microbial mats of antarctic glacial lakes
one of the first antarctic explorers claimed the mcmurdo dry valleys were void of life. if shackleton had scuba gear and a microscope, he would have realized this is not true. unique microbial mats cover the floor of the perennially ice covered lake and form complex morphological structures as a result of stagnant water and no predators. studying these microbial mats is like taking a trip back in time. they are a living fossil record of what life was like when it began! our team conducted experiments and collected samples to help us understand how form relates to function—specifically, what the microbes look like when they are undergoing oxygen respiration and photosynthesis. we can use this information to understand how oxygen evolved on earth, and how we can search for oxygen on other planets.
via university of california davis, university of waikato, long term ecological research group
bull kelp (nereocystis luetkeana) ecology and restoration
bull kelp is a foundational species throughout the eastern pacific subtidal region. this canopy-forming kelp provides ecosystem services to economically important species including rockfish, salmon, abalone, and many more. few remnant patches of kelp forests are left along the northern coast of california due to overgrazing of herbivorous urchins and warming water temperatures. restoration efforts are essential for the longevity of the species and habitat. current work at sonoma state university under dr. brent hughes involves developing protocols for aiding in reforestation through kelp transplantation.
collaborators: dr. brent hughes, the nature conservancy, california sea grant, ocean protection council, rachael karm, julieta gomez, vinicius souza, maria velazquez
habitat influences skeletal morphology and density in the snailfishes (family liparidae)
the family snailfishes (liparidae) span the entire habitable depth range of the ocean for vertebrates (0-8,200 meters), making them an ideal group to study depth-related trends. using micro-ct scanning we investigated reductions in skeletal structure as a mechanism for maintaining buoyancy in the deep sea.
collaborators: dr. mackenzie gerringer, abby von hagel, jay orr, dr. adam summers, dr. stacy farina
hemoglobin adaptations in deep-sea fishes
hemoglobin is an essential protein in red blood cells that allows for oxygen binding and delivery to animal bodies for use in aerobic respiration. hemoglobin content in the animal blood can vary based on the physiological demands of the environment animals live in and their evolutionary history. studying the properties of this protein can provide insight into metabolic demands and other physiological functions of an animal. our study investigated how ambient oxygen influences hemoglobin as a proxy for metabolic function in deep-sea vertebrates.
collaborators: dr. mackenzie gerringer, dr. paul yancey, dr. michael coronado
baseline measurement of coral reef topographic complexity using structure-from-motion photogrammetry
rising sea surface temperature as a result of climate change poses many threats to corals: from increased frequency and strength of hurricanes to coral bleaching. deeper water, which is generally cooler in temperature and has reduced potential for direct hurricane impact, may serve as an area where corals are protected from warm or turbulent water. topographic complexity of coral reefs is an important indicator of habitat structure and is affected by coral cover and benthic diversity. this study used structure-from-motion photogrammetry to create 3d models of coral reef plots to study how topographic complexity differed between depths in the turks and caicos islands.
collaborators: dr. franziska elmer, dr. heidi hertler, center for marine research studies