Bruce C. Coull Carolina Research Professor of Biological Sciences and Marine Sciences. Dean, USC School of the Environment. Ph.D, 1968, Lehigh University 803-777-3940 bccoull@sc.edu Coull Lab Web Site USC School of the Environment

Research Interests:

The Marine Science research interests are in the area of marine benthic ecology, emphasizing meiofauna. Present research is centered on (1) juvenile fish predation on meiofauna, (2) lethal and sublethal effects of sediment bound contaminants (heavy metals, PCB's, etc.) on meiofaunal population and community parameters, (3) assessing evolutionary history of harpacticoid copepod diapause using DNA analysis, (4) determining genetic diversity of meiofauna in contaminated sediments and 5) long-term variability in natural populations. Several of these projects are being conducted cooperatively with other Marine Science faculty members. The small size of the meiofauna, the rapid generation times and the intimate association with the sediments make them ideal organisms for assessment of environmental stress. Whole life cycle studies can be completed in three weeks. There is a 22 year continuously sampled data set on the meiofauna abundance/species composition from the North Inlet estuary, SC, the longest such data set in the world. This long-term data set allows one an historical record and the opportunity to ask testable questions based on correlations over the last 22 years.

As Dean of USC's School of the Environment, Dr. Coull is leading USC's movement toward becoming a sustainable university. The earth has limited resources and university students, who will be the future world leaders, need to be aware of the size of their ecological footprint. Practically, programs are underway to reduce energy usage on campus, assess the solid waste stream leaving campus and build more sustainable/energy efficient Habitat for Humanity homes in greater Columbia. The effort is to educate all students by classes, projects, community outreach in dealing with the earth's limited resources. If all students use less of the world's resources when they leave USC, compared to when they entered the university, the efforts put forth will have been a success. " Frogs do not drink up their own ponds"!

Chandler, G. T., B. C. Coull, N. V. Schizas and T. D. Donelan. 1997. A culture-based assessment of the effects of Chlorpyrifos on multiple meiobenthic copepods using microcosms of intact estuarine sediments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 16(11): 2339-2346

DiPinto, L. M. & B. C. Coull. 1997. Trophic-transfer of sediment-associated polychlorinated biphenyls from meiobenthos to bottom-feeding fish. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 16(12): 2568-2575

Schizas, N. V., G. T. Street, B. C. Coull, G. T. Chandler and J. M. Quattro. 1997. An efficient DNA extraction method for small metazoans. Molecular Mar. Biol. Biotech. 6(4):383-385

Keegan, B.F., P. J. D. Lambshead, B. C. Coull, M. Overcash and C. Nolan (EDITORS). Change in Marine Benthos: The case for Long-Term Studies. Ecosystems Research Report, No. 16., EUR 16965, Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, 200pp

Marshall, K. and B. C. Coull. 1996. PAH effects on removal of meiobenthic copepods by juvenile spot (Leiostomus xanthurus: Pisces). Mar. Poll. Bull., 32: 22-26

Coull, B.C., J.G. Greenwood, D.R. Fielder and B.A. Coull. 1995. Subtropical Australian juvenile fish eat meiofauna: experiments with winter whiting (Sillago maculata) and observations on other species. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 125: 13-19

Chandler, G.T., B.C. Coull and J.C. Davis. 1994. Sediment and aqueous-phase Fenvelarate effects on meiobenthos: Implications for sediment quality criteria. Mar. Environ. Res. 37:313-327

DiPinto, L.M., Coull, B.C., and G.T. Chandler. 1993. Lethal and sublethal effects of the sediment-associated PCB Aroclor 1254 on a meiobenthic copepod. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 12: 1909-1918

Coull, B. C. and G. T. Chandler. 1992. Pollution and Meiofauna: Field, laboratory and mesocosm studies. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev., 30: 191-271

William-Howze, J. and B. C. Coull. 1992. Are temperature and photoperiod necessary cues for encystment in the marine benthic harpacticoid copepod Heteropsyllus nunni Coull? Biol. Bull., 182:109-116

Coull, B.C. 1990. Are members of the meiofauna food for higher trophic levels? Trans. Amer. Microsc. Soc., 109: 233-246

Coull, B.C. 1985. Long term variability of estuarine meiobenthos: An 11 year study. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 24: 205-218

Hicks, G.R.F. and B.C. Coull. 1983. The ecology of marine meiobenthic harpacticoid copepods. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev., 21: 380-389