News

Dr. Nathan Spindel publication in Ecological Applications

Lauren Bayne

A new study led by MLML Postdoctoral Researcher Nathan Spindel was recently published in Ecological Applications. His research focuses on red sea urchins, and many MLML graduate students are currently working with him on related projects!

Nate is especially grateful to Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and San José State University for covering the open-access publication charges, which allowed the article to be made freely available.

The paper, titled “Consumer resilience suppresses the recovery of overgrazed ecosystems,” can be read here: https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.70196.

A brief overview of the paper:

A new study led by Nathan (Nate) Spindel, published in Ecological Applications, shows that red sea urchins can endure prolonged food scarcity by lowering their metabolic demands and then rapidly resume grazing and reproduction when food becomes available. Using field observations and controlled experiments, the study found that both food quantity and quality strongly influence urchin performance. Urchins collected from adjacent kelp forests and food poor urchin barrens exhibited reciprocal physiological and dietary shifts when subjected to kelp, mixed algae, or starvation treatments. Metabolically depressed barren urchins recovered when re-fed, while kelp forest urchins depressed their metabolism under starvation. Feeding trials also validated the use of fatty acid biomarkers to reconstruct diet composition, revealing parallel reciprocal changes in assimilated nutrients. Barren urchins incorporated kelp derived fatty acids when fed algal diets, while starved kelp forest urchins increasingly assimilated biofilm biomarkers associated with bacteria and diatoms. By calibrating fatty acid biomarkers against known diets, the study provides a stronger framework for estimating wild diet composition and tracing how shifts in primary production reshape the nutritional seascape, offering a practical tool for evaluating habitat quality and guiding kelp forest restoration and management decisions."

New Funding Supports Dustin Carroll’s Modeling of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

Lauren Bayne

Dustin Carroll, a researcher here at MLML who leads the Ocean Modeling Lab and an affiliated scientist with San José State University, is leading new research on marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), an emerging approach to addressing climate change. His team has recently received $150,000 in funding from Google.org, along with an additional $150,000 from the nonprofit Ocean Visions.

The project aims to identify effective and environmentally responsible ways to enhance the ocean’s natural ability to absorb human-generated carbon dioxide (CO₂). While the ocean already serves as a major carbon sink, Carroll’s research focuses on evaluating how different mCDR strategies can safely increase long-term carbon storage.

To carry out this work, Carroll and collaborators at NASA utilize advanced tools including the Pleiades supercomputer and the ECCO-Darwin ocean biogeochemistry model. These systems enable researchers to run millions of simulations to assess carbon storage potential, ecosystem impacts, and large-scale changes in ocean systems.

The team is specifically investigating methods that enhance natural ocean processes, such as increasing ocean alkalinity to accelerate CO₂ neutralization and iron fertilization, adding small amounts of iron to stimulate phytoplankton growth, which can transport carbon to the deep ocean.

Together, this research represents a growing, collaborative effort to develop ocean-based climate solutions. By combining advanced modeling, cross-institutional partnerships, and emerging technologies, scientists aim to better understand both the potential benefits and environmental risks of marine carbon dioxide removal.

This article includes a feature from Dr. Sarah Smith, MLML's Biological Oceanography lab lead, who will also be collaborating on the mCDR project.

Check it out and be sure to offer congratulations!

New pFI Aluminium Paper Published in Talanta by Max Grand!

Lauren Bayne

Our chemical oceanography professor, Dr. Max Grand, has published a new paper in Talanta, and it is fully open access, read more here:

“A matrix-independent method for direct nanomolar dissolved aluminium analysis in seawater using programmable flow injection (pFI)”

In this study, Dr. Grand presents a compact, low-maintenance programmable flow injection (pFI) approach for the direct analysis of dissolved aluminium in seawater. The method achieves sub-nanomolar sensitivity, with a detection limit of 0.5 nM, precision better than 3%, and negligible matrix effects. Notably, the technique allows for calibration using ultrapure water, eliminating the need for complex matrix matching and making the method particularly well suited for routine laboratory and field-based applications in chemical oceanography.

To support reproducibility and broader adoption of the technique, an accompanying GitHub repository has been released. The repository includes all pFI sequences and FloZF configuration files used in the study, enabling other researchers to readily replicate, adapt, and extend the method for their own analytical needs.

New Research Illuminates Hidden Impacts of Ocean Heatwaves on Sea Urchin Reproduction

Lauren Bayne

A new study co-authored by Dr. Nathan Spindel of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and published in Communications Biology (Nature Portfolio) reveals how sublethal ocean warming can undermine the reproductive capacity of the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), a dominant herbivore in California’s kelp forests.

Using controlled mesocosm experiments that simulated historic El Niño events, the team demonstrated that even moderate heatwaves can sharply suppress gametogenesis, especially in females, leading to recruitment collapses observed in long-term field data. The research highlights that population viability can falter well before lethal thermal limits are reached, emphasizing the need to integrate sublethal physiological stress into models of climate vulnerability and kelp forest resilience.

Read the published study in Nature now!

The first publication about the impacts of the Vistra Battery fire.

Lauren Bayne

Congratulations to Ivano Aiello and the entire EMBER team on the first publication about the impacts of Vistra Battery fire!

Aiello, I.W., Endris, C., Cunningham, S. et al. Coastal wetland deposition of cathode metals from the world’s largest lithium-ion battery fire. Sci Rep 15, 42113 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25972-8

This publication reveals how the lithium-ion battery fire at the Vistra Energy facility in Moss Landing led to a rapid but shallow deposition of nickel, manganese, and cobalt from cathode materials onto nearby estuarine wetland soils — highlighting a real-world example of battery-derived metal pollution and the importance of rapid environmental monitoring.

Tags: Lithium-ion battery risk • Environmental contamination • Wetland geochemistry • Anthropogenic pollution

Also check out the article "When the world’s largest battery power plant caught fire, toxic metals rained down – wetlands captured the fallout" written by Ivano for the "The Conversation".

This provides an overview of the publication above.

Read it here!

Application Assistance

Lauren Bayne

Applications are open for the 2026 MLML Master’s Program in Marine Science!

Visit our How to Apply page to learn how to apply.

Also see our Application Timeline for a step by step visual!

To provide assistance with the application process, MLML hosts two events:

Zoom Drop-in with the Grad Coordinator - 11:00 am PST on November 14th

Register and join the zoom here: https://sjsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/lvjwIW3nQIWGinhUw486pw

 

Zoom Drop-in Office Hours with Faculty - 1:00 pm PST on December 1st 

Register and join the zoom here: https://sjsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/VOXNZx1VRiGa0Qbo20biNg

New Publication in the Journal of Applied Phycology!

Lauren Bayne

Published August 4, 2025, Steve Cunningham and coauthors from Moss Landing Marine Labs report a significant contribution to the Journal of Applied Phycology. Their study explores innovative nutrient management strategies to enhance seaweed aquaculture productivity along the California coast. By combining expertise in phycology, chemistry, and marine ecology, the team, including Luke Gardner, Max Grand, Jessica Metter, Ava Salmi, Evan Simpson, Mike Graham, Scott Hamilton, Michael Schuppenhauer, and Dan Gossard, demonstrates how targeted nutrient enrichment can optimize growth in cultivated kelp species, offering new insights into sustainable aquaculture practices.

"Optimizing bromoform content in Gracilaria parvispora: the role of environmental stressors."

Abstract

Methane (CH4) emissions from ruminant livestock significantly contribute to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Innovative approaches to mitigate these emissions are crucial for sustainable agricultural practices. One potential mitigation
method under investigation involves using feed additives to reduce enteric methane production. Seaweeds, particularly of the
genus Asparagopsis, have shown remarkable efficacy in mitigating methane emissions due to their high bromoform content.
However, challenges in scaling the production of Asparagopsis spp. cultivation are currently hindering its widespread com-
mercial adoption. This study explores an alternative red seaweed, Gracilaria parvispora cultivated globally at industrial
scales, for its bromoform synthesis and emission rate. Specifically, this study investigates methods to enhance bromoform
production in G. parvispora utilizing environmental stressors, including desiccation, increased temperature, and changes
in light intensity in a land-based aquaculture facility. By examining how bromoform content and emissions vary over diel
cycles and under distinct stress conditions, we clarify the temporal dynamics of bromoform synthesis and loss—revealing,
for instance, midday surges followed by rapid declines and divergent effects on tissue content versus emissions. We found
that G. parvispora bromoform content varied significantly with light intensity, surging over 300% from sunrise to midday
during peak light intensity, but declining rapidly by sunset. Desiccation stress boosted bromoform tissue concentration by
63%, while temperature stress increased emissions by 49.5%. Based on these findings, we outline practical cultivation and
harvest methods to enhance bromoform content: cultivate in direct sunlight (PPFD between 1000 and 1500) to promote
bromoform production, maintain cooler waters (< 21°C) to prevent bromoform loss via volatilization, harvest during peak
solar irradiance, and allow for brief desiccation (< 1h) in direct light before or during harvest.
     Cunningham, S. R., Gardner, L., Grand, M. M., Metter, J., Salmi, A., Simpson, E., Graham, M., Hamilton, S. L., Schuppenhauer, M. R., & Gossard, D. J. (2025, August 4). Optimizing bromoform content in Gracilaria parvispora: The role of environmental stressors. Journal of Applied Phycology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03602-0

New Publication in Nature Earth and Environment!

Lauren Bayne

Published August 5, 2025, Assistant Professor Michael Wood and Dr. Dustin Carroll report a compelling discovery in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. Their study reveals that Greenland's coastal waters experience a secondary summertime phytoplankton bloom, driven by subglacial discharge from the island's most active glacier. As meltwater rises and stirs up nutrient-rich deep waters, it fuels this vibrant bloom—shedding new light on how Arctic marine ecosystems respond to ongoing ice-sheet melt.

"Increased melt from Greenland’s most active glacier fuels enhanced coastal productivity"

Abstract

Seasonal phytoplankton blooms in Greenland’s coastal waters form the base of marine food webs and contribute to oceanic carbon uptake. In Qeqertarsuup Tunua, West Greenland, a secondary summertime bloom follows the Arctic spring bloom, enhancing annual primary productivity. Emerging evidence links this summer bloom to subglacial discharge from Sermeq Kujalleq, the most active glacier on the Greenland Ice Sheet. This discharge drives localized upwelling that may alleviate nutrient limitation in surface waters, yet this mechanism remains poorly quantified. Here, we employ a high-resolution biogeochemical model nested within a global state estimate to assess how discharge-driven upwelling influences primary productivity and carbon fluxes. We find that upwelling increases summer productivity by 15–40% in Qeqertarsuup Tunua, yet annual carbon dioxide uptake rises by only  ~3% due to reduced solubility in plume-upwelled waters. These findings suggest that intensifying ice sheet melt may alter Greenland’s coastal productivity and carbon cycling under future climate scenarios.

 

Wood, M., Carroll, D., Fenty, I. et al. Increased melt from Greenland’s most active glacier fuels enhanced coastal productivity. Commun Earth Environ 6, 626 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02599-1

 

Read the full paper here!

New Drop-In Post – Nature’s tiny heroes: how bacteria can devour plastic pollution in our oceans

Taylor Azizeh
The editors of The MLML Drop-In Blog are pleased to present a new blog post by Hannah McGrath (Environmental Biotechnology Lab): “Nature’s tiny heroes: how bacteria can devour plastic pollution in our oceans”, in which Hannah explores the potential role of bacteria in mitigating plastic pollution.
You can read Hannah’s work here, and catch up on older blog posts here.
 
Happy Spring 2023 and keep reading,
The Drop-In Blog Editorial Team
The MLML Drop-In Blog was founded in 2008 by a small group of graduate students looking for a platform to write candidly about their experiences in graduate school and as an outlet of scientific outreach expression. The Drop-In now has over 600 posts written by past and present MLML graduate students.