Jul 28, 2020
Associate Scientist in Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry at Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Amy Apprill, joins the show to
share insight on her area of expertise: the microbes of the animals
in the ocean and the
marine ecosystem in general.
Tune in to discover:
A coral reef is an entire ecosystem with its own rocks, animals, and plants in the most biodiverse environment in the ocean. Apprill’s work is centered around research on the microbiome of corals.
She and her team have found that different microbes inhabit
three primary regions of the coral: the mucous layer, the tissues,
and the skeleton. She explains how the use of microscopy has helped
shed light on the role of different bacterial communities within
the coral depending on where they live.
The team has also been looking at the composition of microbes and
cells that can live as symbionts with the corals in the water
within the 30 centimeters surrounding corals. She shares what
they've learned so far from this research, and what's to come.
Apprill also describes some of the signs which indicate unhealthy coral, and the research they're doing to determine what factors help healthy corals stay that way. She talks about the importance and sensitivities of ocean ecology, and the impact of human activities on coral reef microbial communities.
To learn more about Apprill's work, visit https://www2.whoi.edu/site/amy-apprill/.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK