Previous studies have found that jellyfish benefit from warming temperatures and eutrophication, resulting in large jellyfish blooms worldwide. However, the impact of warming ocean temperatures on the cross jellyfish, Mitrocoma cellularia, which are common in the Pacific Northwest, has been relatively unexplored. This study tests the hypothesis that warmer water temperatures would increase M. cellularia growth. A total of 36 individuals were collected from the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories Dock, San Juan Island in September 2023. They were observed in individual jars without water flow, and equally distributed across four separate temperature-controlled baths at 13°C, 16°C, 18°C, and 20°C. Over the 96-hour exposure period, they were fed excess live zooplankton collected before each feeding and had daily water replacements. Surface area was measured with ImageJ, mortality, and overall condition after the acclimation period (initial), day two (mid), and day four (final). A growth rate polynomial regression characterized the final measurements of normal condition jellyfish with a maximum closest to 16°C, resulting in an R2 =0.24 and p-value <0.05. At 20°C, shriveling and mortality increased. While 20°C decreased M. cellularia growth, our results support previous studies that jellyfish are resilient to impacts of climate change within the range of near-future prediction for the Pacific Northwest. Further investigations of the adaptability of M. cellularia to changing temperatures is necessary to understand the future outcomes of their ecology. Examination of this species can inform the state of a jellyfish ecosystem’s adaptability to climate change, which will allow further studies to create solutions to combat changing environments for ocean habitats.

Zooplankton are vital to the marine food web, supplying nutrients and energy from primary producers to secondary consumers. During Diel Vertical Migration (DVM), zooplankton travel between depth and the surface during day and night to capitalize on food and avoid predation. This study investigated diel differences in zooplankton community composition at two locations, one exposed and one protected, in the San Juan Channel, WA over four days in September 2023. Zooplankton were collected using net tows from surface waters at both sites during day and night times. Samples were analyzed using a stereoscope and different taxonomic groups were counted. Copepods were the most abundant zooplankton taxa at both locations, with mean abundances up to 1000 individuals per cubic meter. At the exposed site, there was a significantly higher (p<0.05) abundance of zooplankton at night versus during the day. The exposed site had significantly higher diversity than the protected site at night (p<0.05). At both locations, species richness was significantly higher (p<0.05) at night compared to day. The exposed location also had significantly higher richness (p<0.05) compared to the protected location during the day. Our results indicate that zooplankton abundance and diversity in surface waters of the San Juan Channel are controlled by DVM, and differences in locations perhaps due to exposure to different flow regimes. This study reinforces the flexibility of zooplankton community composition and emphasizes the importance of understanding factors that influence changes in the base of the marine food web.

Benthic foraminifera are single-celled organisms that are a useful proxy of environmental conditions. They can provide insights into water quality, sediment composition, and ecological changes. In the past, urban bays of Puget Sound developed chemical toxicity in sediments surpassing acceptable state limits. Recent mitigation efforts have brought most chemicals within limits. However, foraminifera health parameters continue to show signs of poor environmental conditions including increased test dissolution and decreased species richness and density. Studies on individual embayments are necessary to understand local variations and utilize foraminifera in an effective monitoring program. In this study, we investigated how the percentage of dissolved foraminifera varies based on distance from shore in Elliot Bay, Seattle. We obtained grab samples through the Washington Department of Ecology collected in 2021 from multiple sites in Elliot Bay. We processed the samples and picked up to 300 foraminifera from each sample then calculated the percentage of dissolved Elphedilla hannai, the most common calcareous species in Elliot Bay. Additionally, we reviewed foraminiferal densities, species richness, and diversity for distance from shore. We found that the percentage of dissolved Elphedilla hannai increased closer to shore and with decreased depth. These results suggest a spatial influence on the health of foraminifera.  As Elliot Bay is a major maritime hub, its shorelines are heavily industrialized, and areas both shallower and closer to shore may be experiencing higher levels of anthropogenic activities. This study highlights potential water quality gradients in urbanized embayments such as Elliot Bay, contributing to our overarching aim of understanding interactions between foraminiferal health and environmental factors in urbanized embayments.

Protists are single-celled eukaryotic plankton that are abundant and diverse in the surface ocean. Many of these protist species are motile often through the use of flagella or cilia. The gene expression of protists is closely synchronized with the daily cycle of light (diel), particularly through the activity of photosynthesis-related genes. However, there has been little investigation of which motility-related genes are expressed in open-ocean protists, among which species, and whether motility-related gene expression is also coupled with the diel cycle. This study aims to investigate the hypotheses that motility-related genes are highly expressed in protist communities, particularly among mixotrophs, and that their expression is synchronized with daytime light. To investigate motility-related gene expression of open-ocean protists throughout the diel cycle, triplicate eukaryotic metatranscriptomes, within the 0.2 – 100 μm size fraction, were collected from 15-m depth approximately every four hours for three days at 158 °W, 41.6 °N, located in the North Pacific Ocean. We annotated protein families (Pfams) present in the metatranscriptomes with Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Pfams were selected based on GO terms related to motility, such as flagella, motility, and cilia. This approach resulted in the examination of the expressions of 21 motility-related Pfams.

Climate change is increasing glacial melt worldwide, causing freshening events in marine ecosystems that rapidly decrease salinity. In the Salish Sea, summer low salinity events occur regularly from the Fraser River meltwater. This negatively impacts many organisms including sea urchins, which are resilient to other climate change impacts like marine heatwaves and reduced food availability. Previous studies found that low salinity impacts tube foot mobility and function in green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis). We replicated the Salish Sea freshening events with a treatment of 20 PSU saltwater (control 30 PSU) to investigate the impacts on red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus fransiscanus) coordination and spine movement. This study implemented new techniques to quantify urchin motility to determine the negative effects that low salinity had on sea urchins over 96 hours. We quantified spine movement using image analysis to track individual spines of urchins in low and regular salinities. We also measured righting time, which is an indicator of urchin coordination. We found that urchins exposed to low salinity had significantly longer righting times and less spine movement overall. The low salinity treatment spine movement and righting time were highly correlated (p < 0.01), but not in the ambient salinity tanks (p > 0.01). We found that lower salinity waters have the potential to reduce urchin coordination and movement, which may impact urchin populations and kelp forests in the changing climate. Thus, there may be a lessened impact on the kelp forests needed to maintain ocean health.

The invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) throughout the western Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean has led to declines in the biodiversity, biomass, and abundance of native coral reef fishes. These ecological consequences have been thoroughly documented in shallow zones of the reef; however, little is currently known about how lionfish interact with deep-reef ecosystems, and which native fish are the most vulnerable to predation. Deep-reefs may serve as refuges for lionfish, as they would avoid being speared by SCUBA divers in the top 30 meters. Thus, deep lionfish populations could potentially serve as a near-infinite source of replenishment for shallow populations. The microchemistry of calcium carbonate fish otoliths has emerged as a powerful tool in examining fish ecology, including their vertical movement. The elemental compositions of these “ear stones” reflect the chemistry of the water in the fish’s environment, ultimately providing insight into natal origin and dispersal events. I am analyzing the oxygen isotopic signatures in a sample of 10 lionfish otoliths collected across the entire depth range of reefs in Curaçao using micromilling and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Specifically, variations in δ18O from the core to the rim of the otolith indicate changes in water temperature, and presumably depth, from settlement to adulthood. This approach provides insight into whether lionfish migrate between deep and shallow reefs throughout their lives or remain in their deep refuge, how frequent and long these migrations are, and ultimately whether they are susceptible to surface removal by spearfishing. Effective management plans will require a holistic understanding of this invasive predator’s vertical migration patterns and where they are on the reef at various life history stages, and a deepened understanding of the connectivity between deep and shallow populations can inform future research to control mesophotic populations.

Acorn barnacles (Balanus glandula) are among the most common species found in the Northern Pacific Ocean, inhabiting rocky surfaces across intertidal zones. These barnacles’ distribution is attributed to various factors, including surface exposure, spatial competition, and predation. The size and abundance of barnacles may serve as an indicator of the primary abiotic and biotic processes that influence barnacle populations in highly dynamic intertidal systems. This study tests our hypothesis that higher abundance and smaller-sized barnacles will be observed at higher tide elevations, while lower abundance and larger-sized barnacles will be observed at lower intertidal elevations on the shore. In September 2023, at Friday Harbor, (San Juan Island, WA) we photographed 10 quadrats (24x24cm) at low (0m), mid (1m), and high (2m) elevations. We observed barnacle distributions at two sites along the San Juan Channel. Barnacle abundance and size were measured with ImageJ. We calculated the mean and median barnacle size at each elevation and location. Small barnacles (0-1.5mm) were predominant in the high elevations, whereas large barnacles (>3mm) dominated the lower elevations. Our results are associated with a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Abiotic factors include greater desiccation risks in the high intertidal elevation. Biotic factors involve food availability, with larger barnacles having greater access to the nutrients coming from the ocean, along with spatial competition, where higher abundance may lead to increased competition, thereby reducing available resources for each individual. Differences between sites may be attributed to diverse characteristics unique to each location.

Growing environmental stresses such as ocean warming have led to a rise in coral bleaching events. Where reef-building corals lose their symbiotic algae that usually supply most of their energy. Bleaching events have led to widespread coral starvation and death, damaging the structure of coral reefs. This study aims to identify if the sex of a coral colony will impact the colony’s ability to withstand growing environmental stresses. Although most coral species are hermaphroditic, we worked to gain insight into the responses of gonochoric corals (in which individuals are either male or female). We focused on a major reef-building species, Porites compressa, from Hawai'i, to better understand how reproductive development compares to bleaching events, and colonies’ ability to recover from bleaching. We hypothesized that female colonies would be better equipped to withstand environmental stress due to excess nutrients stored in their eggs, which can be re-absorbed during stress. While males grow faster at the cost of investing less nutrients in sperm leaving them vulnerable to heating events. Coral polyps from male and female colonies were collected at different points between 2021 and 2023. Using the polyps, I determined each colony’s sex and the developmental stage of each egg or spermary. With this data the varying developmental stages were compared, to present the expected differences between male and female gamete development. I also measured each colony’s annual growth through skeletal growth rings preserved in frozen colony fragments. We analyzed this data to determine if females grow more slowly to better survive bleaching due to earlier annual investment in nutrient-rich eggs, to keep available during bleaching events. Through this study, a better understanding of coral development and success based on the reef’s sex will allow greater predictions to be made in future research as ocean warming increases.
 

Kelp forests are hotspots for productivity and biodiversity in marine ecosystems. Currently along the West Coast, many kelp forests face significant threats due to climate change. Several studies have looked at the effects of ocean warming on kelp, but less is known about the effects of ocean acidification (OA), and how OA and warming in conjunction impact kelp. With climate change continuing to worsen, it is crucial to understand how these drivers may contribute to kelp’s decline. We examined the effects of warming and acidification, both separately and concurrently, on bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) from two populations in Puget Sound, WA. Bull kelp, the primary canopy-forming kelp species in Puget Sound, has a heteromorphic life history with macroscopic (sporophyte) and microscopic (gametophyte) stages. Little is known regarding how the microscopic stages will be impacted by multiple stressors in Puget Sound. This study aims to better characterize the effects of warming and OA on Puget Sound bull kelp throughout its microscopic life stages. We exposed kelp gametophytes from two genetically distinct populations to elevated levels of temperature and pCO2 in laboratory conditions for five weeks, monitoring their survival, development, and reproductive success from spore settlement to the juvenile sporophyte stage. Our collection sites differed in the overall temperature, urbanization level, and state of the kelp forests. Previous studies have shown declines in reproductive metrics when subjected to thermal stress, and an increased thermal tolerance when subjected to acidic conditions, which is what we expect to find within our experiment. Understanding local adaptability is critical in predicting future population responses to climate change. The potential range shifts or local extinctions that could occur because of these stressors will need to be understood to plan for conservation, restoration, and recovery of healthy kelp forests.

Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) are the largest animal on Earth, but much of their life history remains a mystery, including mating behavior, gestation periods, and early development. Antarctic blue whales were hunted excessively throughout the 20th century and are currently listed as endangered due to this exploitation. More than 340,000 blue whales were killed which led to an immense amount of data regarding the length, sex, and reproductive status of individuals. Using this data, compiled by the International Whaling Commission, I will build a model of Antarctic blue whale fetal growth and calf development. I will fit this model to the fetal and calf catch data to predict fetal and calf lengths in each month of the year. This model will result in predictions of the time of year that Antarctic blue whale calves are born and weaned as well as their growth rates. Determining the trends of fetal and calf growth in Antarctic blue whales contributes to the knowledge of reproductive behavior and growth trajectories. This is especially important for Antarctic blue whales, where no breeding areas have been identified. Understanding when calves are born and weaned can be combined with other data, such as satellite tracking, to provide insight into breeding areas.

The Climate-Ready Landscape Plants Project (CRLP) evaluates landscape plant performance under different irrigation treatments across six different geographic and climatic regions. Under the CRLP, four overlapping taxa Physocarpus ‘Diabolo’, Physocarpus ‘Little Devil’, Cercis occidentalis, and Cercis canadensis were chosen to investigate whether xylem anatomy changes in response to water deficits across three different planting sites: University of Washington, Oregon State University, and Utah State University. At each site, 24 replicates per taxa and 8 plants per irrigation treatment were tested under a two-year trial period. In year one, plants were established using the same water treatment. During year two, plants were introduced to irrigation treatments of 20%, 50%, and 80% based on the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS). Plants were randomly assigned a position in the plot 2m away from each other under one of the three irrigation treatments. Stem cross sections were stained and imaged with vessel sizes analyzed using ImageJ. I expect both Cercis canadensis and Cercis occidentalis to display smaller vessels per xylem area reducing vulnerability to drought induced cavitation across the three treatments. I expect Cercis canadensis to display stronger acclimation to drought conditions because of its high tolerance for cold temperatures across the three sites. I expect Physocarpus ‘Diabolo’ and Physocarpus ‘Little Devil’ vessels to display lesser plasticity in xylem size and density across the three treatments and sites. Compared to the Cercis genus, Physocarpus is ornamentally selected and hybrids of the Physocarpus genus experience reduced water use efficiency with a lesser ability to acclimate to drought conditions. Most plants used for horticulture have not been tested under different irrigation treatments. This research can promote the production and utilization of low water-use plants to create well adapted landscapes under a changing climate for horticulture efforts on a local and industrial scale.

The recent decline in the body size of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) returning to Bristol Bay, Alaska has been associated with increased competition within the marine environment as these populations have increased in abundance. As an anadromous species, different populations of sockeye salmon return to freshwater environments, occupying streams of varying sizes to which they have evolved habitat-specific adaptations to local habitat conditions. In particular, fish spawning in small streams are substantially smaller than ecotypes that spawn in the deep water of rivers and lakes where sexual selection promotes large body sizes. We hypothesized that density-dependent marine growth in sockeye salmon would be most intense for large-bodied spawning ecotypes, compared to small-bodied populations where there is less evolutionary pressure to achieve large body size. Using general linear mixed-effects models, I compared the effect of run size on growth rates in sockeye salmon from a range of streams of different sizes. My preliminary results suggest that ecotypes spawning in large water bodies (stream mouth >5m wide, rivers, and beach spawners) show stronger density-dependent marine growth than ecotypes spawning in small streams (stream mouth <5m wide). These results demonstrate that evolutionary selection for spawning success as adults affects the development programs of juvenile salmon while in the ocean.

Current concentrations of carbon dioxide are 420 ppm, a 50% increase since the industrial revolution. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) concentration has increased by 18% since the industrial revolution and is currently 319 ppb. This slight increase may not appear alarming, but since nitrous oxide traps 300 times more heat than carbon dioxide, lowering emissions of this greenhouse gas will help stabilize the climate. One major source and sink of N₂O is production and reduction by microbes, respectively, which have been perturbed by anthropogenic increases of nitrogen. Novel microbes found in low pH (3-6) subsurface sites in Tennessee have been shown to respire N₂O, reducing it to N₂ using both Clade I or II nitrous oxide reductases. Microbes that can reduce N₂O at such low pHs (below 5) are rare but could be beneficial as a sink for nitrous oxide. One such strain is a novel Bacteroidetes that encodes a Clade II nitrous oxide reductase and was provisionally named strain S13. In my experiment, I aim to better understand the metabolic processes of this strain and identify the optimal temperature for growth, using xylose, a 5-carbon sugar, as the carbon source. S13 was then grown in an electron acceptor (N₂O) limiting environment, electron donor (xylose) limiting environment, and fermentative conditions. After the microbes completed their growth, the gas and metabolite concentrations were measured using Gas Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. When grown on xylose, the products produced were hydrogen gas, succinate, and acetate. Optical density of these tubes was measured over the course of their growth to determine growth rates and maximum yield (optical density). This was done at 6 temperatures: 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C. These data indicated that S13’s optimal temperature for growth was 25°C. This information could be utilized in future bioremediation and nitrous oxide control efforts.

Phytoplankton play a pivotal role in marine ecosystems by providing essential nutrients and energy to heterotrophic microorganisms through the release of low molecular weight (LMW) metabolites into the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool. Ectoine, a compatible solute primarily sourced from bacteria, acts as a safeguard against osmotic stress. In this study, we investigate the intricate interaction between phytoplankton and bacteria consumers by comparing the growth dynamics of two diatom species, Thalassiosira pseudonana and Thalassiosira oceanica, in the presence of ectoine. Cultures of T. pseudonana and T. oceanica were cultivated under axenic, controlled conditions, and their growth was monitored using measurements of relative fluorescence units, cell enumeration techniques, and metabolomics analysis. Our hypothesis suggests that samples with ectoine will exhibit higher metabolite abundance and growth rates compared to those without. Through a comparative analysis between cultures supplemented with ectoine and those without, this research endeavors to shed light on producer-consumer interactions within controlled laboratory settings, offering valuable insights in the complex microbial dynamics prevalent in oceanic environments.