Day 82: This researcher is really lichen Obama, and other light takes

Congratulations, President Obama - your very own lichen! Credit: J. C. Lendemer

Kerry Knudsen was pretty excited about President Obama’s election — so much that he named a new species after him.

A lichen.

Knudsen, the lichen curator in the herbarium at the University of California at Riverside, discovered the new species in 2007, during a lichen survey on California’s Santa Rosa Island. ”I named it Caloplaca obamae to show my appreciation for the president’s support of science and science education,” he said in a press release. 

Lichens comprise co-existing fungi and algae. There are approximately 17,000 species of lichen worldwide, with approximately 1,500 species reported from California. Most were hammered from bad grazing practices to the point that we almost lost them decades ago — but some, like obamae, have been making a comeback under better stewardship.

Knudsen, who has no academic degrees, has published more than 70 peer-reviewed research papers on lichens. He has described more than 25 species of lichens and lichen-associated fungi from California, South America and Turkey. Colleagues have named three new species of lichens after him.

“I made the final collections of C. obamae during the suspenseful final weeks of President Obama’s campaign for the United States presidency, and this paper was written during the international jubilation over his election,” Knudsen said. “Indeed, the final draft was completed on the very day of President Obama’s inauguration.” Knudsen published his discovery in the March issue of the journal Opuscula Philolichenum.

On another note: Not being in a very serious mood today, I spent far too much time watching that amazing, emotionally charged Susan Boyle video out of Britain. It has not a thing to do with science, except that there must be a biological underpinning to humans’ ability to respond to intense musical stimulus with chills and tears at the same time. 

The 'Best Overall' photo by Marchione Giacomo from Italy: Boxer crabs (Lybia tasselata) with sea anemones in each claw. When threatened. boxer crabs wave the stinging tentacles in defense against predators.

And speaking of beauty, the University of Miami released the winning images from its 2009 underwater photography contest. For the rest of the post, you can see a selection of those. Enjoy!

First place in the "Macro" photograph category was awarded to Vickie Coker of Austin, Texas for her colorful pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti.

Macro 2nd Place, Michael Rosenfeld of Stamford, Connecticut

Macro 3rd Place, Judy Townsend from Boca Raton, FL

First place in the "Fish or Marine Portrait" photograph category went to Steven Kovacs of Clewiston, Florida for his image of a jawfish with eggs.

The rest of the photos are at the contest website.