By Hannah Sullivan My name is Hannah Sullivan and I am going into my third year of studying Biology at Santa Rosa Junior College. The opportunity to learn more about marine biology through the SRJC-BML Internship Program was a great experience that solidified my decision to pursue a career as an aquatic veterinarian. My mentor, Ashley Smart, a marine ecologist and PhD student at UC Davis inspired me through her research to gain a deeper understanding of marine animals and their behavior.
Over the course of the summer, I learned how animals have a tendency to change their behavior when their environment changes. Specifically how a species of sea slug known as Aplysia californica changes its behavior when in the presence of anemone, a predator of Aplysia. We then compared these reactions in both current ocean environments and acidic ocean environments to gain an understanding of how ocean acidification can affect animal behavior. Before diving deeper into the predator experiment, I had a chance to conduct a literature review and then have a discussion with Ashley. Through this, I was able to solidify an understanding of what ocean acidification really is, as well as its effect on marine animals. During our discussion, I learned that oftentimes in science the answer is, “it depends”. I struggled with this at first because while I was reading articles I learned that even among closely related sea slug species, their behavior and anti-predator responses are very different, with no concrete explanation as to why such similar animals could behave in such different ways. I felt frustrated with this until I talked with Ashley and learned that sometimes there may not be a “one size fits all” explanation, and that that is okay! Next, I got a chance to learn both image analysis and data analysis skills. My first project was to use the software ImageJ to measure the distances of the various body parts of Aplysia to see how far they moved during the experiment. I found it useful to learn the different measuring and analysis tools that are a part of ImageJ. I also really enjoyed getting to visualize the data and discover how some of the stimuli and conditions affected the movements of the slugs. When looking at the our resulting graphs, we were surprised to see that when the sea slugs were placed in the ambient anemone extract environment did not show a fleeing response from the predator scent. Since anemones are a known predator I thought that they might have felt a greater instinct to get away. We also noticed that they moved the greatest distance when under the acidic anemone extract conditions, suggesting that this environment may have made them feel threatened. In conclusion, we determined that more work would need to be done to determine what these results really mean. Overall, I value the experiences the SRJC-BML Internship Program and Ashley have given me. I am thankful for the encouragement, inspiration, and opportunities I was privileged with this summer. Although COVID-19 prevented us from going to the lab in person, I was still able to gain both professional development skills as well and scientific research skills that I know will benefit me as I continue on in my education! Hannah Sullivan is a 2020 intern for the SRJC-BML Internship Program and going into her third year of studying Biology at Santa Rosa Junior College. She spent the summer researching how stressors like ocean acidification affect marine animal behaviors with her mentor Ashley Smart.
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Semiconductors to Seagrass: An Electrical Engineering Student’s Summer Studying Marine Ecology11/30/2020 By Ben Hoffman Seagrasses, specifically the species Zostera marina (or eelgrass), provide vital ecosystem services, such as nursery habitat for fish, sediment stabilization, and increased water clarity by slowing down waves. Unfortunately, seagrass populations have been in severe decline over the last century. Some of this is due to seagrass wasting disease, but much is due to human influences. A type of algae called epiphytes grows on the surface of seagrasses, and normally causes their hosts no harm. But when nutrients flow into the ocean (for example, fertilizer runoff), epiphyte blooms can block light from reaching seagrasses, killing them. However, mesograzers, small invertebrates that live in seagrass beds, eat epiphytes and can control epiphyte blooms. As nitrogen pollution continues, it is important to determine what properties of mesograzer communities, such as diversity and species composition, allow them to control epiphyte blooms. To investigate these dynamics, a group of scientists from fifteen sites around the world formed ZEN (Zostera Experimental Network). They all conducted the same experiment, applying combinations of a chemical deterrent (as a way to remove mesograzers) and fertilizer (which epiphytes take up), then observed the consequences for seagrass communities. To help my mentor study how mesograzers control epiphyte blooms, I wrote two R scripts that produce visualizations of ZEN data. Crustaceans like gammarids, tanaids, and shrimp seem to be negatively affected by the presence of the deterrent, but the additional presence of the fertilizer seems to weaken the effect. Mollusk populations seem to be either not affected by the deterrent or enjoy a population boost. The deterrent is an insecticide, and therefore mollusks may be less susceptible. Weirdly, in plots with no deterrent, mollusks seem to do better if there also wasn’t any fertilizer added (Fig 1). The second script compared the concentration of Chlorophyll A (a proxy for epiphyte populations growing on eelgrass blades) across sites and treatments. There was surprisingly little variation in epiphyte load among treatments (Fig. 2). R was my fourth programming language, so I was able to learn quickly, which meant I got to start making cool graphs almost right away. In between hours of forgetting basic syntax, I was learning new skills in R like data wrangling, improving older ones in coding and writing, and getting important educational and career tips during our weekly professional development meetings. I’m an engineering student, so I initially was looking for engineering internships, but when those opportunities winked out one by one as the pandemic surged, I decided to give a marine science internship a try. BML may not have been directly tied to my major, but I learned new, interesting things, and rounded out my education. In the end, I’m thankful I had the opportunity to participate in this internship. Ben Hoffman is an SRJC alum transferring to UCSD for Electrical Engineering. His mentor, Jessica Griffin is a 2nd year PhD student in the Stachowicz lab and Hovel lab, Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology at UCD and SDSU.
By Allie Vann Over the summer I had the privilege and pleasure of working as an Intern at the Bodega Marine Lab. Ever since I was a young girl I have been fascinated by marine science, which meant binge watching ocean documentaries, and reading anything I could get my hands on about marine science. As soon as I heard about this program’s hands-on research experience, I was eager to apply. Although this summer was different with adapting to safety protocols put in place due to the Covid pandemic, I still felt fully immersed in this program and am thankful that this program was able to continue remotely.
I worked with my mentor, Angela Korabik who is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in Ted Grosholz's lab, which focuses on invasion ecology and management in coastal ecosystems. My semi-independent project was to construct a record of historical Tomales Bay Algae Communities. We did this by utilizing online herbarium records and other online databases. We then compiled detailed and organized spreadsheets of information about the algae communities, which included where the seaweeds were collected in Tomales Bay, the date of collection, and the phylum in which the species of seaweed belonged. We then used that data to further analyze the relationship between invasive seaweed species and their phylum, where particular algae communities thrive in Tomales Bay, and if the number of invasive species in Tomales Bay has increased over the years. Being a marine biology student, particularly interested in marine mammals, studying macroalgae (or seaweeds) was very different for me. I soon discovered a whole other world of interest in marine science. Angie indulged my interest by spending some of our meetings teaching me about kelp reproduction, sending me scientific articles about my interests in macroalgae, and encouraged me to participate in other opportunities such as seminars and attending virtual conferences. Some of the highlights from this experience was being able to still participate in this program in light of COVID-19, being able to network with my mentor and other Ph.D. students, and the weekly professional development meetings with speakers who are scientists from all over the world, in various stages in their career. Allie Vann is a biology student at the Santa Rosa Junior College who is applying to transfer in the fall to pursue a degree in marine biology. She then hopes to further her education by going to veterinary school to work with marine mammals and to add to the growing research in marine ecology. By Lindsay Rogers Over the past nine weeks, I have had the opportunity to dive into the world of paleoceanography, specifically to learn how deep sea corals are able to provide a record of the ocean climate that they grew in. Similar to tree rings, deep sea coral skeleton grow annual rings, each of which is composed of the nutrient material it absorbed during that year of its life. In order to obtain this ocean climate information, the coral skeleton nodes are carefully peeled apart, layer by layer. The peels are then analyzed for elemental content, including radiocarbon, which is a radioactive isotope that was present in higher amounts during the 1950s and 60s, following nuclear bomb testing. Tracing radiocarbon content in a coral’s peels allow the specimen to be placed on a chronological timeline, and thus provide ocean climate information about the derived timeline that it lived. For my independent project, I am using carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures to compare deep sea coral polyp tissue, and the outermost (youngest) nodal peel with its food source, plankton, to see how these ratios are translated within a deep sea coral’s anatomy, as well as how they are affected between trophic levels. My mentor, PhD candidate Carina Fish, encouraged me to take advantage of the various learning opportunities available at the UC Davis’ Bodega Marine Lab (including attending weekly seminars from scientists all over the world and informal lunches with lecture guests) and initiated connections with researchers in other labs so that I could learn new techniques and exploreother branches of marine science. She made my experience here positively packed with learning, both intellectual and practical. Overall, I feel extremely honored to have been a part of the BML this summer, because among the wonderful and ambitious scientists, staff, and students, lives a community that feeds on curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. Working in this collaborative environment made me certain that I want to continue pursuing research and involvement in the scientific community. Lindsay Rodgers is a 2019 Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates student in the Hill Ocean Climate Lab at UC Davis-Bodega Marine Laboratory. She is a microbiology major at Santa Rosa Junior College, and is planning to transfer next year in order to pursue environmental microbiology for broader impact applications.
By Daniel Lopez Daniel Lopez (left) and Ben Rubinoff (right) at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. (PC: Gabriel Ng)
Daniel Lopez is a fourth year Santa Rosa Junior College student applying for
transfer this Fall. He worked with Ben Rubinoff in the Grosholz Lab. By Lena Ballard My summer project consisted of semi-independent research work observing and documenting various anti-predator responses of prey species Lottia pelta, the shield limpet, to the dominant predatory ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus. Changes resulting from to OA, a chemical perturbation due to increased anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere, have the ability to alter predator-prey dynamics, such that the checks and balances within the intertidal ecosystem disrupt the overall community. Thus, I asked how select documented anti-predator responses may fair under future ocean conditions and whether or not ocean acidification (OA) disrupts this specific predator-prey interaction, potentially increasing predation risk to a crucial intertidal grazer (limpet).. Q: What have been some of the highlights and biggest learning experiences from your summer at BML? Out of all of the priceless memories and lessons learned from my time at the lab, my favorites were with my mentor, Alisha. Yes, we always found highlights while spending peaceful mornings submerged shin-deep in tide pools observing, identifying and collecting my study species, Lottia pelta (the shield limpet). Even the common rogue wave splashing in and down our ripped boots and soaked tennis shoes didn’t dampen the excitement of exploring a new semi-submerged world. Although these “sunny” memories taught me a lot about the rocky intertidal ecosystem, the most impactful experience occurred on a much “foggier” occasion. It was the middle of the summer, about 3 weeks into my 10 week internship at the lab. Thus far, I had tried multiple pilot projects aimed at documenting the diverse anti-predator responses of L. pelta to chemical cue from Pisaster ochraceus, the ochre sea star, and found weak hints of similarities among individuals. Then one day I observed that when exposed to sea star cue in groups, individuals tend to aggregate together in colonies. It was my first true ah ha moment that I felt warranted further exploration; “I can’t wait to share my findings with Alisha”, I thought. After constructing an experiment I began running trials to test my hypothesis and was very hopeful. However, by the end of the first day of trials it was unclear whether or not the aggregation response I had once confidently observed was just a coincidence in their movement behavior. I was devastated; had I just failed? Therefore, I immediately went through my methods, observations, and literature searching for where I had gone astray. I knew there must have been somewhere I made a mistake and I just couldn’t figure out where. I felt like a failure. This low point took a turn when I expressed my disappointment to my mentor and she reassured me that I had done nothing wrong- sometimes things just don’t turn out the way we expected and it doesn’t have anything to do with us; it is just scientific process and that is why we replicate our observations--to increase confidence in whatever we observe over multiple trials. It turns out that it shouldn’t be considered failure when we observe trends that don’t support our hypothesis because the knowledge and experience gained are still valuable and worthwhile. Developing my observational abilities, being able to formulate a hypothesis, constructing an experiment, efficiently conducting literature searches- all of these skills, whether or not I was able to “fail to reject my null hypothesis”, will continue to aid in what comes next. So instead of continuing to scrutinize myself, I got back to work. I was encouraged to sit back and think about the pilot for a few days. Had the limpets done something else when touched with a sea star tube foot? How could these responses be ecologically relevant for their survival in the intertidal? It wasn’t long after I had a new pilot. Akin to exploring in the intertidal, just because an unexpected wave soaks you from head to toe doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You just have to be patient for the wave to subside, look around to find a new path, and remember what has happened to be prepared for the next one. In summary, this experience taught me something that I will hold onto for a lifetime. You aren’t defined by “failure”- what defines you is how you deal with it. With any obstacle you must embrace the lesson learned and possess unwavering tenacity. Lena Ballard was an intern in the 2019 SRJC-BML Summer Internship Program. She worked with Alisha Saley. Lena has now transferred to Dominican University of California.
By Nayeli Echeverria The purpose of Isabelle Neylan’s study was to observe behavioral and morphological changes in Nucella lamellosa snails in response to the threat of predation. We measured six shell morphology traits of each individual snail before and after the exposure and conducted behavioral assays weekly throughout the exposure period. This study helps understand how prey organisms may prioritize slower physical versus faster behavioral responses when protecting themselves against predators. Overall, I enjoyed every minute I spent at BML because everything was an adventure. I think one of the most exciting things I learned while working with Isabelle was when the data suggested that the snails exposed to no predators and no food also thicken their shells through a cheaper material. I found this to be surprising because it is amazing what animals are able to do when protecting themselves even in scarcity of food, I would have predicted otherwise. Another highlight of mine was when Isabelle went out of her way to set up a fieldwork day with two other Stachowicz lab members Katie Dubois and Collin Gross. This gave me the opportunity to see a different side of research. I was taught to use a transect, which I found out is a primary, valuable task in marine research. We went to Tomales Bay and collected samples of seagrass. Collin then allowed me to assist him in his fieldwork, where we seined and measured the sizes of the different fish as he recorded the data. It was so awesome to be in the water and get some hands-on fieldwork! First time I ever saw a sea grape! Isabelle Neylan has been an astonishing mentor to me and never failed to continue to support and excite me during my time at BML. She even assisted me in writing an abstract of my own so that I could be able to attend a STEM conference in Hawaii and present the research I assisted her with this summer. One of my biggest highlights was receiving a great mentor because who you work with matters, and I believe my mentor is one of the best! I am more than grateful to have received this opportunity. I was able to measure 428 snail shells using calipers, assist in collecting data on snail behaviors, and input data into excel. Not only that, but Isabelle explained what the data collected suggested, which helped me understand the purpose of the study and how the work we put in comes together. I was also able to work with teams, both in the lab and out in the field. I know the new skills I have obtained will make me a valuable, experienced candidate for future research opportunities, all thanks to BML and the fantastic, supportive mentors. Nayeli Echeverria is going into her third year at Santa Rosa Junior College and will be transferring to UC Davis in the near future. This summer, she worked with a mentor, Isabelle Neylan, in the Stachowicz Lab at UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab.
By Eduardo Hernandez As an undergraduate student, I came to the Bodega Marine Laboratory eager to learn and contribute to any project. When I got the notification that I would have the opportunity to be an intern for the summer at BML, I was extremely excited. As I learned about animals and marine biology in my community college, I wanted to expand my knowledge in studies involved with marine animals, conservation, and ecology. This internship program had given me the chance to put my skills to the test. I had the pleasure of being mentored by Helen Killeen and Sadie Small in the Morgan lab. The study that I conducted was on the impacts of surface wind stress on fish larvae distribution. I spent the summer looking at various samples from the night cruises that my mentors had collected over the past year. By looking through the dissecting microscope and seeing various types of invertebrates, crustaceans, and fish larvae was remarkably fascinating to me. I also learned about other different marine species, lab techniques, and data from conducting this type of study. Clockwise from top right: CCFRP photo with science crew showing a baby lingcod fish, examples of fish larvae found from samples in the study, Eduardo looking at fish samples under the microscope, and Eduardo at sea on the RV Mussel Point. Furthermore, I also had the chance to contribute to the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which conducts a tag and release fishing with volunteer anglers to evaluate the effects of marine protected areas on populations of fish species along the entire California coast. It was a unique and unforgettable experience to be on a boat with my science crew and anglers. We caught various types of fish, identified, tagged, and released the fish to the ocean. I learned how marine biologists work on a research vessel and operate sampling and underwater equipment. Being part of a program such as this helped me to meet new people and build connections within a scientific community. For this internship opportunity, I am forever thankful and motivated to pursue my career goals. Eduardo Hernandez will be transferring to San Francisco State University for Fall 2019 to pursue a Bachelors of Science degree in Microbiology. This summer, he spent his internship working in the Morgan Lab with Helen Killeen and Sadie Small.
By Yangjum Sherpa My name is Yangjum Sherpa and I am a third year student at SRJC. My major is Biology and I am interested in the field of Neuroscience. It is difficult to find an internship however, I was very lucky to intern at UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab (BML). I was mentored by Ashley Smart, who is currently a PHD student. It was a wonderful experience to learn science with a friendly and down to earth mentor at a marine laboratory surrounded by breathtaking ocean view. After taking Bio 2.2 (Animal Biology) class, I was fascinated by different behaviors of animals based on their surroundings. When my professor announced the internship opportunity, I did not hesitate to apply. Reflecting back, I am glad I applied. Ashley’s research is focused on Aplysia, cute sea slugs which can grow as large as 6.8 kg. The experiment was about how the ocean acidification is affecting the Aplysia’s response to different stimuli, for example food or other chemicals. Before the actual experiment, Ashley provided literature papers that covered knowledge about Aplysia and also about ocean acidification (OA). I also performed ethology and collected data on their behavior. I observed the Aplysia for over two hours and I should say that watching these creatures was one of the most pleasurable feelings (like an ASMR). Afterwards, I assisted Ashley with the experiment and learned about how an experiment is designed and processed. We had a total of twelve Aplysia, which were divided into six so that the experiment can be repeated twice and were exposed to ambient and OA habitat. Aplysia are known to be a fascinating research animal as they have evolved unique chemical defenses against predators. Food, Ink and Seawater were used as a form of stimuli and their behavior towards these stimuli were recorded for future behavior analysis. Since I am also interested in Neuroscience, it was very interesting to know that these creatures were used as models to learn about memory and learning because of their simple nervous system. Fun fact that the study of Aplysia for understanding how an organism’s neural behavior functions has led to the 2000 Nobel prize in medicine being co-awarded to Eric Kendel. Overall, one of the biggest learning experiences from my summer at BML was understanding about what a PHD degree meant as through these experiments, I was also shadowing my mentor. It gave me a good idea about what pursuing a PHD degree meant. I am very glad that I got this opportunity because I have learned many skills that will help me in my future endeavors. Lastly, I would like to thank my mentor and other BML representative who helped make this internship possible. Yangjum Sherpa is a student at Santa Rosa Junior College. She was a SRJC-BML Intern in the Summer of 2019. She was mentored by Ashley Smart.
By Blake Nogleberg Blake searching through the salt marsh in Bodega Bay for the lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes). PC: Jan Walker My name is Blake Nogleberg and I am a fourth year SRJC student looking to pursue a career in the marine sciences. I worked alongside Graduate Student Jan Walker this summer.
As a kid I grew up only a short drive away from the Bodega Marine Lab (BML), and I was always intensely interested in what kind of work went on in this facility. So when the opportunity arose this summer to intern here, I did not hesitate to apply. My time at BML has been an amazing experience. I was able to work with and learn from some extremely talented scientists, help maintain field experiments in the salt marshes of Bolinas Lagoon, Tomales Bay, and Bodega Bay, as well as help conduct several laboratory experiments at BML. My mentor was Jan Walker, a PhD student from the Grosholz lab, and we examined the impact of the lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) on the salt marsh plant community. Understanding the role of crabs in determining plant community composition is important when considering management strategies of foundational marsh species, such as cordgrass. Cordgrass has been targeted for management and restoration due to its amplitude of ecosystem services, such as sediment accretion, flood attenuation, and habitat for endangered species. We hypothesize that these crabs could impact the plant community by consuming dominant salt marsh plants (cordgrass and pickleweed), and by creating burrows in the marsh sediment, thereby changing sediment properties crucial for plant health (salinity, oxygen concentrations, etc.). Crabs may play a critical role in meditating stress for plants and, by understanding their role, we can better inform and bolster management and restoration in our northern California wetlands. The field work portion was quite enjoyable. I spent most of the time chasing our crab friends and attempting to catch them without being pinched, their feisty attitude continually surprising me. There was a learning curve when it came to walking through the salt marsh, however I became proficient in navigating the spongy, quick sand-like landscape without swamping my boots or falling too many times. We woke up before the sun to catch the low tide, and we worked efficiently to collect data (and crabs) to make it back out of the marsh before high tide. The lab work we did was interesting and engaging. I helped Jan setup two different feeding experiments to determine exactly what plants, and what part of the plant (roots or leaves), the crabs preferred. This portion of the internship allowed me to ask countless questions about our experiment, and the setup and execution of lab experiments in general. Additionally, I was able to get professional advice on how to navigate the unfamiliar territory of academia. It was infinitely valuable to be a part of Jan’s work, and the skills and knowledge I acquired over the summer have set me up to succeed in the next stages of academic life. I hope to use my experience here to further pursue a career in marine science. |
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