Vivian Ton

VIVIAN TON

I C H T H Y O L O G Y ,   G R A D U A T E    S T U D E N T

Vivian graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BS in Marine Biology in 2015. During her time as an undergraduate, she did an internship and research project on kelp bass fecundity as part of a collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. She has also participated in a study aboard program at Wrigley Marine Science Center where she did her thesis on the relationship between asymmetries in individual strength and resource value and the level of aggression displayed in the garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus. While Vivian has a wide range of interests, her current interest is in fisheries conservation and climate change studies.

T H E S I S

For my thesis, I am looking into the effects ocean acidification and hypoxia will have on embryo development and larval physiology in the Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii. The Pacific herring are pelagic marine teleost that can be found throughout the North Pacific Ocean. They are an important prey species, supporting populations of marine mammals, seabirds, and large fishes. In California, the Pacific herring also has a commercial, recreational, and cultural significance. By understanding the effects of climate change during their most vulnerable and sensitive life stages (i.e. early life history), fisheries management and conservation agencies can use this information to better predict future herring population abundance, fishery yields, and the potential ecological impacts climate change will have on the marine environment.