Post-Grant Reports

Title

Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant Report

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2-15-2021

Disciplines

Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Marine Biology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Abstract

This project was the beginning of a study on community changes following the outbreak of sea star wasting disease (SSWD) on the Oregon coast. SSWD devasted sea star populations throughout the coast. As these organisms are keystone predators, their absence resulted in significant shifts in the community. We studied these changes in estuaries where we have previously worked. We determined macro-scale changes by taking video surveys and comparing them to our previous surveys. We began to study micro-scale changes by collecting sponge, ascidian, and water samples, and are preparing to compare the microbial communities in these samples to those taken over the last several years. This research will give us insight into how these important estuarine communities have changed, and how they might recover in the future.

Comments

This research was conducted as part of a Linfield University Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant in 2020, funded by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Student collaborators were McKenna Musser and Alexandra Walter.

  Contact Author

Share

COinS