{"id":41,"date":"2014-05-27T17:36:04","date_gmt":"2014-05-27T17:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2015-02-09T18:56:11","modified_gmt":"2015-02-09T18:56:11","slug":"investigating-tiny-marine-plants-for-clues-to-future-climate","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/investigating-tiny-marine-plants-for-clues-to-future-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Investigating Tiny Marine Plants for Clues to Future Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sonya Dyhrman\u2019s interest in marine biology began when she was a child, exploring tidal pools with her grandfather on the coast near her Tacoma, Washington, home.<\/p>\n<p>Now a microbial oceanographer at Lamont and an associate professor in Columbia University\u2019s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dyhrman conducts research on the tiny microbes in the ocean that play a large role in Earth\u2019s climate. These phytoplankton, or algae, consume huge amounts of carbon\u2014a byproduct of burning fossil fuels\u2014and, through photosynthesis, release oxygen. Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have made the oceans more acidic, which could have a detrimental impact on marine life.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/77604056?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=a4bbd8\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Microbial oceanographer Sonya Dyhrman studies\u00a0the tiny microbes in the ocean that play a large role in Earth\u2019s climate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re used to thinking about the importance of climate to green photosynthetic plants like grass and trees,\u201d Dyhrman said. \u201cPeople are less used to thinking about the very important role of oceans. Microscopic organisms in the oceans make the planet habitable for humans. Every other breath you take comes from microbes in the sea that produce oxygen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dyhrman\u2019s research adds important insight into the complex puzzle of global warming. The algae she studies are found in oceans around the world.\u00a0 In addition to producing oxygen, they construct elaborate calcium carbonate shells that reflect light and influence Earth\u2019s temperature, and they are an important source of food for ocean fish. By decoding their genome, scientists can better understand how different strains are influenced by changes in the environment and how they influence Earth\u2019s systems as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>In a way, Dyhrman says, her research is a continuation of what she was doing in high school, but with more advanced tools. \u201cI now do things that I always wanted to do,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m passionate about microbiology in the context of how Earth works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dyhrman is part of a team of scientists from 12 countries that recently sequenced the genome of a particular type of algae, Emiliania huxleyi, or Ehux. That seven-year effort revealed variable genes that mix and match with a set of core genes to allow the free-floating phytoplankton to adapt to different environments. She recently won a National Science Foundation grant that will let her continue her study of these and other algae, and how they are influenced by ocean acidification.<\/p>\n<p>Besides her passion for research, Dyhrman is committed to education, particularly keeping young girls interested in math and science. She created the oceanography component of an educational website called Whyville, which is especially popular with 8- to 12-year-old girls. More than 1.2 million children have participated in Whyville\u2019s oceanography activities, through which they can explore virtual environments, look at samples under a microscope and ask questions of an active scientist.<\/p>\n<p>Through Lamont\u2019s Climate and Life initiative, Dyhrman and her colleagues will continue to explore how climate change impacts life, ecosystems, and human sustainability. \u201cIt is incredible to think about how much global influence such a tiny little microbe can have,\u201d said Dyhrman.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sonya Dyhrman\u2019s interest in marine biology began when she was a child, exploring tidal pools with her grandfather on the coast near her Tacoma, Washington, home. Now a microbial oceanographer at Lamont and an associate professor in Columbia University\u2019s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Dyhrman conducts research on the tiny microbes in the ocean [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ldeo.columbia.edu\/2013report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}