Hey everyone I’m Hannah! I am a third year marine biology major and theater minor at UCLA. I am a part of an organization at UCLA that does service missions related to environmental issues, so you could probably say I like being outside. I played water polo for six years, showing you that I cannot survive without being around a body of water. I have done some previous microbiology research revolving around the functions of mRNA splicing, but I wanted to delve into marine ecology and get a little closer to my major.
Coming to Charleston, I wasn’t completely sure what to expect. As a Los Angeles native, I was not prepared for the groggy days and cold weather, but being at OIMB has changed my mind entirely. The very first day the other interns and I explored the trails right behind the university, and I was blown away by how green all of the trees and mountainside are. Making our way down to Bastendorff beach we found some jellies that had washed up on the shore. Though, if one does not feel like making the trek to get to Bastendorff beach, there are plenty of cool animals all around campus to discover. We got to experience heading up and down the mudflats, documenting crabs, holding starfish and more. Dr. Schram took my lab partner and I tide pooling to take advantage of the extremely low tide and we saw so many organisms I had never seen before! I was definitely out of my comfort zone as I am very tall and extremely afraid of slipping and falling, but it was so worth it. We saw gum-boot chitons, red and purple urchins, shore crabs, sea stars and so much more. Getting into the nitty gritty and starting the broad research I am doing this summer. I will be working in the Coastal Trophic Ecology Lab with Dr. Galloway and Dr. Schram. The overarching goal of my project is to see how juvenile Dungeness Crabs are affected by ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is caused, in part, by the high amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere mixing with the sea water. This causes the water to become more acidic and when it meets the basic calcium carbonate shells of the crabs, the shells can become brittle or the crabs may have a harder time developing a new shell after they leave their old one behind. Ocean acidification may also affect the crab’s ability to smell their prey. My project will probably focus on how ocean acidification affects juvenile crab’s foraging behaviors, which may or may not decrease their survivability. I am super stoked to be working with Dr. Galloway and Dr. Schram this summer and so thankful to be at such a great marine biology station!
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AuthorHannah is an undergraduate student at UCLA studying Marine Biology and minoring in theater. She's just a gal who wants to be an adventurer both in the outdoors and her research. Check out her blog! Archives
August 2019
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