phycol., 55: 500-502. doi:10.1111/jpy.12840

The Curious World of Seaweed by Josie Iselin

Marine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the waters, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know it. In this follow-up to her Tiffany Award-winning 2017 book An Ocean Garden, Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the biological presence of sixteen seaweeds and kelps that live in the thin region where the Pacific Ocean converges with the North American continent—a place of incomparable richness. Each species receives a detailed description of its structure, its ecological importance, and humans’ scientific inquiry into it, told in scientifically illuminating yet deeply reverent and inspired prose. Throughout the writings are historical botanical illustrations and Iselin’s signature, Marimekko-like portraits of each specimen that reveal their vibrant colors—whether rosy, “olivaceous,” or grass-green—and whimsical shapes. Iselin posits that we can learn not only about the seaweeds but also from them: their resilience, their resourcefulness, their poetry and magic.

This beautiful volume is ideal for both seaweed lovers and phycology students. More information is available at https://heydaybooks.com/book/the-curious-world-of- seaweed/.