CSUMB professor, colleagues land NSF grant

CSU Monterey Bay Professor Cheryl Logan and four colleagues have won a grant of nearly $900,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on ocean acidification and hypoxia.

Dr. Logan, along with Dr. Scott Hamilton from Moss Landing Marine Labs and Drs. Brian Tissot, Eric Bjorkstedt and Jeffrey Abell from Humboldt State will combine their expertise to examine how climate change can affect the behavior, physiology and gene expression of rocky reef fishes. “Having a team of scientists who are located all across California and specialize in everything from ecology to molecular physiology to oceanography will allow us to more efficiently address challenging and complex scientific questions,” Dr. Hamilton said. The three-year study, which starts in September, will use CSU research facilities in central and northern California. Scientists will be able to study the same species of fish in two locations and determine how fishes adapt to different environmental threats. They will study how the sensory systems, brain function and swimming physiology of the fishes changes as a result of climate change, as well as examine the molecular basis of those changes at the cellular level. Understanding the effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia (low oxygen levels) is critical for predicting future climate change responses of global fish populations and determining their ability to tolerate or adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Faculty members will integrate their research into the classroom curriculum to give students real-life examples of textbook principles. And students who are aspiring scientists will have the opportunity to work on the project and gain hands-on experience. The five CSU faculty researchers will also tap the expertise of Susan Sogard from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, who played a role in the initial research. With funding support from the CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST), the interdisciplinary team was able to collect the preliminary data that went into the proposal that helped them win the grant.