When marine biology teams from UC Merced and Penn State found each other's blogs, they realized the coral larvae research they were performing in different parts of the world could come together to offer new insights.
UC Merced professor Mónica Medina's team was in Mexico, while the Penn State team was in Florida, but the research they were doing was similar. Both lab groups were studying the effects of thermal stress on coral larvae and whether there is a genetic component to how the larvae respond to heat -- the goal being to determine how the larvae will hold up as climate change leads to increased sea surface temperatures in the future.
The fact that they were in different locations added further depth to their studies. And because coral spawning -- which produces the larvae needed for study -- happens only at a very specific time each year, the projects were basically consistent except for their locations.
"This situation gave us the opportunity to compare these two different populations from Florida and from Mexico under similar conditions," Medina said. "It turned out that there is a very strong geographic component to the response (to thermal stress).
"So in other words, the populations from Mexico may not respond the same way as the populations from Florida, and that needs to be taken into consideration when we design future conservation strategies."
That discovery was published in a research paper this summer that was co-authored by Medina -- a past winner of the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers -- and Penn State professor Iliana Baums, in collaboration with several of their lab members.
Simply capturing the gametes needed to produce the larvae to study is a challenge in itself, Medina explained. Coral spawning is a rare occurrence that is linked to sea surface temperature and the lunar cycle. Roughly once a year, near the end of summer, about a week after the full moon and a few hours after sunset, the show begins.
"We put the nets out, and then we sit around and wait for several hours on the boat," Medina said. "And nothing happens, nothing happens, and suddenly it's just madness in the reef. (The coral) is releasing the gametes, and it's beautiful. It's really, really striking."
For a video interview with Medina about this research, visit hwww.youtube.com/UCMerced.
Kelley Shoot-Out benefits
UC Merced Athletics
The 14th annual Ma Kelley Memorial Shoot-Out golf tournament will be held Oct. 29 at Stevinson Ranch Golf Club.
Registration is open until Friday for the tournament, whose proceeds benefit UC Merced athletics. The format is a four-person shamble, and the $150 entry fee includes a barbecue lunch prior to the 1 p.m. shotgun start, as well as a 7 p.m. dinner.
Those interested in participating can register online at https://intelforms.ucmerced.edu/Form/makelley or by contacting George Kelley at (209) 664-6400 or gkelley@greenwaygolf.com.
UC Merced Connect is a collection of news items written by the university's Office of Communications. To contact the communications team, e-mail communications@ucmerced.edu.
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