Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab

Sadie Kenny (LMU Biology ’23) and Emma Guerrini-Romano (LMU Biology ’24) presented the poster, “The effects of multiple stressors on eelgrass in the genus Zostera: a systematic review to inform stressor mitigation and restoration” at this year’s North American Congress for Conservation Biology (NACCB) on July 18, 2022 in Reno, NV

PI Sarah Joy Bittick also presented a talk titled, “Seagrass blue carbon stocks and sediment grainsize in meadows across California” which includes recently graduated coauthors Roland Troyan (’22) and JT Correy (’22).

After a couple crazy years, I am so proud of this year’s CECL graduates: Roland Troyan, Jimmy Roe, JT Correy, Arjun Diddee, and Devin Ferguson.

Congratulations to the class of 2020! Especially CECL graduates Emma Young and Hannah Lyford. I am so proud of you and know you will do great things! This was a tough time for your undergraduate journey to come to an end but your are resilient and amazing.

Seaver News just posted an article about the lab and Dr. Bittick.

Biology Faculty Launches Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab

I will be starting the Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab (CECL) as an assistant professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles this Fall 2019.

Stay tuned for updates but in the mean time contact me at sarah (dot) bittick (at) lmu (dot) edu or with the information below for inquiries.

It has been a good few weeks! Two of my dissertation papers are now accepted and online. Both focus on consequences of abundant macroalgae to foundational communities–one study in California seagrass meadows and the other on coral reefs in Mo’orea, French Polynesia.

Bittick SJ, Sutula M, & Fong P. In press. A tale of two algal blooms: negative effects of two dominant genera on seagrass and its epiphytes. Marine Environmental Research. Online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.05.018

Download accepted manuscript here.

Bittick SJ, Clausing RJ, Fong CR, Scoma S*, & Fong P. In press. A rapidly expanding alga acts as a secondary foundational species providing novel ecosystem functions in the South Pacific. Ecosystems. Online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-018-0261-1 \
Download accepted manuscript here..

It was good to get out in a seagrass bed again! I am investigating the area for good sites to conduct my postdoctoral research in Boundary Bay, British Columbia.

Right panel 3 smaller figures: Peace Arch Beach Rd, near White Rock, BC. Expansive, flat Zostera japonica habitat, didn’t see much Zostera marina at approximately a 4ft tide. If Zostera marina is there, it’s likely deeper.

Bottom figure: Ulva expansa intermixed with Zostera japonica. Might be a decent site to example competitive outcomes between seagrass and macroalgae in response to nutrient availability.

Happy to announce that I have completed my PhD at UCLA!

Next up: I’m moving to Vancouver, BC in August to start a postdoctoral fellowship with Liber Ero Fellowship Program! I’ll be based at the University of British Columbia in Mary O’Connor’s lab to focus on informing local management of seagrass beds with research on nutrient input and community structure.

See a bit about my proposed project here: Meet the Fellows

If you’re interested in the fellowship, it’s not too early to apply!

A project and paper I worked on with a group of spectacular undergraduates, who participated in UCLA’s Marine Biology Quarter to Mo’orea French Polynesia, has been accepted in Marine Ecology Progress Series. More info to come when the article is available online.

Bergman J*, Dang BN*, Tabatabaee MM*, McGowan MM*, Fong CR, Bittick SJ, & Fong P. In press. Nutrients induce and herbivores maintain thallus toughness, a structural anti-herbivory defense in Turbinaria ornata. Marine Ecology Progress Series.