The waters off the coast of Sudan are considered a biodiversity hotspot for such critically important marine species as sharks and manta rays, and a pair of UWindsor scientists has laid the groundwork to begin protecting them.

Nigel Hussey.

Nigel Hussey and Steve Kessel—both post-doctoral fellows in the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research lab of professor Aaron Fisk—travelled to the east African nation last fall where they tagged 22 manta rays and installed acoustic monitors in the Dungonab Bay Marine Park and in the offshore reefs along 130 km of Red Sea coastline.

“It’s really the hidden jewel of the Red Sea,” said Dr. Hussey, who will return to the region in several weeks to conduct similar work on hammerhead and grey reef sharks. “Sudan is an area of global importance for the conservation of marine species. It’s nearly pristine, but the situation can change very quickly if commercial fishing takes off there. So we need to be proactive, and preserve the area before that happens.”

Hussey and Kessel—who led the project for The Cousteau Society, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and The Deep, a research aquarium located in England, as well as regional partners the Wildlife General Administration and the Red Sea State government—installed acoustic receivers on the ocean floor to record the movements of the tags they surgically implanted in the manta rays. They also attached satellite tags to six manta rays which, along with the acoustic equipment, will provide them with data about their residency and migratory patterns.

“This is the first time this method of tagging has ever been done with manta rays,” Hussey said. “This baseline data will be critical for developing sustainable conservation management plans for them, but also for providing regional capacity-building for marine monitoring and for the economic benefit of local communities.”

Hussey hopes the research will demonstrate the economic value of keeping ray and shark populations at healthy levels. Because of the region’s pristine condition, it’s a highly sought after eco-tourism destination for specialist divers travelling there for up-close experiences with them. If, however, it becomes heavily fished by commercial operators, those populations risk serious decline. Sharks and rays are often inadvertently caught on the lines and in nets used by those fishermen, and are also targeted by illegal fishing activities.

“Manta rays are such beautiful, globally iconic animals, but they’re also highly vulnerable, and are designated as a near-threatened species,” Hussey said. “Populations grow very gradually and are slow to recover once depleted.”

The expert team will return to Sudan twice a year over the next four years to collect data on this important component of marine biodiversity in a region of potential global significance.

“Because certain sharks and ray species are facing global human threats, a success story in the Sudanese Red Sea would offer a ray of hope for our better understanding and protection of these important animals,” Hussey said.

Watch a video clip of Hussey and Kessel tagging a manta ray.

Area residents frustrated by the mysterious humming noise that’s been disrupting their lives for the last two years may soon have some answers about its origin now that a UWindsor acoustics researcher is on the case.

“Hopefully we can find what the source is and do something to rectify it,” said Colin Novak, an engineering professor who specializes in noise, vibration and harshness, acoustic measurement, and environmental noise impact.

Bob Dechert, Canada’s parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, said following an announcement yesterday that the federal government will provide $60,000 in funding to Dr. Novak and Peter Brown, a physics professor at Western University, to help locate the source of the so-called “Windsor Hum.”

“Our government takes this issue seriously and is following up on its commitment to find a solution that works for the people of Windsor,” Dechert said. “To get a solution, we first need to find the source. This study is a step in the right direction.”

Within the next month, Novak expects to set up two or possibly three low-frequency noise monitoring stations on privately owned property in Windsor’s west end. The devices will remain in location for up to five months, constantly recording noise, and alerting Novak via e-mail whenever they pick up anything within the frequency range they suspect the hum is in.

“We believe the noise is low in frequency but high in amplitude,” he said.

Once the researchers have captured the noise and identified what they believe is a potential location, they’ll use a pentangular array—a large star-shaped device equipped with 30 microphones and a camera at the centre—to characterize the noise.

“It’s a process called spatial filtering,” Novak said. “It gives us a picture of the noise that’s similar to thermal imaging.”

Dechert said he expects Novak and Dr. Brown will file a report on their findings within about 10 months. That was good news for Drew Dilkins, a city councillor who was on hand along with Essex MP Jeff Watson for yesterday’s announcement.

“This isn’t an imaginary problem,” said Dilkens, who spoke of at least one resident he knows who was forced to sell their home and move to a new location to get away from the hum. “This requires sound scientific data in order to find a good solution.”

Windsor is an easy sell for international students, says Deena Wang. The University’s first-ever coordinator of international student recruitment, she started in her new role January 14 and is already impressed.

“International students are looking to experience life in a Western city, which certainly Windsor can provide,” says Wang. “It’s still small enough for them to experience real Canadian culture as well. From that standpoint, there are a lot of aspects to promote.”

She came to the University of Windsor from Durham College, where she served as coordinator of international projects and research. Her role here will include oversight of the University's new international education agent network, development of recruitment materials (both virtual and print) aimed at international students, management of international marketing and advertising efforts, and the gathering of intelligence regarding current and new international markets.

“This job offers such a wonderful opportunity, I couldn’t miss it,” Wang says, adding that the University of Windsor enjoys a good reputation in her native China.

She holds degrees from York University and the University of Colorado at Denver and says that experience will help her relate to students considering coming to Canada.

“I can explain and communicate in both cultures,” she says. “It was critical for me to have Canadian education to be successful here.”

Her office reports to the vice-provost, students and international, Clayton Smith. He says Wang is a good match.

“We are very lucky to have found Deena,” he says. “She will be a key player in the roll-out of our new international student recruitment model.”

She is looking forward to the challenge.

“It is exciting to set up a whole new system,” Wang says. “You set it up from scratch and it’s your own baby.”

To offer suggestions on enhancing the University's international student recruitment effort, contact Wang in the International Student Centre at 519-253-3000, ext. 3979 or by e-mail at deenaw@uwindsor.ca.

What do these people have in common: former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, management psychologist Richard Davis, industrialist Diane Reko and men’s fashion icon Harry Rosen?

They are among the speakers at the Odette Leadership Symposium, February 15 and 16. The symposium, a Richard Peddie Leadership Initiative, will help students and recent graduates from across North America to unleash their inner leaders.

UWindsor alumnus Richard Peddie (BComm 1970, honorary LLD 2001), retired president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, will serve as the symposium’s honorary chair and will be one of the many session leaders donating their efforts to help develop the future leaders of tomorrow.

He says the Odette School of Business recognizes leadership as a lifelong journey.

“With its solid academic focus and its many campus clubs and team activities, the school already offers a rich leadership learning environment,” Peddie says. “The first annual Odette Leadership Symposium, with its very impressive line up of proven business leaders, will be an excellent addition to its leadership initiatives and another way Odette is working hard to create 21st Century leaders.”

Dean Allan Conway says the symposium will offer an opportunity to learn from a diverse set of highly accomplished speakers.

“Attendees will come away with valuable insights into how they can accelerate their own personal journeys towards becoming 21st century leaders,” says Dr. Conway.

Registration costs $50 per person. Find more information, including a full agenda and online registration, on the symposium website.

The staff and librarians of Leddy Library will conduct tours of the building next week, guiding both new and returning students through some key features and resources that the library has to offer.

Tours are set for:

• Tuesday, January 29, at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 30, at noon or 4 p.m.
• Thursday, January 31, at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.

Anyone interested in a tour who cannot make one of those times may contact the library to arrange a tour, for either an individual or group. Call 519-253-3000, ext. 3180, or e-mail connie@uwindsor.ca.

The Homestyle station in the Marketplace food court will feature the flavours of India today—Tuesday, January 22—with lunch and dinner entrees drawing from cuisine of the subcontinent.

The lunch menu includes:

• baked samosas with tamarind sweet chilli sauce;
• butter chicken;
• chana cauliflower masala;
• vegetarian biryani;

while dinner features:

• tandoori chicken;
• curry beef;
• pasta with chana dal; or
• butter chicken;

all entrées served with diner’s choice of basmati rice or naan bread.

A course presented by the Campus Safety Audit Committee will teach women members of the University community to defend themselves against an attacker.

The Women’s Self-Defence Course is free to faculty, staff, and students, and is offered on campus in six weekly one-hour sessions at 1 p.m. Mondays starting February 11.

Space is limited and will be allotted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, contact instructor Mary Brownlie at 519-253-3000, ext. 2771, or e-mail maryb@uwindsor.ca with the subject line “Self-Defence Course.”