Dr. Rita Colwell at the University of Maryland will continue her pioneering investigations into the biology, ecology, and evolution of marine bacteria placed in or near the genus Vibrio. Current work in her laboratory encompasses both classical approaches in bacteriology as well as application of new molecular methods of ribosomal RNA sequence analysis, to generate data useful in identification of new strains, often from novel environments, and classification of these and better known taxa into groups reflective of phylogenetic affinity. Vibrios and related bacteria constitute a significant portion of the heterotrophic bacteria of the world's oceans, coastal waters, and estuaries. Some of the taxa are commensals of near-shore shellfish or of marine animals (including sharks), and others cause human diseases. Hence, the systematics and ecology of the genus and its close relatives are of major importance for both scientific and economic reasons.
