That's all Folk's! -Week 10

This week we got to see the culmination of everyone’s hard work over the past two weeks. The 10th annual BI 450 Research Symposium was held on Friday, and everyone presented their findings for their group research projects. From seastar wasting to beach wrack to the secret lives of nudibranchs, everyone’s projects were creative and revealed interesting results.

Katie E and Joyce looked at the prevalence of sea star wasting in Pisaster ochraceus and interactions with hermit crabs. Their data included some shocking figures showing how fast wasting disease is spreading on the Oregon coast.

Courtney, Ashtyn, and Celeste looked at the differences in taxa diversity and abundance of native and invasive seagrasses Zostera marina and Zostera japonica in Yaquina bay.

Kristi and Kristina looked at algal bleaching in Oregon’s rocky intertidal.

Kelsey and Zach looked at rates of in-situ detritivore-aided and detritivore-excluded decomposition of common beach wrack algal species in South Beach, Oregon.

Katie C. and Mike studied the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and its use of algae as a protective cover and food source.

Raine and Britnee looked at mud shrimp populations and their parasitic isopod Orthione griffensis.

Kenzie, Jake and Rachel studied the effect of temperature and feeding on regenerating anemones Anthopleura elegantissima.

Adam and Eric looked at the substrate preferences, between gravel and sand, of English sole in Yaquina Bay

Larkin and Nikolai investigated the Crangon spp. assemblages in the Yaquina Bay channel and offshore on the shelf as well as spawning patterns in Crangon alaskensis.

For the final presentation Tyler and Jordan looked at whether or not the distance of their preferred food, Ophlitaspongia pennata, had an effect on the distance traveled and sponge choice of the nudibranch Rostanga pulchra.

It’s been a great term on the coast! We hope to see everyone next year, and for those seniors that are graduating, good luck in all of your future endeavors!

And now, we’d like to leave you with one last thing.. in the wise words of Tyler:

“Where do sea slugs put their investments?” 

 "In the nudiBANK!!"