Dr. Jeff Bowman
Assistant Professor, UCSD, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Integrative Oceanography Division
Lab Website
Trials, tribulations, and transcriptomes: Understanding microbial ecosystem processes along the western Antarctic Peninsula
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 12 PM, AHF 153 (Torrey Webb Room)
Abstract: The western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a dynamic marine environment defined by contrasting onshore and offshore water masses, rapidly shifting sea ice conditions, and strong season cycles of light and temperature. The region is well known for its charismatic megafauna, but the charisma of its marine microbes is just beginning to emerge. I’ll describe some of our efforts over the last several years to understand the dynamics of marine microbial communities along the WAP, culminating in our ongoing effort to use metatranscriptomics to understand the carbon and energy transfers associated with the winter-spring seasonal transition. This transitional period is dominated by lipid metabolisms among a surprisingly diverse group of marine phytoplankton. Given the variability in timing of the annual sea ice retreat, and the importance of lipid-rich phytoplankton in regional foodwebs, we anticipate implications for metabolic energy budgets across trophic levels.
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