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Sandra L. Romano Division of Science and Mathematics University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas, USVI 00802 Tel 340-693-1389, Fax 340-693-1385, sromano@uvi.edu Research Interests Current research interests are in the biology, taxonomy and systematics of scleractinian corals. Two main areas of investigation are: 1) species level differences of sympatric corals that are morphologically similar such as Caribbean species of the genus Porites (finger and mustard hill corals), and 2) higher level phylogenetic relationships in the order Scleractinia. Education PhD, Zoology. University of Hawai’i, 1995 Dissertation: A Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Reef-Building Corals Advisor: Dr. Stephen R. Palumbi Master of Science, Zoology. University of Hawai’i. 1989. Thesis: Long-term Effects of Interspecific Aggression on Growth of the Reef-Building Corals Cyphastrea ocellina and Pocillopora damicornis Advisor: Dr. Stephen R. Palumbi Bachelor of Arts, Aquatic Biology. University of California, Santa Barbara. 1983. Research and Teaching Positions Assistant Professor of Marine Biology, Division of Science and Mathematics, University of the Virgin Islands. August 2000 to present. Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Marine Laboratory, University of Guam. Genetics and reproductive biology of reef-building corals. Advisor: Dr. Robert H. Richmond. April 1996 to July 2000. Post-Doctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Systematics and Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of non-reef building scleractinian corals. Advisors: Dr. Stephen D. Cairns and Dr. Michael Braun. March 1995 to March 1996. Research Assistant to Dr. Stephen Palumbi, Kewalo Marine Laboratory. Molecular analysis of reef- building corals. February to September 1994. Edmondson Fellow, Dept. of Zoology, University of Hawai’i. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of reef- building corals. July 1991 to June 1992. Research Assistant to Dr. Michael Hadfield, Kewalo Marine Laboratory. Studies of fouling communities in Pearl Harbor. August 1990 to June 1991. Research Assistant to Dr. Stephen R. Palumbi, University of Hawai’i. Larval culture of sea urchins. June 1988 to June 1989. Teaching Assistant. Department of Zoology, University of Hawai’i. Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory. January to May 1988. Teaching Assistant. Biology Program, University of Hawai’i. General Biology and Cell Biology Laboratory. August 1985 to December 1987. Publications Fautin, D.G. and Romano, S.L. 1997. Cnidaria. In: The Tree of Life: A distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity. Maddison, D.R. and W. P. Maddison. 1996. Internet address: http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/phylogeny.html. Fautin, D.G. and Romano, S.L. 2000. Anthozoa. In: The Tree of Life: A distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity. Maddison, D.R. and W. P. Maddison. 1996. Internet address: http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/phylogeny.html. Fautin, D.G., S.L. Romano, and W.A. Oliver, Jr. 2000. Hexacorallia. In: The Tree of Life: A distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity. Maddison, D.R. and W. P. Maddison. 1996. Internet address: http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/phylogeny.html.. Palumbi, S.R., Martin, A.P., Romano, S.R., McMillan, W.O., Stice, L., and Grabowski, G. 1991. The Simple Fool’s Guide to PCR (ver. 2.0). Dept. of Zoology, University of Hawai’i Special Publication. 44 pp. Richmond, R.H. and S.L. Romano. 1997. Survey of the Coral Gardens, Rota, CNMI, January 1997, following the Navy demolition exercise. Univ. of Guam Marine Laboratory Environmental Survey Report No. 37. 12 pp. Romano, S.L. 1990. Long-term effects of interspecific aggression on growth of the reef-building corals Cyphastrea ocellina (Dana) and Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus). JEMBE 140:135-146. Romano, S.L. 1995. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of reef-building corals. PhD Dissertation. University of Hawaii. 199 pp. Romano, S.L. and Palumbi, S.R. 1996. Evolution of scleractinian corals inferred from molecular systematics. Science 271: 640-642. Romano, S.L. 1996. A molecular perspective on the evolution of scleractinian corals. The Paleontological Society Papers 1:39-57. Romano, S.L. and Palumbi, S.R. 1997. Molecular evolution of a portion of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal gene region in scleractinian corals. J. Mol. Evol. 45:397-411. Romano, S.L., and S.D. Cairns. 2000. Molecular phylogenetic hypotheses for the evolution of scleractinian corals. Bulletin of Marine Science. 67:1043-1068 Romano, S. L. and R.H. Richmond. 2002. PCR-generated fragment markers for assessing genetic variation within scleractinian coral species. Proceedings of the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, 2000. 1:125-130. Romano, S.L. and S.D. Cairns. Submitted. Scleractinia. To: The Tree of Life: A distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity. Maddison, D.R. and W. P. Maddison. 1996. Internet address: http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/tree/phylogeny.html. Shearer, T.L., M.J.H. van Oppen, S.L. Romano, and G. Worheide. 2002. Slow mitochondrial DNA sequence evolution in the Anthozoa (Cnidaria). Molecular Ecology 11:2475-2488. Current Funding Nemeth, R. and S.L. Romano. 2003. Biocomplexity in Caribbean Coral Reefs. Research Focus Area proposal for the UVI NSF EPSCoR RII proposal. The VI-EPSCoR proposal was funded at $4.5 million from Jan. 2004 to Jan. 2008 with Biocomplexity in Caribbean Coral Reefs as the main research focus area. Romano, S.L. 2004. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of USVI Porites. A proposal for seed money for supplies submitted to University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program. $3,500 funded. Romano, S.L. 2004. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of USVI Porites. A proposal for release time submitted to the BCCR Research Focus Area of VI-EPSCoR. 25% release time for the 04-05 and 05-06 academic years awarded. Romano, S.L. 2005. Collaborative Research: Assembling the Tree of Life-An Integrative Approach to Investigating Cnidarian Phylogeny. A proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation in collaboration with nine other investigators. Oct. 2005 to Sept. 2010. $90,743 funded. Courses taught General Biology I (BIO 141), Invertebrate Zoology (BIO/MBI 222), Coral Reef Biology (BIO 465), Scientific Diving (MSC 111), Research Diving (MSC 211), Changes in the Natural World (SCI 200). Professional Activities Scientific advisor on the Habitat Advisory Panel of the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. Coordinator, Reef Check, U.S. Virgin Islands. Pre-Health Professions Advisor. Member of The International Society for Reef Studies, The International Association for the Study of Fossil Cnidaria and Porifera, The Society for the Study of Evolution, The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, The Society of Systematic Biologists, and Association for Women in Science.