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IMS Affiliated Faculty

Faculty are hired by their respective departments, to which they owe primary responsibility; however, the institute continues to be involved in the identification of hiring and faculty needs of the cross-disciplinary marine program through active involvement in new faculty searches and in support of departmental recommendations. Affiliated faculty and researchers are those individuals that utilize any of the ORU’s resources (space, seawater, equipment, etc) and/or individuals whose research falls within one of the seven research clusters supported by IMS. IMS only appoints affiliates in the ORU based on the individual researchers request to be associated with the ORU.
Mary W Silver
  • Title
    • Professor Emerita
  • Division Physical & Biological Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Ocean Sciences Department
    • Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Affiliations Humanities Division, Feminist Studies Department
  • Phone
    831-459-2908
  • Email
  • Fax
    831-459-4882
  • Website
  • Office Location
    • N/A
  • Mail Stop Ocean Sciences

Research Interests

Toxic phytoplankton and food webs; pelagic detrital communities; particle dynamics; plankton ecology

Biography, Education and Training

1971 Ph.D. Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
1963-64 University of Tubingen, Germany. Studies in Physiology
1963 A.B. Zoology, University of California, Berkeley (with honors)

Honors, Awards and Grants

2008 Honorary Lecturer, American Geophysical Union, Rachael Carson lecture, Pan American Meeting, Florida
2007 Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
2006 Synergy Lecture Series (Explorations in Science and Society, hosted by Science and Engineering Library). Invited Speaker, quarterly lecture series at UCSC, selected by Science Library: “Red Tides, Shellfish, and Culinary Traditions.
2005 Annual Faculty Research Lecturer: (Selected by UCSC Academic Senate, 1 Professor is elected each year by the UCSC Academic Senate) "A Naturalist's View: Toxic Algae in the Coastal Ocean".
2004-2005 Faculty Research Lecturer, Selected by the UC Academic Senate Committee on the Faculty Research Lecture (1 faculty from any division selected per year)
2003-2004 Excellence through Diversity Award. (For role as “spokesperson, mentor,advisor, and role model for women in science careers”). Awarded by Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood at ceremony, May 9, 2004.
2002 Mary Sears Woman Pioneer in Oceanography Award. Given by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. First Award Recipient in national search (Given to a woman for both research contributions and mentoring of young scientists)
2001 Ricketts Memorial Award (“for exemplary work in the field of Marine Sciences”). (Award given by the central California research community to a California Scientist).

Selected Publications

  • McManus, M. A., Kudela, R. M., Silver, M. W., Steward, G. F., Donaghay , P. L. and J. M Sullivan “Cryptic blooms: Are thin layers the missing connection?” (re-submitted with corrections from earlier review). Estuaries and Coasts 31(2):396-401
  • T. Goldstein, J. A. K. Mazet, T. S. Zabka, G. Langlois, K. M. Colegrove, M. Silver, S. Bargu, F. Van Dolah, T. Leighfield, P. A. Conrad, J. Barakos, D. C. Williams, S. Dennison, M. Haulena and F. M. D. Gulland. 2008 Novel symptomatology and changing epidemiology of domoic acid toxicosis in California sea lions: an increasing risk to marine mammal health." Proc. Royal Soc. B. (UK) 275:267-276.
  • Curtiss, C. C., G. W. Langlois, L. B. Busse, F. Mazzillo, and M. W. Silver. 2008. The emergence of Cochlodinium along the California Coast USA).Harmful Algae 7:337-346
  • Bargu, S., C. L. Powell, Z. Wang, G. J. Doucette, and M.W. Silver. 2008. Note on the occurrence of Pseudo-nitzschia australis and domoic acid in squid from Montrey Bay, CA (USA). Harmful Algae 7:45-51.
  • Vigilant, V. L. and M. W. Silver. 2007. Domoic acid in benthic flatfish on the continental shelf of Monterey Bay, California, USA. Mar. Biol. 151(6):2053-2062
  • Osborn, D. A., M. W. Silver, C. G. Castro, S. M. Bros., and F. P. Chavez. 2007. The habitat of mesopelagic scyphomedusae in Monterey Bay, California, USA. Deep Sea Res.I 54(8):1241-1255.
  • Buesseler, K. O., and other authors including M. W. Silver. 2007. Revisiting Carbon Flux through the Ocean’s Twilight Zone. Science 316:567- 570. (Silver microphotography image is on the cover of this issue)
  • Silver, M. W. 2006. Protecting ourselves from Shellfish Poisoning. American Scientist 94(4):316-322
  • Busse, L. B. Venrick, E. L., Antrobus, R. , P. E. Miller, V. Vigilant, M. W. Silver, C. Mengelt, L. Mydlarz, and B. B. Prezelin. Domoic acid in phytoplankton and fish in San Diego, CA, USA. 2006. Harmful Algae 5(1):91-101.
  • Bargu, S., Lefebvre, K., and M. W. Silver, M. W. 2006. Effect of dissolved domoic acid on the grazing rate of krill, Euphausia pacific. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 312:169-175.
  • O’Halloran, C. M. W. Silver, T. R. Holman, and C. A. Scholin. 2005. Heterosigma akashiwo in central California waters. (Harmful Algae).
  • Fire, S., and M. W. Silver. 2005. Domoic acid in the Santa Cruz wharf fishery. California Fish and Game.
  • Busse, L. B., E. L. Venrick, R. Antrobus, P. E. Miller, V. Vigilant, M. W. Silver, C. Mengelt, L. Mydlarz, and B. B. Prezselin. 2005. Documentation of domoic acid in phytoplankton and fish in San Diego, California. (Harmful Algae.)
  • Bargu, S., and M. W. Silver. 2003. First field evidence of krill grazing on the toxic diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia in Monterey Bay, Calif. Bull. Mar. Sci. 72:629-638.
  • Bargu, B. Marinovic, S. Mansergh, and M. W. Silver. 2003. Feeding responses of krill to the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 284:87-104.