Hi everyone! Greeting from the deep and welcome to the new Smith Station High School Biology Blogger. This is a casual platform for students and teachers to ask questions about science. I will do my best to answer your questions or direct you to the correct resource that will help answer your questions. Hopefully we will all learn some fun new facts about this beautiful planet we live on. Now a little about me, I'm a Ph.D. student in biology at Auburn University. Previously, I completed a bachelors of science in marine biology and chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I went on from there to complete a masters of science at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles where I studied kelp forest ecology and anemone physiology off the coast of Santa Catalina Island (more info to come later). Check my "Fave Biology Links" for links to the universities I attended.
My present research at Auburn involves the study of how coral-algal competition on tropical reefs alters the natural bacterial assemblage on the surface of hard corals. Bacteria on corals, just like in people, help maintain a healthy immune system, preventing corals (and us) from getting sick. When the bacteria are altered by abiotic stress (such as temperature and light changes, sedimentation, and pollution) or biotic stress (such as competition and predation) the corals natural defense may be weakened and the coral may get sick and die. My studies take me to the Florida Keys and the U.S. Virgin Islands where I collect samples and bring them back to the laboratory at Auburn University. In the lab, I can identify what kinds of bacteria are present and how they change when introduced to different stresses.
That's all for now, but ask questions and find out more!
Let me know if there are any specific areas of biology you would like me to post about.
No comments:
Post a Comment