ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Emma Strand is an author on ‘ Coral species-specific loss and physiological legacy effects are elicited by an extended marine heatwave’, published in JEB. Emma conducted the research described in this article while a PhD candidate in Dr Hollie Putnam's lab at University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA. She is now a postdoctoral scientist in the lab of Tim O'Donnell at Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Gloucester, MA, USA, investigating sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, focused on developing genomic tools to advance research-based sustainable management of marine environments, and climate change resilience, focused on investigating how marine organisms respond to rapidly changing environments.
Emma Strand
How did you become interested in biology?
I grew up next to the ocean in Seattle, Washington, which fostered my passion for the marine environment. My early days in marine science started at the Seattle Aquarium as a high school youth volunteer, where I spent my time teaching visitors about the diversity and importance of marine ecosystems. At the same time, I was very fortunate to have an outstanding high school biology teacher who partnered with Earthwatch to take a small group of students to Trinidad & Tobago for an introduction to sea turtle ecology research. It's safe to say I was hooked after that!
Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus
My research journey started as an undergraduate at Loyola Marymount University, where I was a research assistant in a marine ecophysiology laboratory studying thermal tolerance of mussels as well as a research assistant at the Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences studying coral reef ecology and molecular ecology, respectively. Since then, my research priorities have been to promote and improve conservation of an ecosystem's biodiversity – from coral reefs and intertidal zones to fisheries. That passion led me to my PhD program at the University of Rhode Island, where I investigated the impacts of climate change on coral physiology and genomic patterns. After I graduated, I wanted to pursue the integration of genomic analyses and conservation efforts, which led me to my current position as a postdoctoral scientist at Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute in Gloucester, MA, USA.
Montipora capitata displays diverse stress responses (i.e. varied levels of coral bleaching) to future marine heatwave and ocean acidification conditions.
How would you explain the main findings/message of your paper to a member of the public?
Our study highlights how different types of coral handle chronic high temperature stress and what physiological differences may be underlying a more successful response. To this extent, we found that the types of symbionts corals associate with are likely important, as well as their physiological state prior to the stress event. After 2 months of chronic stress, we found that Montipora capitata is the more resilient species, with higher survival rates and a more muted physiological response than Pocillopora acuta. However, even in more resilient species, 2 months is not enough time to recover from chronic high temperature conditions. Ultimately, these lasting physiological legacies are likely to influence future responses to repeat exposures.
Why did you choose JEB to publish your paper?
We chose JEB because our publication fits within the specialty of molecular, cellular and organismal physiology. Specifically, our study highlights the organismal physiology of different coral species under future climate change projections. Outside of our study's specialty, we appreciate The Company of Biologists’ and JEB's commitment to sustainability with a pledge to planting trees with each review and research paper and their focus on providing grant opportunities to ECRs. The process from submission to publication was smooth and all reviewers provided constructive feedback that improved the quality of the paper.
What do you enjoy most about research, and why?
I enjoy the challenge of research the most – from designing experiments to intensive field work, and getting a project over the finish line. I feel like I am never bored, especially with molecular technology developing at such a fast pace. Along with the challenges, I really enjoy the conservation aspect of my research. I'm fortunate to be in a position where I get to use my skills to improve current conservation practices and management within several ecosystems like fisheries and coral reefs.
Emma Strand’s contact details: Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, 417 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930, USA.
E-mail: [email protected]
