Detailed Information for Pamela Stephens

Major Research:

Research focuses on Texas coastal ecological studies using foraminifera. Foraminifera are one-celled organisms similar to an ameba with a shell. Abundant in estuarine and marine sediments, foraminifera form the base of the food chain and as such can be used to gauge the overall health of ecosystems.

Presentations: All presentations include peer-reviewed published abstracts.
2000, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Foraminiferal  
Response to Anthropogenic Habitat Disruption: Arroyo Colorado, Texas”.
2002, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Health Status of Foraminiferal Populations in Nueces Bay, Texas”.
2003, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Redesign of Preservice Science Courses to Incorporate Inquiry and Case-Based Studies”.
2004, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Using Case-Based Studies as Teaching Tools for Non-Science Majors”.
2005, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Benthic Foraminifers as Indicators of Environmental Stress in Northern Laguna Madre, Texas”.
2005, Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils, Rice University, Houston Texas: “Foraminiferal Population Change as A Result of Increased Inflow into Nueces Bay, Texas”.
2006, Forams 2006, An International Symposium on Foraminifera, Natal, Brazil: “Foraminiferal Monitoring of Ecosystems in the Misssion-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve”.
2007, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Foraminiferal Population Response to Fluctuating Inflow into Nueces Bay, Texas”.
2009, Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils II, University of Houston: “Sedimentological and Foraminiferal Analysis of Baffin Bay, Texas: Evidence for Holocene Climate Change”.
2009, Geological Society of America annual meeting: “Foraminiferal and Sedimentological Interpretation of Holocene Climate Change in Baffin Bay, Texas”.
2010, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Annual Meeting “Evidence of Environmental Change from Foraminiferal and Sedimentological Correlation in an Incised Valley: Baffin Bay, Texas”.

Publications:
1991, Buzas-Stephens, P., and Dalquest, W. W., Enamel ultrastructure of incisors,
         premolars, and molars in Thomomys, Cratogeomys, and Geomys,
         (Rodentia: Geomyidae). Texas Journal of Science, vol. 43, no. 1, p. 65-74.

1993, Dalquest, W. W., Kocurko, M. J., and Buzas-Stephens, P., A new record of the
         chondrichthyan fish, Physonemus mirabilis, from the upper Pennsylvanian of
         Texas. Texas Journal of Science, vol. 45, no. 2, p. 190-194.

1993, Buzas-Stephens, P., and Kocurko, M. J., Non-fusulinid foraminifera of the upper
         Pennsylvanian Finis Shale, including a description of an enigmatic taxon.
         Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology, vol. 26, p. 27-33.

2002, Buzas-Stephens, P., Pessagno, E. A., Jr., and Bowen, C. J., A review of species
         names for Ammonia and Elphidium, common foraminifera along the Texas Gulf 
         Coast. Texas Journal of Science, vol. 54, no. 1, p. 3-16.

2003, Buzas-Stephens, P., Pessagno, E. A., Jr., and Bowen, C. J., Foraminiferal  
         response to anthropogenic habitat disruption: Arroyo Colorado, Texas. Journal  
         of Foraminiferal Research, vol. 33, no. 4, p. 294-308.

2003, Hayward, B. W., Buzas, M. A., Buzas-Stephens, P., and Holzmann, M., The lost
         types of Rotalia beccarii var. tepida Cushman, 1926. Journal of Foraminiferal 
         Research, vol. 33, no. 4, p. 352-354.

2005, Buzas-Stephens, P. and M. A. Buzas, Population Dynamics and Dissolution of
         Foraminifera in Nueces Bay, Texas. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, vol. 35, no.
         3, p. 248-258.

In press:
Buzas-Stephens, P., M. A. Buzas, and B. A. Elliott, Foraminiferal Population Response to
        Fluctuating Inflow into Nueces Bay, Texas. Journal of Foraminiferal Research.