r The Lazarette Gazette NEWS FROM The University of Texas at Austin MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE Port Aransas, Texas 78373-5015 (512-749-6760 -fax 512-749-6777) (internet: thompson@utmsi.zo.utexas.edu) Vol. 6, Issue 1, 10 January 1997 In this issue of Lazarette Gazette Gregory Townsend Street, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cover Greg Street: Loss of genetic diversity in harpacticoid copepods as a result of contaminant exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Paul Montagna: Greg Street ....................................·. . . . . . . . . . 3 Tony Amos: A Christmas story ........· ................................. 2 Ken Dunton Receives Jerry McDonald Award ............................ . 4 Regular sections: abstract -p. 2, students -p. 3, marine education services -p. 4, msi on the www -p. 4, tony's tidings -p. 5, attaboys -· p. 8, personnel -p. 9, library -p. 10, bureaucratic beatitudes -p. 11, editor's note -p. 12 Greg Street -Ph.D. Greg Street recently received his Ph.D. in Marine Science from The University of Texas at Austin. Greg will be continuing his research in copepod genetics at the University ofSouth Carolina where he has a post doc with Bruce Coull (whom Greg terms his "academic grandfather"). Greg: I actually first set foot at MS! during an 8th grade Katy trip. Little did I know what was in store down the road. I have the requisite mixed feelings about (finally) leaving Port Aransas. I will miss MS! t-shirts, but not Port A t-shirt shops and the spring migrations, but not the winter snowbird invasions. I will miss the Venetian Hot Plate, but not Whataburger, the community theater, but not the rest ofPort A night li£<:, and the Chili Cook Offs, but not getting up the morning after. I will miss the ocean, but not the rust, Padre Island but not Baffin Bay, and the graduate students, but certainly not graduate school! MARINE SCIENCE LIBRARY The University ofTexas at Austin 750 Channelview Drive Port Aransas , TX 78373 U.S.A. LOSS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN HARPACTICOID COPEPODS AS A RESULT OF CONTAMINANT EXPOSURE Gregory Townsend Street, Ph.D. Supervisor: Paul A. Montagna Measuring genetic diversity in a population can detect a response to environmental change. Environmental change can cause lethal or sublethal effects. Ifreproductive success decreases in certain females, they are likely to contribute less to the gene pool than other females. Thus, differential reproduction can lead to a loss in genetic diversity. Populations ofHarpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda) were studied in the field and in the laboratory to determine ifchronic exposure to contaminants can decrease genetic diversity. In the field, genetic diversity was estimated in populations of five species of harpacticoids around offshore oil platforms with a known contaminant gradient on the Gulf of Mexico outer continental shelf. In addition to genetic diversity, a spectrum of community and population variables was measured, such as species· abundance and reproductive effort, in order to provide phenotypic evidence of natural selection that could account for lower genetic diversity. The laboratory component ofthis research involved exposing successive generations of harpacticoids to contaminants and measuring genetic diversity, adult mortality and larval production. Genetic diversity was estimated by comparing restriction fragment length polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA generated from the polymerase chain reaction of individual copepods. Around the oil platforms, populations nearer the platforms had lower genetic diversity than populations of the same species farther away. Reduced abundance and possible lower reproduction were also found in populations near the platform, which could account for lower genetic diversity. In the laboratory, hydrocarbons led to a decrease in adult survivorship, number ofsurviving larvae, and genetic diversity of the entire population. Therefore, not only was lower genetic diversity observed near platforms, but a reproductive mechanism was observed in the field that could account for the lower diversity. Furthermore, the loss of genetic diversity and reproductive success could be reproduced in a controlled experiment. The conclusion ofthis dissertation is that contaminants may lead to a decrease in population genetic diversity through differential reproduction. Itis possible that in addition to anthropogenic contamination, a variety ofdisturbance events -· could also lead to lower genetic diversity. This research may help scientists to understand how disturbance manifests changes on communities. Measuring genetic diversity may provide a powerful tool to detect subtle community change. . a> -------.-----flSilING Jb ~ ® --------~ /_fff %·" TRAWLING~PASS~~ R£Sll)~~·~ ·· ..... s;wP!NG ~L__ ,.V''"'~~----O_)j ~.. -"/. ~/ ~~~ /._ ~y~J ~~3'l OC£AN ~~ ./;J Greg Street came to UT wanting to study fish. He was one ofthe first students admitted to the Marine Science Program five years ago. Unfortunately, he was admitted without an advisor. The first summer he was here he worked with Pat Parker measuring carbon stable isotopes on samples I had taken for the brown tide project. However, he did not want to be a chemist, so he approached me about working on a trophic project that would look at fish feeding on benthos. He was certain that he did not want to work on worms, especially anything as small as meiofauna. He went completely through his candidacy, submitted a proposal, and formed a dissertation committee to look at drum-benthos interactions. The first thing I made him do after the isotope samples was to identify worms. About that time, a large offshore project on meiofauna was gearing up, and brown tide work was disappearing. Also, the first fish feeding study did not come off as cleanly as we had hoped (they never do). So, Greg started getting interested in meiofauna. (Ah, he turned from the dark side!) The purpose of the meiofauna project was to find out if there was anything that could be measured that would indicate that oil and gas production was having long-term, sublethal effects on the continental shelf ecosystem. It was a huge interdisciplinary project with many components. But most components were looking at rather mundane measurements or indices, and little new ground was being ploughed. The timing was good, because many molecular tools were being developed into "cook-book" easy to use techniques for the great unwashed (that's me). We had the idea that perhaps genetic diversity would be reduced in a stressful environment, and therefore population structure would be different in stressed environments. We convinced the sponsor to let us divert a small amount of money from toxicity testing to this new genetic approach. Greg took a short course at Duke and came back ready to roll. The results of the work were astounding. Out of about 20 biological components, the strongest signal that offshore platforms were effecting the environment came out of Greg's genetic diversity study. He will be following up on this work with primarily laboratory studies in his postdoctoral position at the University of South Carolina. Greg's contributions in other areas are also legendary. He was a T.A. for my Marine Invertebrate course for four summers. We collaborated on a great course book and laboratory manual, which he illustrated. The course book was loved by students. He always got great teaching· reviews from undergraduates. His artistic abilities also came in very handy in another project. I had to write a conceptual model for the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program. One aspect of the project was to make it accessible to the lay person. Greg took all the energy flow diagrams and produced cartoons that illustrated the principles being described in the technical graphics. The report turned out great, and Greg got his first paycheck for his artistic abilities. I will also always remember the trip that Greg took to France with m~ and my family. We did some great science, ate some great cheeses, and drank a little -Paul Montagna bit of great wine. WATER AND ~ MANAGEMENT (~A · FISHING HABITAT J OCEANOGRAPHY DAY-Saturday, April 26, 1997 will be a busy day at the Marine Science Institute when hundreds of Boy Scouts come to Port Aransas for Scout Oceanography Day. The special program for Boy Scouts has been a tradition at MSI dating back to the first one chaired jointly by Dr. Johnny Holland and Dr. Ned Smith in 1975. The 1987 Oceanography Day was featured in Boys' Life magazine that year, including a picture of Scouts aboard the RIV LONGHORN and the notation that 195 Scouts had attended. The last Oceanography Day, held in 1994, was attended by 350 Boy Scouts from 100 different Scout Troops. Any registered Boy Scout may attend Oceanography Day but must first be approved to attend after successfully completing in writing BY APRIL ONE the first six requirements for the Oceanography Merit Badge. Oceanography Day is a full day of activities at the Marine Science Institute, including a trip aboard a research vessel, building a plankton net, a plankton identification laboratory session, and exciting presentations on current research projects by Marine Science faculty and scientific staff. For additional information: Oceanography Day Chairman, John Thompson, Marine Science Institute, 750 Channelview Dr., Port Aransas, Texas 78373-5015, 512-749-6760, email: thompson@utmsi.zo.utexas.edu {or visit Oceanography Day on the world wide web: http://wwwutmsi.zo.utexas.edu/current/ocean.htm} Visitors to UTMSI Web Site, 1996 100 90 80 70 ~ as "C ' 60 cu a. 50 ~ 0-40·u; > 30 20 10 0 1..Jan 31..Jan 1-Mar 31-Mar 30-Apr 30-May 29..Jun 29-Jul 28-Aug 27-Sep 27-0ct 26-Nov 26-Dec 4 The Year in Review The MSI web site celebrated its first birthday at the end of December. It seems an appropriate time to evaluate it in a little more depth than the monthly usage chart.. The end of the year showed a decline in visitors to our site at just about the same time final exams were finishing at universities across the country (see chart). We have compiled our own top ten list of pages within the MSI web site to see what our visitors find most interesting. This listing is based on visitors from outside of MSI from September through December 1996. WW\NPage no. Description Address Hits Main academic program ACADMAIN.HTM 988 Personnel roster PERS1995.HTM 888 General institute information GENINFO.HTM 696 Graduate program information GRADPROG.HTM 610 Marine Education Services MESDESC.HTM 553 Index of current events CURRMAIN.HTM 347 Ed Buskey's profile BUSKEY.HTM 303 REU program description REUPROG.HTM 300 Personnel searchable database MSIDIR.HTM 208 ·Recent MSI research results ORGRESH.HTM 190 There has been a lot of interest in the academic pages of our web site and the listing of our staff. The Marine Educations Services Program, which includes the Mustang Island Elderhostel, also had quite a few visits. As a result ofthis year-end analysis, we have reorganized the home page slightly and expanded the section for the Marine Education Services. Ed Buskey's faculty profiles was far more popular than that of any other faculty member. Someone suggested that he's checking his own page from home every night, just to make sure we haven't retouched his photo. Honest, Ed, we wouldn't do that without your permission, would we? -Lee Fuiman A Christmas Story -We are steaming north through the Estrecho de la Maire, between Isla de los Estados and South America, with about 24 hours to go before we enter the Strait of Magellan. The crossing of the Drake Passage has been incredibly tranquil. At times the water is glassy-calm without even the swell which is almost ever-present in the Drake. But just to remind us of how dangerous a place this is, the wind starts blowing out ofthe west, and within minutes, is up to gale-force with waves breaking over the fantail and causing us to roll uncomfortably. Albatross and petrels soar and wheel in our wake, impervious to the wind. Christmas Day was quite special aboard the RIV Polar Duke. Although the timing was unplanned, we arrived at Santa Claus Island early on the 25th to go ashore and repair the Automatic Weather Station CAWS) installed there. It had been put in by yours truly in early December 1994, and the Island was named after the cruise we were on, (S)tudies in (ANTA)rtic(A) (C)oupled (L)inkages (A)mong micro(u) organism(S) [where the symbol for micro is a Greek mu, looking like the_'\1" in Claus]. The day was beautiful, little wind, a bit ofswell to make the zodiac landing exciting, lots ofsunshine, and temperature about freezing. The first boat ashore had five passengers and the driver, two boxes of batteries at 130 lbs. a piece, an instrument boom, solar panel, stainless steel enclosure and distribution box, a sled to haul it all up the hill, tool boxes, butane soldering irons and electronic stuff. And we still sent the boat back twice for things I forgot. Santa Claus Island, which we are going to get officially named (unless they deem the name too-frivolous), is a snow-covered rock about 100 feet high, with exposed cliffs and isolated piles of rock at its summits. It lies next to the much larger Hugo Island, named after Victor Hugo, who visited Antarctica in the early 1900's, which is permanently glaciated. The island group is isolated about 50 miles offshore of the Palmer Peninsula. On Christmas Day, 1996, the icy peaks of the peninsula were Clearly visible. Now for a Santa's-eye view. Within a few feet ofthe weather tower, several gentoo penguins were on their nests. These large, gentle birds took almost no notice of the collection of red-clad people working on and around the tower. They only responded (by turning their heads simultaneously) when sharp noises were made. We kept the noises down to a minimum. There were exactly the same number of birds, nesting in the same locations as in 1994. Gentoos brood their eggs by laying down horizontally on the nest, which is composed of a ring of small rocks. They keep their one or two eggs cozy between dense feathers on their bellies, which open up to form an almost pouch-like recess. They lay on the nests silently, sometimes appearing to close their eyes, but are ever alert. Every now and then, they will stand up and carefully rearrange the stones with their beaks, readjust the brood patch and settle down again. When their mates come visiting, there are elaborate recognition movements and a soft calling, not as loud as the chin straps nesting on the lower slopes. Often the mate goes over to another nest and steals a stone to put in its own. They are very nice birds. The work went on all day, and the weather held with very little wind. The Polar Duke was, reassuringly, a couple of miles from the island; an orange boat in a blue sea, surrounded by white icebergs, and a white continent in the distance. Lunch came ashore, hot coffee, bread, and turkey slices, just a hint of the feast awaiting us on board. It took us eight hours to install the new equipment, haul all the old stuff down the hill, and to clamber aboard the zodiac. Some of us tobogganed down the steep slope on our rear-ends, hoping to stop before the island met the very cold water. We left the gentoos to their peaceful world and returned to the ship. On board, a sediment trap was deployed in about 1,000 feet of water, to stay down for a year, patiently collecting the rain ofdetritus which slowly sinks from the surface of the ocean, and which can tell so much about the day-to-day biology of this remote region. Year-round, a microprocessor will instruct various sampling bottles to rotate in-turn and position themselves under the trap's cone, collect the rain of stuff, however minute, and then, after periods of up to a month, rotate again, to make room for the next bottle. This way, the whole year can be monitored, from the frigid, ice-covered winter to the active spring thaw and bloom. Finally, at six in the evening, we shed our Antarctic woollies, put on whatever we could find that would simulate Sunday Best, and went in to the Mess for Christmas Supper. What a feast Olav, the Chief Steward, Angel, the Cook, and Patricio, the Helper, had prepared! Hors d'oeuvres ofking crab and shrimp, a roast pig, complete with carrot in its mouth, viands, vegetables, red and white wines, beer, and the traditional festive Norwegian drink, Aqua Vite, every drop of which must cross the Equator twice (in our case, three times) before being imbibed. The dessert table was decorated with birds and animals carved from red and green pepper, perched on chunks of glistening-pure Antarctic ice. It was the content of the dessert table which got most of the attention; several different pies and cakes, ice creams, fruits,. blancmanges, glasses of mousse, and hand-made brandy chocolates. Just when everyone thought no more could come, two baked Alaskas arrived, and slices served flambe to each and every one. There certainly are some benefits from spending Christmas thousands of miles from home and family. We are probably 15 hours from port now, the seas have calmed down and the sun set. This will be my last cruise aboard the Polar Duke. I first came aboard eleven years ago when she was nearly new. I've made several trips across the Drake to the Antarctic with her and her crews. Some crossings, like this one, were calm and enjoyable, others, like the one with 50-ft waves were just plain scary. Polar Duke will go back north in May, perhaps taking some Aqua Vite for a fourth Equator crossing with her. The contract with the National Science Foundation is up. She will go to Louisiana to transfer much ofthe scientific gear and winches to a new ship, the Lawrence Gould, now being built. From there she will return to Norway, perhaps to work in the Arctic. Maybe I'll go south again and sail on the new ship. Maybe I'll even get nostalgic about her one day. But nothing will replace the Polar Duke in my mind. To Magnar, and Karl, and Stieg, and Shorty, and all the others, Thanks, and a Happy New Year! -Tony Amos. Weather Report for 9 December 1996 -5 January 1997 -Tony Amos Tide Predictions for January (For tidal heights at the tide tower, South Jetty, the Aransas Pass. Heights are in feet above or below mean sea level. The shaded area is nighttime. Remember, this is tidal height, not tidal current. Slack water is when the wiggly line crosses the MSL line, not at peaks and valleys, where the tidal current will be a full flood or ebb.) CENTRAL STANDARD TIME SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT O> O> ~ O> z O> ~ > "'O 6 > 0 "'O 6 ~ z ~ 0 z z 2 ~ ~ 2 I 1 1 m G') 0 0 I -1 -1 --i -2 -2 ~ = 2 2 I 1 1 m G') 0 0 ::C· -1 -1 --i -2 ~=..__.....__-= -2 ~ = 2 2 I 1 1 m G') 0 0 :c -1 -1 --i -2 -2 -· -k = 2 2 :c 1 1 m G') 0 0 :c -1 -1 --i -2 -2 ~ = 2 1 0 -1 -2 H1 0202 (-0' 4.8·1 H1 0321 1-0' 5•1 l1 0018 1-0' 8.4·1 l1 0053 (-0' 9.6·1 L1 0137 (-0' 10.8·1 l1 0230 (-1 ' 1.i-1 L1 1015 (-1' 4.8·1 l1 1047 1-1' 2.4·1 H104451-0' 5·1 H106321·0' s·1 H1 0855 (-0' 4.8·1 H1 1129 (-0' 2.4·1 H2 1814 (-0' 2.4•1 H2 1820 (-0' 2.4·1 L2 111 2 I·1' 0·1 L2 1148 (-0' 8.4·1 L2 1232 1-0' 5•1 L2 1348 l·O' 2.4·1 L2 2346 (-0' 5•1 H2 1821 1-0' 2.4 ·1 H2 1823 1-0' 2.4•1 H2 1825 (-0' 2.4•1 H2 1821 1-0' 1.2·1 • Thank you very much for allowing me to observe your Elderhostel program last week. It was truly a richly rewarding experience for me to see how you have "saved" a program that was almost "beached" like a stranded mammal three short years ago. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you, Rick, Jim, Peg,· Pat and Roland, and the rest of the dedicated people involved in the total success of the program. Several key programmatic elements were immediately apparent when I joined the group on Tuesday morning: 8 organization, coordination, adherence to the published schedule, group cooperation and participation, and just plain-old "serious fun." While the Elderhostel group was receiving excellent instruction in ornithology, marine biology, flora and fauna, maritime history and architecture from all of the highly qualified faculty you have contracted with, I never noticed anyone who did not appear totally interested in what was being. taught. To me, that is the ultimate that a teacher or a student can ask for. You and your staff have all worked diligently to create a positive environment that nurtures the learning experience for all of your participants. I am also very impressed with the way you pleasantly guide the hostelers, as well as the highly professional manner in which you interact with faculty, staff, and the important commercial providers. Everyone that I spoke with about you in Port Aransas and Rockport expressed very positive comments to me regarding the way you have provided leadership and direction for the Mustang Island Elderhostel program. When I look back to September 1993, when you began coordinating the program, I am amazed to see how much you have been able to accomplish in just over three years. This year will undoubtedly be the most successful year that the Mustang Island Elderhostel program has ever experienced. In addition to the numerous traditional Elderhostel programs you coordinate, the Elderhostel Service programs and Intensive Studies programs have both been highly successful. It makes me very proud that you have created a "Pearl" on Texas Gulf Coast. I congratulate you again for turning the program around in such a positive and professional way. Please extend my sincere thanks to all of the faculty and staff of the UT Marine Science Institute Elderhostel program for their excellent contributions to the program. I wish you continued success in all of your future endeavors. (To Judy Reynolds from Wayne Hunt, Director of Texas E/derhostel, Division of Continuing Education, UT-Austin) KEN DUNTON RECEIVES JERRY MCDONALD AWARD FOR 1996 The Board of Trustees of the Jerry McDonald Foundation has named Dr. Ken Dunton as the Adult· Citizenship Award recipient for 1996. Ken was presented the award by the Reverend Richard Safford, a trustee of the McDonald Foundation, at the annual Port Aransas Youth Soccer League awards ceremony on Friday, December 13. The award is made to recognize an adult who works directly with Port Aransas youth. In presenting the award, Richard Safford said it was for ... the folks who are out there every week in the trenches. While Ken is active in many youth activities and other public service in Port Aransas, he was primarily selected for his tremendous positive impact and numerous accomplishments in the establishment ofthe Port Aransas Youth Soccer League and in coaching youth soccer teams in Port Aransas. Ken moved to Port Aransas in 1986 and began coaching soccer in 1987. He has been actively involved every year in coaching, in organization of the soccer league, and in promoting the construction of several soccer fields in Port Aransas. Ken has also been a volunteer worker in the meals-on-wheels program in Port Aransas. He is a member of the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Board, where he has played an important role in promoting and planning swimming pool facilities for PortAransas. Ken and spouse Susan are Port Aransas residents and have three soccer players of their own, Nathan (15), Karli (12) and Matt (7). The Jerry McDonald Foundation is a Port Aransas based charitable trust which was established in honor of Jerry McDonald, who was killed in Vietnam. The foundation sponsors Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in Port Aransas and supports many other youth activities. NEW BOOKS IN THE MSI LIBRARY •Purchased from "Mary Anderson Abell" funds: Early Stages of Fishes in the California Current Region California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, Atlas No.33. Editor, H. Geoffrey Moser GC 856 C3 N0.33 1996 MSL Case Studies in Oceanography and Marine Affairs The Open University GC 11.2 C37 1991 MSL COP.2 • Purchased from General Libraries ''Automatic Book Purchase Plan" Marine Life of the North Atlantic, Canada to New England Andrew J. Martinez QH 92.1M3781994 MSL Fisheries and Uncertainty, a Precautionary Approach to Resource Management. Editors Daniel V. Gordon & Gordon R. Munro SH 328 F553 1996 MSL Identification of Freshwater Diatoms from Live Material Eileen J. Cox QK 569 D54 C69 1996 MSL Deep Atlantic Life Death and Exploration in the Abyss Richard Ellis GC 87.2 A86 E45 1996 MSL Introduction to Physical Oceanography George L. Mellor GC 150.5 M45 1996 MSL Interrelationships of Fishes Editors: Melanie L.J. Stiassny, Lynne R. Parenti, & G. David Johnson QL 618.2 15 1996 MSL • Gifts to the Marine Science Library The Family in the Aquatic Continent, Impact of Development, Communications & Populations Trends. MAUI Pacific Center HQ 722.55 F364 1993 MSL Our Inland Wetlands Queensland Dept. of Primary Industries, Brisbane. Q., Australia QH 87.3 0974 1991 MSL Fish Farming Research E.W. Shell SH 151S471983 MSL The Patagonian Fishery Resources and the Offshore Fisheries in the South-West Atlantic. Jorge Csirke SH 1 F2 N0.286 MSL Living Marine Resources and their Sustainable Development, Some Environmental and Institutional Perspectives J.F. Caddy & R.C. Griffiths SH 1 F2 N0.353 MSL Emergency contact update -Recently cellular telephones have been purchased to improve communications with key people, especially in the event of an emergency. Please note for future reference the following: Boats -Senior Captain Noe Cantu will be available via cellular telephone at 512-215-7059. (The regular phone communication for boat operations is 749-6735 and email is cantu; please try the regular phone number first during normal work hours in order to reduce cellular use costs.) Maintenance Supervisor -Maintenance Supervisor John Shaw will be available via cellular telephone at 512-813-7640. (Regular phone communication is 749-6755, email is shaw; please try the regular phone number first during normal work hours in order to reduce cellular use costs.) Weekend Maintenance Emergencies -A member of the maintenance staff is "on-call" for emergency problems during weekends (and holidays). This duty rotates among several ofthe maintenance 'Staff. A cellular telephone has been provided which will be with the person "on-call". For a maintenance emergency during the weekend or a holiday phone 512-877-3975. {Weekdays, or ifno answer, contact John Shaw at 512-813-7640 the security person on duty will also help in locating emergency maintenance or other assistance} · Security -The security person on duty (after hours and weekends and holidays) may be reached at 512-215-3766. (Regular phone communication is 749-6738, email is security. The security person on dutyis normally on patrol; you may wish to call the cellular number first.) I think of the RIV KATY as our "new" boat. Maybe it is time to think of it otherwise as I note our latest Marine Science Ph.D., Greg Street, says that his first visit to MSI was for a trip aboard the RIV KATY when he was in the eighth grade. Itwas a pleasure to do the special Greg Street LazGaz, because Greg's article, his abstract, and Paul's contribution all came to the Editor in good shape and without any necessity at all for bleeding by the Editor. It is probably not necessary to state the obvious, but just in case, those two drawings are to show examples of Greg's artwork and are not seeking to illustrate anything about harpacticoid copepods. Besides his scientific art contributions Paul Montagna mentions, Greg was often the person we turned to for t-shirt designsand other such projects. He was always willing, and the results were always superb. He will be greatly missed by the supporting staff as well as his fellow students and the faculty. I found Lee Fuiman's analysis of visitors to our MSI web site over the last year of considerable interest. I am wondering what the impact may be next month of Oceanography Day, as announcements, which include the MSI web site address, begin appearing in a few hundred thousand Newsletters of five Texas Scout Councils. Now that it is 1997, I have removed the special Fifty Year Anniversary: 1946 -1996 header which has been appearing on each issue of the LazGaz. But don't forget the. reunion yet to come: April 4-6, 1997. Thanks to Tony Amos for his great Christmas Story as well as his continuing weather reports and another year of tide charts. -John Thompson