Achievement

IGERT Fellow Laura Newcomb traveled to Sicily, Italy in May 2013 to conduct field work with an international team of researchers on Isola Vulcano. The location is natural laboratory for the study of the effects of ocean acidification of marine communities, due to steady volcanic emissions seeping through the sea floor that create a gradient in pCO2 along the shore. Hosted by Dr. Jason Hall-Spencer of Plymouth UK and Dr. Marco Milazzo of University of Palermo, Laura evaluated the effects of high CO2 on the morphology of the calcified green alga, Acetabularia spp. She collected fresh specimens growing along the natural gradient and measured tissue composition and mechanical properties. She was able to confirm the validity of results obtained the previous year on preserved specimens. Laura also had the opportunity to foster relationships with other students and faculty in the field of Ocean Acidification from a broad range of countries.