Andy Chang
Post Doc, Morgan Lab
Bodega Marine Laboratory
P.O. Box 247
Bodega Bay , CA 94923
- About
As a postdoc in the Morgan Lab at BML and the Marine Invasions Lab (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), my research has several parts. One is to examine the mechanisms by which ecological communities are assembled, and the ultimate consequences of different assembly histories for the structure and functioning of communities. How is estuarine community structure and functioning affected by the history of species arrival and the timing of disturbances such as storms and freshwater flow (which is directly tied to both watershed modification and climate change)? This work is done using sessile estuarine invertebrates such as bivalves, tunicates, bryozoans, and so on, in the San Francisco Estuary. I use long term surveys, monitoring of temperature and salinity, and manipulative experiments to understand community dynamics. One significant aspect of this work is that I have shown very large community changes that are tied to freshwater flow changes, which are linked to both climate change and water management. I now aim to determine the effects of these changes for the broader ecosystem, especially through changes in the community's water filtration activity.
The second part of my research examines native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) population dynamics, their responses to freshwater flow changes, and functional consequences for the ecosystem. Olympia oysters are one of the few native Pacific coast estuarine species, are considered a foundation species for these estuarine ecosystems, and are currently a target of significant restoration efforts. Yet relatively little is known about the factors that govern oyster population dynamics in Pacific estuaries or about their effect on algae and plankton in the water column in different salinity, temperature, and turbidity conditions. This knowledge is crucial both to more effective conservation and restoration efforts as well as understanding the likely effects of climate change on these ecosystems. I use long-term growth and survival monitoring, high-frequency recruitment measurements, trace element microchemistry (to track dispersal of oyster larvae), and manipulative experiments to get a comprehensive picture of Olympia oyster demographics in San Francisco Bay and their responses to freshwater flow changes. Early results indicate differential mortality patterns throughout the Bay in response to high freshwater flows during wetter years, with altered fecundity, growth, and dispersal patterns.
This work is supported by CALFED, the Smithsonian Institution, and a generous instrument donation from Turner Designs, Inc.
As a postdoc in the Morgan Lab at BML and the Marine Invasions Lab (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), my research has several parts. One is to examine the mechanisms by which ecological communities are assembled, and the ultimate consequences of different assembly histories for the structure and functioning of communities. How is estuarine community structure and functioning affected by the history of species arrival and the timing of disturbances such as storms and freshwater flow (which is directly tied to both watershed modification and climate change)? This work is done using sessile estuarine invertebrates such as bivalves, tunicates, bryozoans, and so on, in the San Francisco Estuary. I use long term surveys, monitoring of temperature and salinity, and manipulative experiments to understand community dynamics. One significant aspect of this work is that I have shown very large community changes that are tied to freshwater flow changes, which are linked to both climate change and water management. I now aim to determine the effects of these changes for the broader ecosystem, especially through changes in the community's water filtration activity.
The second part of my research examines native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) population dynamics, their responses to freshwater flow changes, and functional consequences for the ecosystem. Olympia oysters are one of the few native Pacific coast estuarine species, are considered a foundation species for these estuarine ecosystems, and are currently a target of significant restoration efforts. Yet relatively little is known about the factors that govern oyster population dynamics in Pacific estuaries or about their effect on algae and plankton in the water column in different salinity, temperature, and turbidity conditions. This knowledge is crucial both to more effective conservation and restoration efforts as well as understanding the likely effects of climate change on these ecosystems. I use long-term growth and survival monitoring, high-frequency recruitment measurements, trace element microchemistry (to track dispersal of oyster larvae), and manipulative experiments to get a comprehensive picture of Olympia oyster demographics in San Francisco Bay and their responses to freshwater flow changes. Early results indicate differential mortality patterns throughout the Bay in response to high freshwater flows during wetter years, with altered fecundity, growth, and dispersal patterns.
This work is supported by CALFED, the Smithsonian Institution, and a generous instrument donation from Turner Designs, Inc.