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Research and Renewal
During my spring 2025 quarter at University of Washington, I had the privilege of taking Marine Evolutionary Biology. This course was challenging, as it consisted of a quarter-long research assignment focused on the dermal armor density of poacher fish (Agonidae). I asked how the armor-toskeleton density ratio of poachers impacted their preferred habitat preferences, using a phylogenetic approach. I began with DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis of a mitochondrial gene (CO1) in 77 different species . Next, using MEGA v12, a bioinformatics software to analyze evolutionary relationships, I configured a phylogenetic tree using the CO1 data analyzing the evolutionary relationships between the 77 species. I used this tree to analyze their genetic and evolutionary relationships through comparison of the given armor-to-skeleton density ratio and researched habitat.
Phylogenetic tree I made using bioinformatic software, MEGA v12 to display evolutionary relationship between poacher armor denisty and habitat.
A labeled photo of my PCR that did not have any bands from my DNA extraction.
From this project I learned resilience and patience. One major hiccup was that my gel electrophoresis of the PCR products produced no visible bands – and yet I still had a paper to write. This was a major physical and mental set back that I had to adapt to figure out. I worked through the lack of band mishap by communicating with other groups to determine the expected results, which allowed me to write a successful final research paper. In overcoming this setback, I learned that a failure in one aspect of a project does not mean the whole project is now over. I grew from needing to adapt and account for the unexpected result, allowing me to find resilience, which is a skill I will carry forward.
Resilience and patience are key skills to have when working with marine mammals. Because they are live animals, unexpected surprises are a part of the job. Being able to have patience and know how to calmly adjust and react to figure out the situation will help me flourish in a role of marine mammal rescue rehab.
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