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Discovery Lecture Series |
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Friday, October 7, 2022
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Rocky Intertidal Engineers: Who are they, how do they do it, and why does it matter?
by Dr. Jennifer Burnaford, California State University, Fullerton
Ecosystem engineers are organisms that modify the environment in ways that substantially change conditions for other species. Mussels, kelps, and owl limpets are examples of engineers that have strong effects on the biodiversity of rocky intertidal shores through their ability to dominate space, create shade, and create bare patches, respectively. This presentation will describe the mechanisms by which these engineers structure rocky shore communities and the results of research projects designed to understand how the changing environment and human activities act on the engineers and thus change intertidal systems. It will discuss the methods and results of long-term (20+ years) biodiversity monitoring projects in Los Angeles and Orange counties that give us critical historical perspective, allowing the interpretation of the results from short-term studies. Along the way, it will highlight the challenges of conducting research on rocky shores, where strong waves and changing tides can complicate even the most straightforward study – and present some of the innovative solutions that make intertidal research so rewarding. How do a black oystercatcher named Squeakers, electrical insulating resin, and a 3D printer work together to give us insights into the effects of a warming climate on owl limpets? Join us to find out!
Dr. Jennifer Burnaford is a Professor of Biology at California State University Fullerton and a Principal Investigator in the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network, a collaborative group which conducts long-term monitoring at more than 80 sites along the North American Pacific Coast. For 25 years she has explored rocky shores around the world, from northern Washington State to the Baja Peninsula to New Zealand and Chile. She is fascinated by the biodiversity and complexity of the intertidal zone, where organisms are exposed to vast environmental shifts with the changing of the tides, surviving both complete submersion in seawater and terrestrial conditions on a daily basis. Her research is focused on understanding how ecosystem engineers are affected by environmental changes and human activities and subsequently how changes in ecosystem engineers affect biodiversity. She has taught courses in Marine Botany at multiple institutions including the University of Washington and CSU Fullerton, where she also teaches advanced Marine Ecology and Scientific Communication. She has received research funding from the National Science Foundation, the Bureau of Energy Management, and California Sea Grant, and she has published in journals such as Ecology, Ecological Applications, and the Journal of Experimental Biology. She has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from Oregon State University.
Register here.
 Oct2022_DiscoveryLecture.pdf
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