Postdoctoral Opportunity: Thermal tolerance, population variability and experimental restoration of kelp in Southern CA in the Smith Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography The Smith lab is looking to recruit a new postdoctoral researcher in early 2024 to work on an exiting new project focused on thermal tolerance in habitat forming and understory kelp taxa in southern California as related … Read More
Can Seaweed Save the Planet?
Dr. Jennifer Smith was featured in the Wavelengths series’ latest video! A species of seaweed is behind a major movement to curb methane emissions from an unlikely source—cow burps. Marine ecologist Jennifer Smith leads the Smith Lab at Scripps Oceanography where she cultivates Asparagopsis taxiformis, a species of red algae that produces a compound that could greatly reduce the production … Read More
Smith Lab urges solidarity with Maui communities in wake of wildfires
Three weeks ago, the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century swept through west Maui, decimating the historic city of Lāhainā. One week before that, members from my lab returned from our latest field expedition to Lāhainā, Maui, where we’ve been monitoring coral reefs for more than a decade. Every time we’ve gone to Maui, my team has stayed … Read More
Postdoc Job Announcement
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT ALERT! POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH POSITION AT SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY, UCSD – BIOLOGY SECTION Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO, http://scripps.ucsd.edu) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher to work with an interdisciplinary research team focused on the topic of Kelp Forest Ecology, Ecophysiology, Carbon Cycling and Sequestration Potential. The incumbent will … Read More
Reflections on COP 27: What I learned as an observer at the Global Climate Conference
A few weeks ago, I returned from the UN climate conference, also known as the 27th Conference of Parties (COP 27), which was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt this November. I was lucky enough to attend as part of the University of California’s observer delegation along with more than a dozen other students from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As … Read More
Another year, another Maui trip!
Aloha! Our lab just got back from our annual field work trip to Maui, and we have a lot to report! We’ve been visiting Maui for over a decade to monitor coral reefs along the island’s leeward (sheltered from the wind) coast. We return to the same sites year after year and take thousands of pictures of each reef. When … Read More
“From the Ocean, a Cure for Cow Burps”
Check out this press release from the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) on the potential of the red seaweed, Asparagopsis taxiformis, to significantly reduce methane emissions from the livestock industry! The article includes an interview with Dr. Jennifer Smith and other experts on the large-scale cultivation and commercialization of this nature-based climate solution.
Now Published: Decade-Long Study on Palmyra’s Coral Reefs
Although many coral reefs are facing devastating declines due to global climate change, some reefs, such as at the remote Palmyra Atoll, are able to withstand and recover from bleaching. This recently-published paper, led by Ph.D. candidate Adi Khen and co-authored by lab alumni/staff with senior author Dr. Jennifer Smith, demonstrates the remarkable resilience of Palmyra’s reefs over the past … Read More
Smith Lab participates in first-annual (virtual) California Seaweed Festival
Smith Lab will be involved in the first-annual “California Seaweed Festival” taking place virtually from Nov. 16-21, 2020. This is a free event bringing together scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, farmers, and seaweed-enthusiasts alike to celebrate the importance, diversity, and beauty of seaweeds. Professor Jennifer Smith will be a panelist for Seaweed Science; staff member Brant Chlebowski will be presenting on Seaweed as Food, and PhD … Read More