[All-postdocs] Bioseminar Max Castorani

[Ana M Velez]

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Biology Department Seminar
Thursday, July 28, 2022 - 12:00 Noon

Max C.N. Castorani
Assistant Professor, University of Virginia

Loss, Recovery, and Stability of California Kelp Forests: Causes and Consequences from Populations to Ecosystems
Foundation species are functionally-irreplaceable organisms that define entire ecosystems. However, the defining characteristics and roles of many foundation species have been asserted without direct measurements, raising the question, to what extent are ecosystems changing directly in response to climate and human activities, and to what extent are they changing indirectly via effects on foundation species? Addressing this question is pressing as many foundation species are in global decline, while others are experiencing accelerating restoration. In this talk, I will present several studies using the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera as a model organism to quantify the community and ecosystem effects of foundation species and resolve the major drivers influencing foundation species dynamics. Using large-scale subtidal experiments and the application of novel statistical methods to long-term diver surveys and satellite observations, these studies reveal the ways in which giant kelp affects the structure and function of coastal ecosystems in California, the major oceanographic processes controlling giant kelp population dynamics, and the spatial and temporal scales associated with these processes.

Virtual! Zoom: https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/98380453996 Meeting ID: 983 8045 3996   By dial: Find your local number: https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/u/ag3CBE6Vc
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