REU Research foci: Responses of marine systems to environmental variation on varying spatial (global, regional, microhabitats) and temporal (ecological to evolutionary) scales including: 1) growth/extinction of contemporary reef species due to climatic and oceanographic changes; 2) responses of reefs to rising sea-levels; and 3) life-history responses of coastal organisms to elevated [CO2] and reduced [CO3 2-].
Typical REU project: To test hypotheses about responses of organisms to ocean acidification, an REU student would: conduct lab experiments growing invertebrate or coralline algal species under elevated CO2, measure parameters such as growth, survival, physiological properties, or reproduction; search databases (e.g. NOAA) for occurrences of low pH water (e.g. upwelling) along the Pacific coast; and measure pH and water characteristics at local sites around Monterey Bay or Elkhorn slough. Project effects of rising CO2 levels on these organisms (modeling with Dr. Barry Sinervo).
Contact Information:
Email: potts@ucsc.edu
Website: Potts Research Lab