https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/about daily 0.75 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/1633481331796-YPYXXOF9SSMRVVLFXJ8Q/Abbey_Dias-44.jpg about - combining film, photography, and science, my work amplifies the importance of protecting threatened ecosystems. — originally from seattle, washington, i was fortunate to grow up exploring the ocean. if i can’t be underwater, you’ll find me on the ocean kayaking or surfing. on the rare days i am neither under or on the ocean, i’m probably talking about it—either teaching or writing. photo courtesy of annie crawley. https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/home daily 1.0 2025-11-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/c04d5311-5e9e-4091-8a08-7c348b1fff64/Dias_Arctic_Ice_Auction.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/789033ad-5eca-4f79-85b7-e455820165ef/returntoantarctica-titleslide.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/956c0aac-ea53-4dde-9c8f-aa3ffa2299fe/Screenshot+2025-01-12+at+9.47.37%E2%80%AFPM.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/db2aaa88-4ca8-42f3-9962-8791eeb3a6b3/Screenshot+2023-07-25+at+11.07.55+AM.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/096e75c9-5251-4b4f-9296-d3fa880fa5e6/Screenshot+2025-01-12+at+9.41.48%E2%80%AFPM.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/3e68e73f-3f1c-420a-b653-3cb266a76128/Davis-in-Antarctica-2025.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/700da32b-8ce6-4b6f-86f4-0529db215b19/Screen+Shot+2023-03-09+at+1.19.19+PM.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/4e2f96b1-419d-4d06-a310-a3d0f656f889/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.25.35+PM.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/research daily 0.75 2025-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/700da32b-8ce6-4b6f-86f4-0529db215b19/Screen+Shot+2023-03-09+at+1.19.19+PM.png research - 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 and the long term ecological research group https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/1638260330891-JXPV0Z67EXR8G986OLH2/Abbey_Dias-90.jpg research - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/dac60a02-7d60-4b41-a6a8-781f1b9ca7fd/P_swirei_CT.JPG research - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/66fc2b62-e89d-4aaa-9c99-189f678fec3a/IMG_6190.jpg research - 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 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/bae2d3c3-09cf-407d-9114-ce873db8f8c8/TCI_AbbeyDias_InTheField1.jpg research - 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 https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-08-20 https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/film daily 0.75 2023-07-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/dcc11600-d648-48eb-b694-9677d8558012/Screen+Shot+2023-03-09+at+2.24.36+PM.png film - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/af5c6a12-6489-4ebd-92d3-372d99e9ea49/Screenshot+2023-07-29+at+10.44.16+AM.png film - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/3ecb9699-0f9f-44ce-abb8-817b3b124e4f/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.31.06+PM.png film - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/727e1094-b8e7-45f0-9005-a90c944fc573/IOFF_Abbey_Dias.jpg film - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/kelp-story-1 daily 0.75 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/241940f9-5133-41fe-aee2-6322ff40d8b1/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.37.18+PM.png Kelp Story just below the surface along the coast of northern california... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/d151281d-1f3a-48b6-9870-c4b3e25c525e/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.44.17+PM.png Kelp Story ...stands an emerald city... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/72defca2-687c-44d4-9c34-1b3fb3839b20/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.37.54+PM.png Kelp Story ...bull kelp creates an underwater forest... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/3939d958-0222-4e69-a33d-a5e4fff255e6/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.43.57+PM.png Kelp Story ...for life to thrive... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/b159e07a-b731-4dd9-8fa3-244812f88b56/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.25.11+PM.png Kelp Story ...big and small creatures seek home in the forest... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/fcd1a9fa-f377-4a5d-92e4-c8637195162b/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.31.32+PM.png Kelp Story ...sunflower sea stars used to rule the ecosystem until wasting disease rendered them locally extinct... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/3ce81d06-2c7b-4506-8b9e-509047dfc675/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.34.44+PM.png Kelp Story ...with sea otters extirpated from the ecosystem by fur trade... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/9478e33c-f1fb-4add-99c9-0ab2b117bea1/Screen+Shot+2022-10-26+at+12.11.33+AM.png Kelp Story ...herbivorous urchins are no longer controlled by predators and have taken over... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/70f6e1d0-05d5-4c97-acb8-43c34e93d43e/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.23.37+PM.png Kelp Story ...driving the kelp forests to the ground, one stipe at a time... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/e30f9d3d-2f81-47e7-b173-dceac2f66ee2/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.32.45+PM.png Kelp Story ...taking advantage of a stressful climate... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/ca9ffddc-b56a-4fb8-990f-6d1845d7dcb9/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.31.59+PM.png Kelp Story ...but scientists are learning how to regrow kelp... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/6e032d85-2f2a-4c27-9858-4dac23f159e0/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.30.22+PM.png Kelp Story ...it takes massive collaboration between stakeholders... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/4e2f96b1-419d-4d06-a310-a3d0f656f889/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.25.35+PM.png Kelp Story ...and there is hope for the future... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/f4c3cc34-5770-4f8d-9950-49cc22bdf959/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.38.30+PM.png Kelp Story ...that we will see our kelp forests return... https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/photography daily 0.75 2023-07-29 https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/photography/above-water monthly 0.5 2023-07-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/b5669121-d4f1-431f-b53c-0b0081f7dd9d/Abbey_Dias-45.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/62c40e3d-50a6-47a9-9821-908fbb3745ec/Abbey_Dias-429.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/684c6a02-9fca-4b18-bc72-f15f88e11558/tidal+rush.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/dfa256df-5474-4e0e-b15b-dd0fa45024b9/Abbey_Dias-298.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/5a9642a7-927d-4fff-8bc2-caacf603b499/Abbey_Dias-52.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/869102c4-1ace-47af-b5bc-816a362ce341/IMG_2511.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/84aceb24-1841-4f0d-91d0-89e5689f943c/IMG_2358.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/24f5564f-23f9-49ff-bd94-1f3ae8c67f96/Abbey_Dias-287.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/6fb7e794-6783-49b3-bf08-52baae79811b/Abbey_Dias-54.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/96bba94d-8cf2-455b-92df-6b0b756dbf09/IMG_2482.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/f05349e2-9d87-4e5f-adcc-f0eef0050b11/Abbey_Dias-284.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/02cc5c22-0cad-4857-b6ec-f5d8d44a8f55/IMG_2706.jpg photography - above water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/98a510a4-a37e-4178-839d-8c1ea44c5f02/Abbey_Dias-353.jpg photography - above water https://www.abbeyunderwater.com/photography/under-water monthly 0.5 2023-07-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/aa8450fb-7408-4eeb-8458-bc48dca9ec91/Abbey_Dias-571.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/98850623-971e-4c28-8715-3027349cfa30/Abbey_Dias-5892.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/643e1e00-8565-47fe-bb01-9e6cbba8b3ed/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.41.35+PM.png photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/2c90e09b-44c9-4749-9576-c0edc80c26c7/Abbey_Dias-5728.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/75aa4a95-e3bf-4873-af3f-2a007c966ddb/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.40.15+PM.png photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/15dbbe0b-cc09-477d-bdfd-9068fe7ebc65/Abbey_Dias-1236.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/0dee29e0-f7fa-4df0-967d-0340e9983dac/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.45.02+PM.png photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/26a356d4-3622-47e1-b7b5-742dc005c2d3/Abbey_Dias-1267.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/0dabd675-1465-49da-a9c1-32031b260ea7/Abbey_Dias-688.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/f7c2bcc6-2aa7-41d5-ae88-0a0ad7f30915/Abbey_Dias-856.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/fe6b3d09-228a-4bae-8f9c-343ed16fc981/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.39.44+PM.png photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/747ad641-763f-4726-a223-d6fa28131030/Abbey_Dias-332.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/c6978dde-cd9f-4709-a2b8-e983f6893236/Abbey_Dias-5753.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/41008029-f724-4a03-8cdd-ae26e523a232/Abbey_Dias-99.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/bbae5f5d-11da-4c9a-8ca5-6541d3262076/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.24.23+PM.png photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/383b83e6-0f8f-4464-bca5-a5c633e91c2f/Abbey_Dias-1303.jpg photography - under water https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/615be42fbc209c2be317ad3a/65950168-00dd-41f1-a679-6f8d52967c17/Screen+Shot+2022-10-25+at+11.35.52+PM.png photography - under water