Few travelers consider the middle seat to be the best spot on a road trip. We often think of it as cramped and crowded, without even a window or headrest to use for a nap. A ride in the middle seat usually results from losing a coin flip or drawing the shortest straw, and we do our best to keep it fair by ensuring every passenger does at least a bit of time in this undesirable position. However, for four days, I called the middle seat my home as we journeyed from Moss Landing, CA down the Baja Peninsula toward a small island known as El Pardito. Over those four days, I learned the valuable lessons that the middle seat has to offer about centering yourself in the moment and enjoying the ride.
As we headed south toward La Paz, each mile brought something new to see: a new landscape, a new town, a new form of life. While the middle seat may not offer a window to nap against, it provides a central all-around view of the journey through every window. I could look to the side at the layered mountains and spined plants of the Baja deserts. This view gave a fleeting glance of the present as boulders, boojum trees, and the occasional cow or donkey went flying by. For a look at where we had come from, I would turn around and see the colorful buildings and crowded streets of the town we had passed through. This view of the past offered an opportunity to reflect on the new culture and community in which we had immersed ourselves with every interaction in this new place. And as I peered through the windshield at the turquoise water ahead, I caught a glimpse of the adventure to come where the road would turn to ocean and we would trade trucks and vans for pangas in the final stretch to El Pardito.
A stretch of desert on the final miles of the drive.
Not only did the middle seat center me in time and space, but it surrounded me with all my traveling companions. Being in the middle creates a direct line to every other seat in the van, and it gave me the chance to chat, sing, laugh, and build connections with each of my classmates. Time in the classroom may have allowed us to learn about each other’s research interests, but time in the van allowed us to learn about each other. Through music, conservation, games, and endless laughter, a diverse group of people filled over a thousand miles with friendship, family, and unforgettable memories.
A roadside photo opportunity.
The middle seat gets a bad reputation, and in many cases rightfully so. It does not offer the most leg room. Naps do not come easily. And it is not the epitome of comfort. But do not let these shortcomings blind you to the magic that comes with time spent in the middle. On your next road trip consider using the middle seat to center yourself and connect to the people and the world around you.
Family photo in the R/T Boojum. Photo Credit: Jess Franks
Total solar eclipses over tropical reefs are a rare and exciting occurrence - There will only be 54 more total eclipses this century, and more than half of those will occur near the poles, in the middle of the ocean, or over large landmasses. In Mexico, there will only be 2 more total eclipses this century. The effects of eclipses on land are well documented, but how do animals underwater respond? We knew that we were going to experience a 90% total eclipse during our trip to Isla El Pardito in Baja California Sur for MS 273: Marine Environmental Studies of the Gulf of California and had planned to be on shore watching it with eclipse glasses. However, once we got there a few of us had a more interesting idea. Why not go for a dive during the eclipse? I was diving constantly for my project, but I really didn’t have the time to slow down and explore during my dives. I was excited to observe how animals behaved during a unique celestial event. Plus, how many people can say they went for a dive during a nearly total solar eclipse?
The Eclipse itself!
The idea of an eclipse dive had been bouncing around for a few days, but it mostly just a “wouldn’t it be fun” idea. The night before the eclipse, while we were planning the next day’s activities, I decided that I absolutely had to do it. It was a challenge to plan - we were going out on a boat that morning, and if we were delayed while returning, I might miss my chance. The eclipse peaked at 11:00 AM, and our boat would be getting back between 10:00 and 11:00. Since you always need buddies while you’re diving, I roped in one of my classmates, Jonah, and our TA, Roxy. We brought extra air tanks on our boat and decided that if we were running late, we would dive off the boat to get in the water on time. Fortunately, we timed our return perfectly and managed to get back, set up our gear on the beach, and walk into the water around 10:30.
We had great conditions starting the dive - the water was calm, clear, and warm. We swam south towards one of the deeper reefs surrounding El Pardito. Unlike most of our dives, where we were covered in transect tape reels, data slates, and other scientific equipment, this time we only had dive lights and underwater cameras. We worked our way deeper into the reef, watching and recording as the reef slowly darkened. At 11:00, the eclipse reached its totality, the point where 90+% of the sun is blocked. The water had become noticeably darker than before, and it felt like we were diving at sunset.
The light twenty feet underwater, around 11:00 AM during the totality.Wrasses swimming closer to a coral head during the eclipse, while Roxy looks at something cool in the background.
On land, eclipses cause birds to stop singing and send most small animals into hiding. The air gets colder and the light vanishes without a clear cause, an event like no other. However, without a change in temperature or other characteristics, an eclipse is just a change in the light underwater. Plenty of other things, like a storm overhead or dirt in the water, can change the amount of light underwater. It’s hard to tell how much fish respond to the eclipse vs other events as eclipses are a rare occurrence for a comprehensive analysis. To me, it seemed like the fish were more timid than usual, darting away and hiding from us. The schools of tiny wrasses that usually hovered over the corals hid closer to the rocks and inside the heads of corals. The larger fish swam away a little more quickly, and we saw less of the big predator species like snappers that usually patrol the reefs. It may not have been that unusual, but it felt like they noticed that something was different. We took photos and videos, but the dimness and change in environment doesn’t show well on camera.
The light thirty feet underwater at 11:30, after the eclipse.
It was an odd experience seeing how silent the reef felt, even with the constant burble of my scuba gear in the background. It was strangely still and slow, and even after the light started to come back, it was a little subdued. It’s hard to say if the animals really did react to the eclipse in a significant way, but it sure felt like they did. The fish around El Pardito aren’t particularly afraid of scuba divers, and usually swim right up to you. You can practically reach out and touch most fish. Pictures and videos can’t quite do justice to the experience of a sunset dive at noon.
Out of the Eclipse and Into New Environments:
As the eclipse ended, we swam deeper, through the reef towards a large sandy stretch below. We wanted to explore and see what might be down there. To our surprise, we found a rhodolith bed! Rhodoliths are calcareous red algae nodules that form on the bottom of the ocean in dense patches. This bed stretched as far as the eye could see and was full of little pebbly algae and shells. We explored the rhodolith bed for a few minutes before turning around - we had been down for about 25 minutes and only had about 50 minutes of air. As the water brightened back up, we started to see more of the usual suspects on the reef. Brightly colored wrasses schooling above the reef, parrotfish plucking bits of algae off the rocks, leopard groupers cruising around looking for a snack. As we worked our way back across the seafloor towards the island, we started to notice little “piles” of pufferfish. Little groups of pufferfish sleeping on top of each other in full daylight. One of these groups had multiple pufferfish aggregated in an old metal basket underwater, with all the puffers clustered around a scorpionfish. We’re not sure, but we think they went to sleep during the eclipse and hadn’t really woken back up yet. It was a fascinating moment - pufferfish are fairly solitary creatures and we were shocked to see so many in one spot.
A Scorpionfish sits next to an empty metal basket, while a pufferfish swims away in the background.A pufferfish swims in front of the camera.
Final Thoughts:
Diving during the eclipse was a unique experience and one of the coolest dives I’ve ever been on. It was a great reminder to slow down every once in a while and enjoy the environment you’re working in, instead of just hammering on your work. We found a new rhodolith bed and saw some unusual fish behavior, none of which would have happened if we hadn’t decided to take time to explore and have fun. Our trip to El Pardito was an experience of a lifetime, and the kind of education you can never get in a classroom. I’ll remember my eclipse dive for the rest of my life. It really goes to show the value of a unique experience like MS 273, and how the best education comes from going outside and seeing the world.
As kids we all dream of going on a grand adventure. For all of us who too decided to sign up for “Marine Environmental Studies of the Gulf of California”, our grand adventure was setting out to another country with 11 people we had never traveled with for 16 days, knowing that for the majority of the time we’d be living out of small bags, not showering, and with sheets of nylon as our sturdiest barrier to the outside world while we slept.
Before we left, we all had some idea of how things would go on our trip, but I like to imagine that we all had our expectations subverted in the best way possible. Particularly, how in tune we all became with ourselves and the routines of others. It’s really interesting now to reflect on how easily we all left behind the more trivial portions of our modern-age lives, like technology.
Hiking up Isla San Fancisquito. From front to back: Haylee Bregoff, Kierstin Thigpen, Logan Early, Noah Kolander, Kelsey Montalto, Duncan Campbell, Jonah Gier, Jess Franks, and Diana Steller.
In preparation for the trip, we were advised to really be present along our journey as we drove from Moss Landing all the way to El Portugues just north of La Paz, while on the little island of El Pardito, and again on the way back up. And I don’t think any of us took it for granted. Emails, social media, and the like – which are usually integral to our lives – were all distant thoughts as we drove along watching the incredible desert landscape change along the way. Even on the island only roughly the size of two football fields in size, we wanted for not. It was truly a case of back to basics in its truest sense: eat, sleep, “go to the bathroom”, get in the water, rinse and repeat.
And you might be saying to yourself, “Well of course, this isn’t groundbreaking”. The way I see it, there are a few key reasons why we went back to basics, or rather, back to basic needs:
We had limited power and internet, so tech use was difficult to accomplish
We were physically too far away from our typical schedules/responsibilities back home to worry about them
There was only so much we could bring with us and little chance of resupply
Frankly, by the time we finished each day, all we could do was stay in tune with what our bodies needed
Twice daily tradition of brushing of teeth under the palapa together (morning here). From left to right: Kelsey Montalto and Jess Franks.
Each of us had our own method to our madness, whether that be our preferred camping style (tent, hammock, out in the open), “bathroom preference” (bucket or ocean), and even sleep schedules. And how did we entertain ourselves? Through conversation, exploration, jokes, games, and quite a bit of acapella. We even turned putting on lotion into a group activity and brushing our teeth into a game by seeing how far each of us could spit after we finished.
Even as our trip was ending, I think we all realized how special our grand adventure actually had been, and it was exactly that, grand. Now that we’re back, we’ve had to fall back into the hustle and bustle of our busy lives being torn in a million different directions with all the distractions in the world at our fingertips. Even so, we will always know what it was like to feel as if we were living in a scene of a movie at the top of a mountain, wake up earlier than we ever thought we voluntarily would (before even the alarm), have the most people aware of your bodily functions since toddlerhood, push the dinner tables together to eat “family dinner style”, and know what it means to truly get back to our basic needs.
Throughout most of recorded human history, we have not cared about the use of sunscreen. Or have we? It is now well known that the sun's rays can cause burns to the skin when left unprotected, but we have been trying to prevent such things for thousands of years. Initially, it was not to prevent cancer or getting sun spots but rather as a way to keep cool, prevent uncomfortable skin irritations, and, in some cases, prevent from looking like the lower class (Urbach 2001). Though trials were conducted in 1820, it wasn’t until 1900 that the same experiment was conducted where sunlight was split into “chemical rays” and heat. It was then that we realized that it was not just the heat that caused the burns but something different. This led to the invention of modern sunscreen derived from chestnut extract, which had been used in folk medicine for many years (Urbach 2001). Shortly after this revelation, in 1923, Coco Chanel returned from the French Riviera and accidentally tanned her skin, starting the craze of getting tan (BronzeTan.com 2020).
Fast forward to 2023, and we have more sunscreen and sunscreen ingredients than you can count with names that look like they came from an alien language. While not everyone is out trying to get a tan on the beach, everyone is directly affected by the sun's radiation every time they step outside. Fortunately, sunscreen technology has advanced to provide various types of sunscreen that can absorb or reflect the sun's rays, in addition to the wide variety of sun protection clothing that we have, there should be no reason for any of us to get burnt (Purohit 2017).
What seems like a straightforward solution to sun damage to the skin becomes less evident once you investigate the chemicals that make UV filtration possible.
There have been trials on the potential for active ingredients such as Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) to determine if this ingredient causes negative impacts (Watanabe 2015). The review found, though mixed results, altered birth weights and a decline in gestational age (Ghazipura 2017). I doubt any parent thinks that their sunscreen can cause gestational issues. Still, without further research, these products will continue to be sold and applied to the general public while potentially doing unknown harm to them.
(www.behealthynow.co.uk)
While human harm is a considerable concern, sunscreen and water are a pair that usually go together. On a deeper scale, sunscreen doesn’t stay put when applied to our bodies. Many sunscreen companies advocate applying more sunscreen after getting out of the water as it may come off in the water (Purohit 2017). When in the water, fish can bioaccumulate the active ingredients, disrupting endocrine function, altering behavior, and impacting development and reproduction (Lebaron 2022). Unfortunately, not all of these ingredients behave the same, and it is complicated to quantify each chemical's effect on every animal species. Aside from marine animals, studies examining marine algae’s response to BP-3 show decreased chlorophyll content and growth rate (Mao 2017).
Perhaps more commonly talked about is the effect that BP-3 has on corals. Each additional stressor adds to and exacerbates the preexisting problems in a changing climate. This, unfortunately, holds true for corals. Studies have demonstrated that BP-3 can damage all life stages of some species of corals and intensify the problem in the sunlight when most of the BP-3 pollution takes place (Downs 2017). The tourist industry that many island and tropical nations are built on is concurrently destroying the very thing that many tourists are coming to see.
This complexity intensifies the decision-making process when buying sunscreen. It involves not only considering the chemical impact of sunscreen on your body for cancer prevention or sunburn protection but also considering the broader environmental context. The ongoing issue of sunscreen-related pollutants in the environment has prompted some individuals to proactively address the matter, advocating for chemical removal methods directly from the environment.
There has been some success in wastewater treatment plants. BP-3 coming from pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The study used diammonium salt, a synthetic mediator, and acetosyringone, a natural mediator, which removed BP-3 to below a detectable level in just a couple of hours (Garcia 2011). There have also been pushes to use constructed wetlands to adsorb the chemicals or reduce them through biodegradation or plant uptake (Ilyas 2020).
Regardless of how we keep these chemicals from entering the ocean, one thing is certain: it must be done. Fortunately, ad campaigns have been somewhat successful, enacting specific chemical bans leading to lowered detection levels (Miller 2021). Sadly, there are no marketing standards or repercussions for mislabeling a bottle of sunscreen as “Reef Safe.” A study done in 2020 found that of the 52 products with a “Reef Safe” label, 48% of them contained a NOAA-specified “Reef Toxic” ingredient (Chi-Han 2020).
Further digging can reveal ingredients classified as non-hazardous (Miller 2021), but finding products containing only the listed ingredients can be difficult.
Even if you could find ingredients on the list provided in the Miller 2021 paper, that still does not mean that they are 100% reef and organism-safe. Chemicals affect different organisms in various ways, and currently, there is no standardized test that chemicals go through to determine if they are safe. The percentages of active ingredients differ from product to product, making classification more difficult. Is a 25% zinc oxide sunscreen better than a 4% BP-3 sunscreen? Without more research, these questions remain unanswered.
On sunscreen websites, the benefit to humans is frequently embellished and backed by dermatologists. Still, some scientific facts are stated without telling where they obtained their information (gowaxhead.com).
While there is still no clear answer about what sunscreen you should wear on your next outing, a few things are clear. More research is needed that should be performed by the companies that are advocating for their chemical use. Some sunscreens may be a better option such as non-nano zinc-oxide sunscreen, but overall, we must rethink sun protection and emphasize using material sun protection such as long-sleeved shirts, hats, and sunglasses.
(www.prevention.com)
References
BronzeTan.com. (2020, January 30). A Brief History of the Tan. Bronze Tan St. Louis. https://bronzetanstl.com/brief-history-tan/#:~:text=In%201923%20after%20accidentally%20tanning,and%20rebellions%20against%20Victorian%20values.
Chia-Han Yeh, M., Tsai, T. Y., & Huang, Y. C. (2020). Evaluation of ‘“reef safe”’ sunscreens: Labeling and cost implications for consumers. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 82(4), 1013–1015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.10.059
Downs, C. A., Kramarsky-Winter, E., Segal, R., Fauth, J., Knutson, S., Bronstein, O., Ciner, F. R., Jeger, R., Lichtenfeld, Y., Woodley, C. M., Pennington, P., Cadenas, K., Kushmaro, A., & Loya, Y. (2016). Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 70(2), 265–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7
Garcia, H. A., Hoffman, C. M., Kinney, K. A., & Lawler, D. F. (2011). Laccase-catalyzed oxidation of oxybenzone in municipal wastewater primary effluent. Water Research, 45(5), 1921–1932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2010.12.027
Ghazipura, M., McGowan, R., Arslan, A., & Hossain, T. (2017). Exposure to benzophenone-3 and reproductive toxicity: A systematic review of human and animal studies. In Reproductive Toxicology (Vol. 73, pp. 175–183). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.08.015
Ilyas, H., & van Hullebusch, E. D. (2020). Performance comparison of different constructed wetlands designs for the removal of personal care products. In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Vol. 17, Issue 9). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093091
Lebaron, P. (2022). UV filters and their impact on marine life: state of the science, data gaps, and next steps. In Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (Vol. 36, Issue S6, pp. 22–28). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.18198
Mao, F., He, Y., Kushmaro, A., & Gin, K. Y. H. (2017). Effects of benzophenone-3 on the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Aquatic Toxicology, 193, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.09.029
Miller, I. B., Pawlowski, S., Kellermann, M. Y., Petersen-Thiery, M., Moeller, M., Nietzer, S., & Schupp, P. J. (2021). Toxic effects of UV filters from sunscreens on coral reefs revisited: regulatory aspects for “reef safe” products. Environmental Sciences Europe, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00515-w
Purohit , M. P. (Ed.). (2017, August 1). What type of sunscreen should I purchase?. DoveMed. https://www.dovemed.com/healthy-living/wellness-center/what-type-sunscreen-should-i-purchase
Urbach, F. (2001). The historical aspects of sunscreens. In Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology (Vol. 64). www.elsevier.com/locate/jphotobiol
Watanabe, Y., Kojima, H., Takeuchi, S., Uramaru, N., Sanoh, S., Sugihara, K., Kitamura, S., & Ohta, S. (2015). Metabolism of UV-filter benzophenone-3 by rat and human liver microsomes and its effect on endocrine-disrupting activity. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 282(2), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2014.12.002
Waxhead Sun Defense. (n.d.). Is zinc oxide safe? https://gowaxhead.com/blogs/the-thrive-lab/is-zinc-oxide-safe#:~:text=Zinc%20oxide%20is%20the%20only,and%20best%20active%20sunscreen%20ingredient.
As marine scientists and scientists-in-training, we at MLML know we dodged a bullet in the decision against pursuing a career in, say, medicine—a path that inevitably leads to a hypochondriacal aunt listing her symptoms to you at the Thanksgiving table or to a patient of yours asking about his unfortunate toe rash when he spots you at self-checkout. Aren't you also glad you didn't major in studio art, which would have everyone and their mother wanting to hire you to illustrate a children’s book? Yes, we fish people, sponge people, seaweed connoisseurs, and sediment transport enthusiasts have it pretty good, but there are still a few comments and interactions we would prefer not to put up with on a day-to-day basis.
I asked MLML students, "What are you tired of people telling you because they know you are in the marine science field?" Here's what you had to say:
Some of you were frustrated that people underestimate the work you do.
1. "What an easy job/degree. You’re so lucky just hanging out at the beach all day." -Dylan, Ichthyology
Credit: Grace Teranishi
Others of you have experienced that people vastly overestimate what you can do.
2. "'Oh you're a marine scientist, you're going to save the world.'
–there's literally no paper I could publish that would suddenly make people take environmentalism more seriously. The change has to come from policy. Also, assuming that the tanks in the [Monterey Bay Aquarium’s] deep sea exhibit are pressurized. They're not." -Alex, Invertebrate Ecology
3. "Oh, so you're going to save the coral reefs, right?" -Keenan, Invertebrate Ecology
We would love to reverse centuries of environmental exploitation with a snap of our fingers, but unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
Some expressed fatigue at general ignorance.
4. "Challenging if the megalodon is truly extinct because we've only explored 30% of our oceans." -Sophie, Marine Biology major at SJSU
We love a good bad shark movie now and then, but please stop.
Or fatigue at the nonstop questions not even remotely related to what you actually study.
5. "This one time during a dinner rush I was serving a large table and they asked me if I was in school. Upon finding out I was at MLML, one patron asked me to enlighten the table about the local ecology of the bay. 'Tell us about the canyon!' he said. 'Tell them about the whales!' he said. 'Twas dinner and a show... we were very busy... and I study fish genes." -Nick, Ichthyology
6. "I participate in Skype-a-Scientist, where you match with classrooms to talk about your experiences as a researcher. I introduced myself as a student at the Marine Labs with a focus on fish/estuaries/ocean life; I matched with an elementary school teacher who wanted me to answer an eight year-old's questions about platypuses." -Grace, Ichthyology
7. "So do you like, train dolphins?" -Jackie, Fisheries & Conservation Biology
8. "When you type 'phycology' into a google search and get asked if you really mean 'psychology.'" -Shelby, Phycology
9. "What kind of fish is this?" "How long can whales hold their breath for?" "Does toilet bowl water really go down counter-clockwise?" -Victoria, Geological Oceanography
Credit: Juliana Cornett
People just really love hearing all about the sharks.
10. "It has to be 'Have you ever seen sharks?' when I talk about diving or am spotted with dive gear at a beach. Sometimes it is difficult to talk about them in a realistic, non-threatening way." -Kameron, Ichthyology
11. "Did you hear about the shark attack at [location]? What do you think happened?" -Matt, Phycology
Many of you were tired of talking to people about Monterey Bay sea otters and felt that the less charismatic ocean life deserved a little more love.
12. "*Looks at an invertebrate* ‘Wait, but they're not alive though right?'" -Noah, Invertebrate Ecology
13. "They always want to talk about sea otters and why they are so important here." -Amber, Vertebrate Ecology
14. "I'm tired of people thinking I study fish or mammals... or when people mention how their cousin studied marine biology in undergrad but now she's a *insert random unrelated profession*" -Jess, Phycology
There’s more to the ocean than whales and dolphins and otters, people!
Credit: Juliana Cornett
And on a similar note, marine science encompasses so much more than just biology.
15."People asking what the difference [is] between marine science and marine biology" -Samuel, Ichthyology
16. "So you're a marine biologist?"' -Anonymous
17. "Everyone assumes I'm a 'marine biologist' when I tell them I'm an oceanographer :-)" -Marine, Chemical Oceanography
Credit: Grace Teranishi
We are also not all out there telling everyone to stop eating fish. Sometimes it’s quite the opposite! We want to make sure that there’s still fish left in the ocean so we can keep eating them.
18. "Oh so fish science? Wait, do you still eat fish?" -Quinn, Ichthyology
19. "I study vertebrate ecology. People usually assume that I am extremely against all forms of fishing. I have a lot of respect for fishermen and want to help them as much as I want to protect endangered marine mammals and turtles."-Kali, Vertebrate Ecology
20. “If I eat fish and then [they] get surprised that I do. Of course I do they're delicious." -Konnor, Fisheries & Conservation Biology
Currently thinking about the trout I had for dinner last night.
Credit: Nicholas Kolasa-Lenarz
And finally, this:
21. "'You will be paid in experience!' -with regard to any unpaid internship 'opportunity'" -Anonymous, Geological Oceanography
Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond to this survey!
2021 was a complex year to be a graduate student, with global societal issues demanding our attention and energy alongside our usual scientific workload. The emergence of the COVID-19 vaccines brought with it the hope of being able to safely socialize in-person with our friends and loved ones again. The resilient Moss community was able to return to some in-person activities in the Fall of 2021, including hosting the first lab Halloween party since 2019!
During this rollercoaster of a year, 14 students successfully defended their MLML theses virtually via Zoom. Please join me in congratulating the following students:
Ann Bishop, Phycology Lab
Taylor Eddy, Invertebrate Zoology Lab
Bonnie Brown, Fisheries and Conservation Biology Lab
Matthew Jew, Ichthyology Lab
Justin Cordova, Pacific Shark Research Center
Gregory Bongey, Geological Oceanography Lab
Jennifer Tackaberry, Vertebrate Ecology Lab
Sophie Bernstein, Ichthyology Lab
Rachel Brooks, Ichthyology Lab
Holly Doerr, Ichthyology Lab
Melissa Naugle, Invertebrate Ecology Lab
Kristen Saksa, Ichthyology Lab
Jacquie Chisholm, Physical Oceanography Lab
Amanda Camarato, Physical Oceanography Lab
Read below for pictures of the graduates, and explore the links to their thesis announcement posts with more info about their projects and the YouTube recordings of their defenses.
Check out posts commemorating past defenders written by MLML alumna June Shrestha: 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.
By now we’ve grown somewhat accustomed to the haze and the smell of smoke, the ash that dusts our cars, our patios, our coats. It’s August, night. My friends have invited me over to drink beer and observe the glare of the River Fire ebb and flow over the hills across the highway. Within the week they’ll receive an evacuation order.
With both COVID-19 and environmental crises to convulse the world, this past year has witnessed its fair share of fires—literal and figurative—disrupting homes, livelihoods, social norms, and mental stabilities. Unsurprisingly, we find increasing evidence of how one pandemic (COVID) interacts with and bears resemblance to another, even deadlier one: climate change.
Our pursuit for statistical power involves repeated trials and non-trivial sample sizes. After hundreds of fish dissections or thousands of water samples, big data can become a big chore. Once exciting field observations are converted to numbers, I find myself occasionally forgetting the amazing individuals we are fortunate enough to study.
I’ve enjoyed photographing both fish and birds for a few years. Through repeat encounters, I’ve come to recognize specific individuals both on land and on sea. If you have had the same experience, you will understand the excitement in recognizing these individuals time and time again. Sexual dimorphism, unique behaviors, and physical markings are all indicators that can be used for identifications. Here, I provide small anecdotes about some of the individuals I’ve met through my photography.
Scarred Kelp rockfish
I just logged my 400th dive in my SCUBA career. A majority were around the Monterey Peninsula, most being in the Carmel Bay. While studying microhabitat associations of Kelp rockfish in Carmel, I recorded more than 1,000 observations of the species. Kelp rockfish display a wide range of color morphs and patchiness patterns, from a ghostly white to earthy greens and browns. I recognized this specific individual across a few dives due to the distinct white scar its left side. After an hour of deep depths and freezing temperatures, it was exciting to find this fish hanging around the same patches of kelp. I’m not sure if the feeling was mutual!
Two Vermilion rockfish in Carmel, CA
Just across the bay live two large Vermilion rockfish. The smaller of the two is much more orange, while the larger one has more complicated silver patches on its body. These large, vibrant rockfish stand out from the other species on the reef. When I dove nearly every day during the summer of 2018, I would see these individuals in almost the exact same places. Because of their large size, I believe these two individuals could have easily outcompeted other rockfish for the best crevices along the rocky reef. Since 2018, this kelp forest has turned into an urchin barren with only a few opportunistic Macrocystis and Nereocystis fronds remaining. Yet the Vermilions remain – I just saw one of them last week! It still feels as if these two fish purposefully come out to greet me on dives.
White-tailed kite
During runs, I’ve passed this White-tailed numerous times while it was perched on the same tree. I’ve made it a mission to return with camera gear and try to photograph it, but have only succeeded twice. Their bright red eyes have always fascinated me. If my presence doesn’t scare it off, turkey vultures and crows seem to always chase it away.
Anna’s hummingbird in Moss Landing
I discovered this Anna’s hummingbird at a location I frequent weekly for shorebirds. This individual favors flying back and forth between three perches. It was shy when I first discovered it, not letting me approach very closely. I began using my camera’s electronic shutter to shoot silently and minimize disturbance on its natural behavior. After many weeks of returning to this individual, it has become more comfortable with my camera gear. It now lets me move closer and will even return to me after flying away. Over a the past few months, this bird has become a part of my weekly photographic routine; I like to think that I am a part of its week as well!
Pair of Eurasian collared doves in Moss Landing
Not far from the hummingbird I visit, two Eurasian collared doves that have claimed a tree as their own. These two are inseparable. Although I am no dove expert, I suspect they may be a breeding pair. Since their tree is near the busy Moss Landing harbor, they sometimes have to other flying fauna. In my opinion, these goofy doves have one of the most hilarious calls. Unfortunately they are hesitant to drop down at eye level, which makes it difficult to capture photos.
Photographing wildlife is an enjoyable break from the hard science I feel is prioritized during grad school. These small encounters have highlighted some of the interesting routines and personality traits of my subjects. I hope you are able to recognize individuals across your scientific endeavors. Happy research!
When you think of sea food what do you think of? Do you picture a fish fillet, lobster bisque, or maybe fish and chips? These are some of the common seafood dishes you can find on the menu at your favorite seafood stop, but have you ever seen abalone steak on the menu? It used to be a common staple eaten up and down the California coast. Now abalone are almost impossible to find not only on the menu, but in the ocean. So why have these animals begun to vanish from our diet and seas? This is due to the many changing oceanic conditions including ocean acidification.
Abalone have disappeared from our diet because the oceans have become too acidic, which has greatly reduced their population size. Climate change, driven by human emissions of carbon dioxide mainly from fossil fuels, is changing Earth’s climate and altering ocean chemistry. One of these changes is ocean acidification, which is a process that makes the ocean more acidic because of an increase in carbon dioxide. Change in acidity impacts marine life like abalone by reducing population sizes through developmental deformities, shell dissolution, lowered reproductive success, and reduced survival. So why do we care about the impact of ocean acidification on abalone and their continued existence in our ocean? Besides their previous inclusion in our diets, abalone contribute to the ocean and to people in many ways.
2020 was a big year. We saw a global pandemic, protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and wildfires raging across the state. Despite all of this, we had nine students pull through to defend their thesis research in 2020! Please join me in congratulating the following students:
Lindsay Cooper, Phycology Lab
Kenji Soto, Geological Oceanography Lab
Amber Reichert, Pacific Shark Research Center
Mason Cole, Vertebrate Ecology Lab
June Shrestha, Ichthyology Lab
Dan Gossard, Phycology Lab
Jacoby Baker, Ichthyology Lab
Emily Pierce, Invertebrate Zoology Lab
Miya Pavlock-McAuliffe, Physical Oceanography Lab
Please read below to learn a little more about each student's research. As always, please also check out the posts highlighting student research from previous years as well at the following links: 2019, 2018, and 2017.
Special author note: As I am one of the students that defended and graduated this year, this will be my last post for The Drop-In. From writing about classes to conferences and student research, it's been a pleasure writing for this blog. Hopefully someone else will carry the torch forward in the new year to highlight and celebrate the research of graduating students!
By 
By Kameron Strickland, 
By Kayla Roy,