We are thrilled to congratulate Zoe Salyapongse, Three Seas Program Cohort 45, on being awarded the the first place Masters Scholarship award from the American Academy of Underwater Sciences! Zoe is a Master’s student in the Three Seas Program and is currently conducting research in Dr. Remy Gatins‘ Lab at Northeastern’s Marine Science Center in Nahant, MA. We connected with her to learn more about the award and her exciting research!
Congratulations, Zoe, on your award and your research! What motivates your work?
I am broadly interested in the evolution and ecology of species in extreme conditions/changing environments, and more specifically interested in non-invasive monitoring methods for a rapidly changing climate. I am passionate about long-term conservation and efforts to research low-data areas such as the deep sea. I would like to thank the AAUS Foundation for their generous support of my project!
Tell us more about your research.
My work in the Gatins Lab at the Marine Science Center focuses on the range expansion of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) into the Gulf of Maine. As waters in the Gulf of Maine warm faster than in other parts of the world, the region is experiencing more rapid climate-dependent changes. One of these changes is the introduction of C. striata North of Cape Cod, MA.
My project has three objectives: to quantify the presence of black sea bass from Buzzards Bay, MA, to Boothbay, ME, using eDNA; to build a temporal dataset to track potential migration activity; and to assess the relationship between visual counts and eDNA signals to evaluate the efficacy of detection and abundance. This work uses skills I built as an undergraduate researcher in the Burkepile and D’Antonio Labs at UC Santa Barbara. I’m currently using SCUBA dives and eDNA assays to generate my datasets, and will culminate my graduate degree with a manuscript on the project results.
What made you choose the Gatins Lab?
I was excited to join Dr. Remy Gatin’s lab because of the welcoming community at the Marine Science Center, and my interest in molecular work, which Remy has a lot of experience in! It’s an awesome lab to work in because everyone is very supportive of each other’s projects.
What will be the impact of your research?
This study will demonstrate the value of combining traditional AAUS dive methods with innovative molecular tools and advance the methodology used in single-species eDNA monitoring. It will contribute to the baseline data for black sea bass ecology in a rapidly warming region and build the capacity for long-term monitoring using diver-validated molecular techniques.
