Research & Projects
Research & Projects
Salp colonies take several different shapes, dependent on the species, that have different mobility capabilities. In analzying the speed of each colony architecture compared across species and colony number, we were able to see into the vertical migration ability of a variety of species, as well as the ecological roles of salps.
One of the primary objectives was to provide preliminary data on building a soft-bodied robot inspired by salp morphology. Additionally, our lab wanted to look into the ecology of salp vertical migration and role as a food source.
Our results showed that more streamlined colony architectures, described as linear and bipinnate, were generally faster. Additionally, chains with fewer individuals were oftentimes faster than colonies with more salps. The size of individual zooids didn't influence the overall speed of the colony.
Damian-Serrano, A., Walton, K.A., Bishop-Perdue, A., Bagoye, S., Du Clos, K.T, Gemmell, B.J., Colin, S., Costello, J.H., & Sutherland, K.R. (2025). Colonial architecture modulates the speed and efficiency of multi-jet swimming in salp colonies. Journal of Experimental Biology, 228(6). https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.18.590155.
A majority of teleost fishes have a larval stage of their life cycles, which is considered the critical period of their development. Although larvae are very susceptible to environmental changes and are typically considered very vulnerable, their survival into adulthood is crucial for sustaining adult populations. Two previous surveys of ichthyoplankton in Humboldt Bay have been conducted in 1969 and 2015-16, but both remain unpublished, creating a large research gap in publicly available knowledge.
The primary objective of my thesis is to publish the first survey of larval fishes within Humboldt Bay, using the data gathered in the two previous surveys as comparison for temporal and spatial changes. The secondary aim is to detect trends or patterns in species assemblages within the bay with ranges of abiotic factors (pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen) and season. Through collaboration with Dr. Eric Bjorkstedt (NOAA), I will also compare community structures of ichthyoplankton within Humboldt Bay with oceanic assemblages found along the Trinidad Head Line, offshore of Trinidad, California.
Samples are currently being collected, and collection is estimated to finish in January of 2026. Preliminary results have not yet been gathered.