The seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) is a foundational species which provides essential ecosystem services but is imperiled by seagrass wasting disease (SWD) caused by the pathogenic protist Labyrinthula zosterae. Previous studies indicate that warmer water temperatures facilitate SWD development, which inhibits photosynthesis and reduces growth rates and sugar reserves in eelgrass. There is also a correlation between marine heat waves and sediment heat waves, although the effects of increased sediment temperature on SWD have not been measured. Consequently, the effects of sediment temperature on L. zosterae infection in natural Z. marina meadows is the basis of our study. We are also investigating the effects of SWD on seagrass productivity, which we will determine by measuring blade growth rates and rhizome non-structural carbon concentrations. Our study involves field experiments at three Z. marina meadows located in the Coos Estuary in Oregon. Our methodology involves marking eelgrass blades in situ to determine growth rates along with rhizome collection to determine sugar concentrations. We expect that warmer sediment temperatures will be correlated with increased SWD since sediment heat waves co-occur with warmer water temperatures. We also expect that increased SWD will be associated with reduced eelgrass productivity since L. zosterae destroys plant chloroplasts and prevents photosynthesis. This is the first study to examine the effects of sediment temperature on SWD, and our findings will help inform disease mitigation and restoration efforts in eelgrass meadows in an age of intensifying harmful environmental changes to coastal ecosystems.

Ozone pollution in Houston regularly exceeds the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, primarily driven by reactions involving oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Understanding the spatial and temporal variability of these ozone precursors is critical for improving air quality forecasting and control strategies. To evaluate the cross-platform consistency between remote sensing and in situ observations, as well as the variation in tropospheric column and near-surface concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) between high and low ozone days in Houston during the TRACER-AQ campaign of September 2021. This study analyzes near-surface observations from the Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations (CAMS) in comparison with vertical column and near-surface NO2 and HCHO data from Pandora spectrometers at three Houston sites. Additionally, ten NASA aircraft flight days were used to collect NO2 and HCHO data. The timing of peaks of ozone precursors and associated with peak ozone production is evaluated using diurnal patterns from the Pandora spectrometers and CAMS. It is anticipated that NO2 and HCHO concentrations will be higher in the morning on high ozone days with diurnal cycles, reflecting the timing of precursor accumulation. Pandora vertical profiles are expected to reveal a higher concentration of pollutants during ozone episodes. Statistical intercomparisons across platforms will determine measurement agreement and potential biases. This will enhance the understanding of the distribution and behavior of ozone precursors in Houston, which will provide a foundation for integrating multi platform observations to inform air quality policy and public health interventions.

Human-induced climate change is increasing stressors across ecosystems globally. Climate impacts on foundation species, crucial organisms in maintaining community structure, are having outsized ecological consequences. In particular, rising temperatures and intensifying weather patterns are creating temperature anomalies and changes in salinity that threaten nearshore marine ecosystems. The rocky intertidal ecosystem is exposed to numerous terrestrial and marine stressors, affected by the shifting tides. These stressors are co-occurring with climate-induced stressors, and interpreting the interactions between multiple stressors within the intertidal can contribute to understanding the strength of these combined effects. The seaweed Silvetia compressa is a foundation species in southern California intertidal communities, providing three-dimensional structures, settling substrates, and food sources for other intertidal species. Silvetia compressa is declining in California due to climate change. The early zygote stage is highly susceptible to mortality from multiple factors, such as marine heatwaves and storm runoff – which may be intensified by climate change. Our objective is to understand how temperature and salinity interact to impact the development and growth of early-stage S. compressa sporophytes. We will expose early life sporophytes to temperature and salinity conditions that mimic climate-driven stressors. We hypothesize that the interaction between temperature and salinity will synergistically affect the survival of rockweed zygotes, diminishing in response to increased temperature and decreased salinity. These results will inform restoration protocols for current conservation efforts focused on spawning and repopulating S. compressa communities in southern California.

The Great Salt Lake is an ecosystem under threat. Ongoing water depletion and climate change have impacted this lake, causing it to decrease in water volume and increase in salinity, destabilizing its unique ecological balance. This project centers on the possibility of salt-thriving halophiles to serve as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere, which could affect the local weather patterns and enhance precipitation. Biologically derived materials, such as microorganisms or pollen, can act as INPs, initiating freezing water droplets in clouds even at relatively high temperatures. The Great Salt Lake hosts rich and diverse haloarchaea that might have different capacities to induce Ice Nucleation. My project aims to determine if halophilic organisms can function as efficient INPs. I will do this by: 1) isolating strains of haloarchaea from the hypersaline regions of the Great Salt Lake, 2) genetically identifying isolated species by conducting PCR, 3) testing the cold resistance of selected strains, and 4) performing ice spectrometry to test for their freezing ability. Understanding the behavior of halophiles under specific environmental conditions is crucial for developing new insights about microbial interaction with clouds and its atmospheric implications. Furthermore, utilizing the already present halophiles as possible INPs may have positive impacts on the water crisis in the Western United States.