Dr. Rena Bonem

• Paleoecology

• Invertebrate Paleontology

• Modern Carbonates

Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1975

M.S., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 1971

B.S., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 1970

Additional specialized courses in:

• Oceanography, NSF (UCSD, USD, Scripps)

• Underwater Archaeology, National Park Service

• Coral Reef Management Workshop, NOAA

• Cretaceous Planktic Foraminifera

• Living and Fossil Sponges Short Course, Univ. Miami

• Underwater Educational Symposium, Univ. Michigan

• Biology and Geology of Modern Reefs: OTS, Jamaica

• Tropical Marine Environments: University of Miami

Dr. Bonem began teaching at Baylor in 1981, following four years at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and two years at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She has served as a consultant for Supron on Cretaceous carbonate depositional environments, on modern reefs for the Amoco exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and on nutrient flux for Epcot's Living Seas Exhibit.

Her research interests include paleoecology, invertebrate paleontology, and modern carbonate environments with an emphasis on reef development and soft substrate adaptation. Her students have completed theses on paleoecology ranging from Cambrian to Recent strata. In addition to local theses emphasizing Cretaceous and Pennsylvanian paleoecology, Dr. Bonem has directed several theses on modern carbonates in Jamaica.

Her current research interests are primarily centered on the development of coral reef communities and human impact on reef systems. In addition, Dr. Bonem has studied hurricane impact and preservation of storm events in the sedimentologic record of reefs in Jamaica, as well as the influence of fresh water submarine springs on reef development. She is actively involved in earth science education and is working on a project using paleoecology of dinosaur track-bearing strata as an educational tool. Her research has been supported by PRF and Mellan Grants, as well as Baylor Research Committee funds.

Dr. Bonem teaches graduate courses in History of Geology, Paleoecology, Oceanography, Field Studies in Marine Biology and Geology, and Modern Carbonate Depositional Environments. She is actively involved with the Geological Society of America on a regional and national level, as well as the National YMCA SCUBA Program. In that capacity, she has taught several short courses on reef ecology and geology for SCUBA instructors and the general public and has co-authored a book on modern reef environments. She was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in March 2001 for her contributions to education of divers in coral reef ecology.

Westfield, Isaac, Steve Dworkin, Rena Bonem, and Emyris Short Lane, 2008, Identification of sediment sources using geochemical fingerprinting at Pear Tree Bottom Reef, Runaway Bay, Jamaica, in, Abstracts 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, p. 137

Bonem, Rena M., 2007, Cultivating a Relationship, Workshop on Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention: Annual Meeting Geological Society of America, Denver, CO.

Sumrall, Colin D., James Sprinkle, and Rena M. Bonem, 2006, An edrioasteroid-dominated echinoderm assemblage from a Lower Pennsylvanian marine conglomerate in Oklahoma: Journal of Paleontology, v. 80, no. 2, p. 229-44.

Maher, Marie Ann and Rena Bonem, 2006, Construction of a Comprehensive Modern Lagoonal Reef Model for Interpretation of Ancient Bioherms: Annual Meeting, Geological Society of America, Philadelphia, PA, Abstracts with Programs, v. 38, no. 7, p. 228.

SC GSA Meeting, April 2, 2005: Bruner, Mary Rachel, Prochnow, Shane J., Bonem, Rena M., Cawthorn, Tim M., Ryan, Jeff D., and Zygo, Lisa M., Spatial analysis and visualization of Lower Cretaceous trackways in Dinosaur Valley State Park, Central Texas

Hawthorne, J. M., R. M. Bonem, J. O. Farlow, and J. O. Jones, 2002, Ichnology, stratigraphy and paleoenvironment of the Boerne Lake Spillway dinosaur tracksite, south-central Texas: Texas Journal of Science, v. 54,no. 4, p.309-324.

Moses, C. S. and R. M. Bonem, 2001, Recent population dynamics of Diadema antillarum and Tripneustes ventricosus along the north coast of Jamaica, W. I.: Bulletin of Marine Science, v. 68, no. 2, p. 327-36.

Bonem, R. M., 1999, The Saltwater Aquarium as a Teaching Tool: Currents, 99-2, p. 12.

Bonem, R. M. and C. R. Moses, 1998, Reef Health - Nature Reverses the Trend in Jamaican Reefs: Currents, 98-4, p. 15.

Bonem, R. M. and C. R. Moses, 1998, Niche Expansion, Competition and Reef Dominance, -- Implication for the Geologic Record: Abstracts with Programs, v. 30, no. 7, 1998 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, p. A29.

Bonem, R. M., J. M. Hawthorne, J. O. Jones, J. O. Farlow, K. A. Pate, T. L. Eifert, 1997, Opportunity from Disaster - An Educational Experience: Geological Society of America Late-Breaking Abstracts #60006, 1997 GSA Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bonem, R. M., and J. G. Strykowski, 1993, Palaces Under the Sea: A Guide to Understanding the Coral Reef Environment: Star Thrower Foundation, Crystal River, Florida, 262 p.

Bonem, R. M., 1989, Effects of submarine karst development on reef succession, in Proceedings, 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Townsville, Australia, 1988, v. 3, p. 419-23.

Bonem, R. M., 1989, Recognition of storm impact on the reef sediment record, in Proceeding as, 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Townsville, Australia, 1988, v. 2, p. 475-78.

Bonem, R. M., 1985, Hurricane impact on lagoonal patch reefs implications for recognition of ancient storm deposits, in Geol. Soc. America National Meeting (Orlando, Florida): Abstracts with Programs for 1985, v. 17, p. 527.

Bonem, R. M., 1984, Sedimentologic development of lagoonal patch reefs: Advances in Reef Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, p. 12-13.

Bonem, R. M., 1982, Morphology and paleoecology of the Devonian Rostroconch Genus Bigalea: Journ. of Paleontology, v. 56, p. 1362-74.

Bonem, R. M., 1982, Soft substrate adaptation of stropheodontid brachiopods, in South Central Sec. Geol. Soc. America 16th Annual Meeting (Norman, Oklahoma): Abstracts with Programs for 1982, v. 14, p. 106.

Bonem, R. M., 1981, Orientation and functional morphology of conocardid mollusks, in Geol. Soc. America National Meeting (Cincinnati, Ohio): Abstracts with Programs for 1981, v. 13, p. 413.,