@article {2049, title = {V Factor: Volunteers as a bridge between museum scientists and the public}, journal = {Journal of Natural Science Collections}, volume = {1}, year = {2013}, chapter = {48-58}, abstract = {

V Factor is a new programme at the Natural History Museum in London. It offers volunteers\ the chance to work in public view alongside Museum scientists on collection-based research\ and curation projects, taking them from visitor to proactive volunteer. It aims to involve a volunteers\ project manager, scientists, curators, volunteers and the public in the museum\’s research.\ Volunteers work alongside scientists on a research project whilst benefiting from a unique, informal and fun learning experience. Visitors are able to observe the processing of\ samples and interact with those involved. The management of this volunteer programme is\ described in this paper. The pilot project was \‘Throughflow\’; an international study of Southeast\ Asian fossil corals as a means to describe the high biodiversity of their ecosystem and the\ effects of environmental change. Volunteers have successfully assisted with the cleaning of\ specimens so that they may be curated. At the same time, they have been discussing with experts project-related information, collections care, and the role of museums today. The programme\ has been continuously evaluated and changed as felt necessary. By March 2013, 45\ volunteers were involved. Outcomes have included improved volunteer talent and education\ management, excellent assistance with scientific work and novel means of attracting the public\ to the museum\’s work.

}, author = {Renee Miller and Kenneth G. Johnson and Ali L. Thomas and Lyndsey G. Douglas and Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Yoke Shum Broom and Therese Avedillo and Cassandra Murray and Theresa Sadler} } @proceedings {2048, title = {On the origins of the coral diversity in Southeast Asia}, year = {2012}, month = {07/2012}, abstract = {

Evidences from palaeontological and molecular studies suggest that the formation of the SE Asian ancestral centre of diversity occurred during the Miocene. Under the umbrella of the Throughflow project, delta-front patch reefs from 42 outcrops were studied in East Kalimantan (Indonesia), including extensive collections of tens of thousands of specimens within 265 samples. This research aims to answer how diverse were corals during the Miocene and which environmental factors played a role in their diversification on both, temporal and spatial scales. Coral morphologies seem to respond to the gradient of siliciclastic input created by the Mahakan Delta system. Platy-coral assemblages were common in the vicinity of the delta, characterized by a higher turbid-water regime, and mainly from the Early to Middle Miocene (up to Serravallian age). On the other hand, communities of branching corals mixed with scattered massive coral heads were more frequent during the Late Miocene (Tortonian to Messinian age) in settings located towards the north, far-off the delta influence. Although preliminary (\<10\% of samples examined), species diversity was high in both platy and branching coral assemblages, and comparable to modern coral settings living under similar environmental conditions. A total of 51 morphospecies (36 genera) have been identified so far, from which only three genera are considered as extinct, Dictyaraea, Anisocoenia, and Fungophyllia. Whether the observed species turnover is due to major global environmental changes after the Middle Miocene, or it is merely explained by switching of the Mahakan Delta gradient, or a combination of both, is an aspect to be examined in further integrated analysis including geochemistry and sedimentology.

}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Kenneth G. Johnson and Willem Renema} } @conference {Santodomingo2012, title = {Origins of coral diversity in Southeast Asia}, booktitle = {5 International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals}, year = {2012}, address = {Amsterdam}, abstract = {

Southeast Asia hosts the maximum centre of coral diversity. Evidence from palaeontological and molecular studies suggests that the Miocene was an important period for diversification in the region. However, the fossil record is markedly undersampled. Of the \~{}200 species of azooxanthellate corals present in the region, only 49 species are known in the fossil record. As part of the Throughflow ITN project, we are collecting new data to document the Miocene diversity of zooxanthellate and azooxanthellate scleractinians from shallow and deep-water habitats preserved in outcrops of East Kalimantan (5-20 Million years old). This project has completed two five-week long field seasons and is currently processing samples. So far, we have identified the azooxanthellate taxa Caryophyllia, Stephanocyathus, Flabellum, Heterocyathus, and Madrepora. Preservation can be excellent allowing geochemical analysis to understand the paleoenviromental conditions in which these species were living. In combination with parallel studies on shallow water ecosystems, these new data provide insights to the origins of the high diversity in this region.

}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Kenneth G. Johnson and Willem Renema} } @conference {2046, title = {Digging on the origins of the Coral Triangle}, booktitle = {8th International Conference on Coelenterate Biology (ICCB) }, year = {2013}, month = {12/2013}, address = {Eilat, Israel}, abstract = {

Reefs in the Coral Triangle host the richest coral diversity today, and palaeontological and molecular evidence suggest that the Miocene (5-23 Ma) was an important period for diversification in this region. As part of the Throughflow ITN, the aims of this study are to determine which coral species occurred during this period and to understand how environmental factors controlled coral diversification on both temporal and spatial scales. Our new collections include tens of thousands of specimens from the rich and well-preserved Miocene fossil record of small patch reefs that developed in turbid habitats that are now preserved in the sediments of the Kutai Basin of East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Preliminary results suggest that species diversity was high and comparable to modern coral settings living under turbid environmental conditions. A total of 150 morphospecies from 70 genera have been identified, including nine genera known as extinct. Our findings have revealed that some lineages that were previously known from the Plio-Pleistocene record were already present during the Miocene time. These discoveries have a profound impact on our understanding of the origins of today\’s diversity in the Coral Triangle. Further research will focus on the incorporation of these fossils into phylogenetic analyses in order to estimate divergence times and explore the relationship of evolutionary trends with environmental changes at biogeographic scale.

}, keywords = {East Kalimantan, Fossil corals, Miocene}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Kenneth G. Johnson} } @article {2033, title = {A diverse patch reef from turbid habitats in the Middle Miocene (East Kalimantan, Indonesia)}, journal = {Palaios}, year = {Submitted}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Vibor Novak and Vedrana Pretkovi{\'c} and Nathan Marshall and Anja R{\"o}sler and Emanuela Di Martino and Elena LoGiudice and Sonja Reich and Juan Carlos Braga and Willem Renema and Kenneth G. Johnson} } @conference {2019, title = {Understanding the murky origins of coral diversity in the Coral Triangle}, booktitle = {Reef Conservation UK - 15th Annual Meeting}, year = {2012}, month = {01/12/12}, address = {Zoological Society of London, UK}, url = {http://static.zsl.org/files/rcuk-abstract-booklet-and-programme-2051.pdf}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Kenneth G. Johnson} } @conference {1992, title = {Origins of coral diversity in Southeast Asia}, booktitle = {5th International Symposium on Deep-Sea Corals 2012}, year = {2012}, month = {1-6 April 2012}, address = {Amsterdam, The Netherlands}, author = {Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Kenneth G. Johnson and Willem Renema and the Throughflow Project} } @conference {1947, title = {Southeast Asian and Caribbean Cenozoic Reef-coral diversity and the importance of large new collections}, booktitle = {11th Symposium on Fossil Cnidaria and Sponges}, year = {2011}, month = {26-30/August/201}, publisher = {M. aretz, S. Delculee, J. Denayer, And E. Poty (Eds.)}, organization = {M. aretz, S. Delculee, J. Denayer, And E. Poty (Eds.)}, author = {Kenneth G. Johnson and Brian R. Rosen and Nadiezhda Santodomingo and Willem Renema} }