BRIGITTE GAVIO

 

 

 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Department of Biology
PO Box 42451
Lafayette, LA 70504-2451

Ph: 337-482-5057
Fax: 337-482-5660

E-mail: bxg0535@louisiana.edu

UL Seaweeds Home Page

CURRICULUM VITAE

 
RESEARCH INTEREST
 
Algal culture, biology, ecology, physiology and phylogeny of marine benthic algae, marine biology.
 
 
EDUCATION
 
2002: Ph.D. in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA.
Dissertation title: "Systematics of the Rhodymeniales-Cryptonemiales complex (Rhodophyta), with emphasis on taxa from the Western Atlantic" (Supervisor: Dr. Suzanne Fredericq).
 
1997: Master's Degree in "Informatic Systems for Territory and Environment", Istituto Santi, Genova, Italy (Training on the use and applications of GIS (Geographic Information Systems).
 
1996: Laurea Degree in Natural Sciences, Major: Marine Biology, Universita' degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy (Final score: 110/110 - equivalent to Honors Thesis and B.S).
Graduate thesis title: "Culture studies on factors influencing growth, productivity and fertility of gametophytes of Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar, an economically interesting brown alga". (Supervisors: Prof. Salvatore Gentile, Istituto di Botanica, Universita' degli Studi di Genova, Italy; Dr. Ralph Kuhlenkamp, CEVA, Pleubian, France (now: BAH, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, D-27483 Helgoland, Germany).
 
 
OTHER GRADUATE COURSES COMPLETED
 
"Molecular studies of marine biological diversity" at HBOI, Ft. Pierce, Florida and at BERC, Standard Creek, Andros Island, Bahamas, May-June 1999
 
"Phycology" at CNRS Marine Station, Roscoff, France, April 1997
 
"Mediterranean phytobenthos (benthic primary producers in the oligotrophic sea) and marine environment in Mediterranean Sea (exploitation of aquatic vegetables)" at Laboratoire Arago, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France, July 1996.
 
 
GRANTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Dissertation Completion Award - Graduate School, UL Lafayette, Fall 2002.
 
Phycological Society of America - Hoshaw Travel Award, August 2002.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the International Botanical Congress held in Madison, WI, August 4-7, 2002.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Summer 2002.
 
Best paper- Graduate Student Symposium, Department of Biology, UL Lafayette, April 2002.
 
Best paper- Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium, Southwestern Louisiana Chapter, April 2002.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Spring 2002.
 
J. Bennett Johnston Science Foundation Grant, August 2001.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the 7th International Phycological Congress held in Thessaloniki, Greece, August 18-25 2001.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Spring 2001.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Fall 2000.
 
Phycological Society of America-Grants in Aid of Research Award, June 2000.
 
Research Assistanship at UL-Lafayette, Summer 2000.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the 54th Annual Meeting of the Phycological Society of America held in San Diego, July 13-19 2000.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Summer 2000.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the Gulf of Mexico Symposium 2000 held in Mobile, Alabama, April 9-12.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Spring 2000.
 
Research Assistanship at UL-Lafayette, Summer 1999.
 
UL-Lafayette Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the International Botanical Congress held in St. Louis, Missouri, August 1-7, 1999.
 
USL Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Summer 1999.
 
Phycological Society of America - Hoshaw Travel Award, May 1999.
 
Grant awarded by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, Florida, to attend the graduate course "Molecular studies of Marine Biological Diversity", May 1999.
 
USL Graduate Student Organization Research Supplies Grant, Spring 1999.
 
Fulbright Predoctoral Fellowship July 1998-June 1999.
 
USL Graduate Student Organization Financial Travel Support Grant to attend the 20th Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, FL, Nov. 6-8, 1998.
 
Appointment by the Universita' degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy, as qualified person to pursue a Ph.D. on "Biology of algae", March 1997.
 
Appointment by CoNISMa (National and Inter-University Union for Marine Sciences) as qualified person (with certificate) to pursue a study on "Research on taxonomy and biology of dinoflagellates and other toxic microalgae in the Adriatic Sea through techniques of optical and electron microscopy; observations on field populations and lab cultures; field work and sampling", May 1996.
 
Grant awarded by European Commission "Comett Li.Sa." to carry out the research topics mentioned in the graduate thesis, December 1994-June 1995.
 
Grant awarded by Department Côte D'Armor (Bretagne, France) to carry out the research topics mentioned in the graduate thesis, December 1994-September 1995.
 
 
OFF-SHORE EXPEDITIONS

Flower Garden Marine Sanctuary-sponsored diving trip to the Texas Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-FLING. September 10-15, 2000.

Sustainable Seas Expeditions-sponsored diving trip to the Florida Middle Ground. Activities: surveyed underwater and deep water communities to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: R/V Gordon Gunther (NOAA's vessel). August 7-14, 2000.

DOE/EETAP-sponsored dredging trip to the hard banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Activities: surveyed deepwater community to asses the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: Pelican (LUMCON's vessel). May 24-28, 2000.

Flower Garden Marine Sanctuary-sponsored diving trip to the Texas Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-SPREE. February 27-March 1st, 2000.

Flower Garden Marine Sanctuary-sponsored diving trip to the Texas Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-SPREE. February 14-17, 2000

NOAA-sponsored diving trip to the Texas Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-FLING. September 12-16, 1999.

NOAA-sponsored diving trip to the Texas Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-SPREE. August 15-20, 1999.
 
Mineral Management Service Annual Monitoring Cruise to the Louisiana's Sonnier Bank. Activities: surveyed underwater hard bank community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-FLING. June 29-July 2, 1999.
 
NOAA-sponsored diving trip to the Texas' Stetson Bank (part of the Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary). Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: MV-FLING. June 6-9, 1999.
 
DOE/EETAP-sponsored diving trip to the Texas' Flower Garden Reefs. Activities: surveyed underwater reef community to assess the diversity of benthic macroalgae. Ship: Pelican (LUMCON's vessel). August 15-19, 1998.
 
 
PUBLICATIONS
 
Mateo-Cid L.E., Mendoza-Gonzales A.C., Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. Grateloupia huertana sp. nov. (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) a peculiar new prostrate species from tropical Pacific Mexico. Phycologia (in review).
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. Botryocladia caraibica (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta) a new species from the Caribbean. Cryptogamie Algologie (in review).
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. 2002. Grateloupia turuturu (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) is the correct name of the non-native species in the Atlantic known as Grateloupia doryphora. Eur. J. Phycol. 37: 349-360.
 
Fredericq S., Phillips N. & B. Gavio. 2000. Preliminary observations on the macroalgae inhabiting deep-water hard bank communities in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico Science 18 (2): 12-18.
 
Wysor B. & B. Gavio. 2000. The importance of seaweeds in the Gulf of Mexico. National Marine Sanctuary Program, Special Report. Sustainable Seas expedition to explore the West Florida shelf. NOAA.
 
De Paz M., M. Pilo & B. Gavio. 1999. Opportunita' di educazione ambientale offerte dalle zone umide. Biologi Italiani 5/99.
 
 
PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS
 
Gavio B. 2002. "A molecular phylogenetic study of the deepwater marine red algae in Louisiana: the Rhodymeniales-Halymeniales complex". Environmental State of the State Conference VII, Lafayette, LA, October 11.
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. 2001. "Phylogeny and biogeography of the red algal orders Halymeniales and Rhodymeniales with emphasis on the taxa of the Gulf of Mexico". 7th International Phycological Congress held in Thessaloniki, Greece, August 18-25 2001 (Abstract Phycologia suppl.).
 
Gavio B. 2001. "Phylogeny and biogeography of the red algal orders Halymeniales and Rhodymeniales with emphasis on the taxa of the Gulf of Mexico". Graduate Student Symposium 2001, Dept. of Biology, UL Lafayette.
 
Gavio B. 2000. Characterization of the red algal orders Halymeniales and Rhodymeniales with emphasis on the taxa of the Gulf of Mexico. Dept. of Biology Seminar, UL Lafayette.
 
Gavio B., S. Fredericq, C. Mendoza Gonzales, L. Mateo Cid, L. Aguilar Rosas & R. Aguilar Rosas. 2000. "Phylogenetic and biogeographic affinities of the Halymeniales and Rhodymeniales (Rhodophyta) from the Gulf of Mexico". 54th meeting of the Phycological Society of America, San Diego, CA, July 15-19 (Abstract J. Phycol. suppl.).
 
Fredericq S., N. Phillips, B. Gavio, C. Gurgel, S. M. Lin, B. Wysor & J. Lopez-Bautista. 2000. "Characterization of the offshore macroalgae from the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico hard bank communities". 54th meeting of the Phycological Society of America, San Diego, CA, July 15-19. (Abstract J. Phycol. suppl.).
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. 2000. "Characterization of the marine red algal Rhodymeniales-Halymeniales complex from the Gulf of Mexico". Gulf of Mexico Symposium 2000, Mobile, Alabama, April 9-12.
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. 1999. "Preliminary observations on the marine red algal Rhodymeniales-Halymeniales complex from the Gulf of Mexico". XVth International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, MI, August 1-7. (Abstract J. Phycol. suppl.).
 
Gavio B. & S. Fredericq. 1999. "Preliminary observations on the marine red algal Rhodymeniales-Halymeniales complex from the Gulf of Mexico".21st Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, LUMCON, Nov. 5-7 1999.
 
Gavio B. & R. Kuhlenkamp. 1998. "Culture studies influencing growth, productivity and fertility of gametophytes of Undaria pinnatifida (H.) Sur. of the French coasts". 20th Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, FL, November 6-8.
 
 
WORK EXPERIENCE
 
Teaching "Principles of Biology I" to 350 students, non-major in biology (Fall 2001, Spring 2002).
 
Teaching Assistant at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (August 1999-Spring 2001). Teaching introductory biology laboratory course for biology majors.
 
Instructor for school teachers for the project SEMEP (South Eastern Mediterrenean Project) UNESCO (November 1997-June 1998).
 
Collaboration in the SEMEP project and in the European project for Environmental Education (November 1997-June 1998).
 
Naturalist guide in Boduhithi, Maldives Islands, Indian Ocean, for Club Vacanze S.p.A. (May 1998).
 
Naturalist guide in Gangehi, Maldives Islands, Indian Ocean, for Club Vacanze S.p.A. (February 1998).
 
Collaboration in the European project "Development and experimentation of materials designed to improve environmental awareness through education at various levels in European schools" (October-November 1997).
The collaboration consisted of writing "Naturalist Curricula" in Italian and English on topics relating to water quality, waste management, nutrition, natural systems, etc.
 
Instructor for Environmental Education course for school teachers in Ceriale, Savona, Italy (October-November 1998).
 
Naturalist guide in Côte d'Or Lodge, Praslin, Seychelles Islands, Indian Ocean, for Vacanze Tour Operator S.p.A. (August 1997).
 
Naturalist guide for the International Workshop "Development and Experimentation of Materials Designed to Improve Environmental Awareness Through Education at Various Levels in European Schools", Genova, Italy (June 1997).
 
Naturalist guide for school teachers in Genova, Italy (May 1997).
 
Scientific organizer in collaboration with the Advanced Biotechnologies Center (CBA) for school in Genova, Italy (March 1997).
 
Naturalist guide in Boduhithi, Maldives Islands, Indian Ocean, for Vacanze Tour Operator S.p.A. (October 1996).
 
 
LANGUAGES
 
Italian: mother tongue.
French: very good (spoken and written).
English: very good.
Spanish: adequate knowledge.
 
 
OTHER SKILLS
 
CPR (Cardio-Pulmonar Ressurection) Certification, 2000.
 
Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI) Certification, 1993.
 
Ecological Guard Certification, 1993.