Smith Lab members Niko Kaplanis and Jill Harris recently published the results of their San Diego County non-native algae research project conducted between 2012 and 2014. This work documented patterns of establishment, spread, and persistence for two non-native algal species in San Diego county and analyzed this invasion in the larger geographic context of the entire Pacific Coast of North … Read More
The Sargassum horneri Invasion at Catalina Island
By Niko Kaplanis In April of 2006, during a survey for the Channel Islands Research Program (CIRP), renowned scientists Kathy Ann Miller and John Engle discovered an established population of the invasive alga Sargassum horneri near the Wrigley Marine Science Center at Santa Catalina Island. This was the first instance of the species being documented at one of California’s offshore … Read More
Northern Channel Islands Algae Collection Trip
By Niko Kaplanis In a recent collaboration with the Paul Jensen Lab here at Scripps, I travelled to the Northern Channel Islands to assist with collections for their research. The Jensen lab focuses on microbial distributions and interactions with marine plants and invertebrates as well as sequence-based approaches to the discovery of natural products from marine microbes. Our objective for … Read More
Smith Lab Undergraduate Niko Kaplanis wins Best Poster!
The Smith Lab Congratulates Niko!! Niko Kaplanis, a UCSD undergraduate who has been working in the Smith Lab for 3 years, won $500 for the Best Poster at the inaugural SIO Undergraduate Research Symposium on June 3rd, 2014. Niko’s poster describes his research on the detection, spread, and ecological impact of invasive seaweeds along San Diego’s coastline. Niko has been … Read More
Smith Lab is in Full Swing for Summer
Master’s student Samantha Clements summarizes the ongoing summer activities of the Smith Lab. From research travels around the world to data processing right here at home, there’s no such thing as summer break from science… and it’s awesome!
Perks of Being A Marine Ecologist
Jill Harris, a PhD student in the Smith Lab, talks about one of the many perks of being a marine ecologist. Can you spend the day looking out on the beautiful oceanic landscape of San Diego as part of your “job”
[de] Construction at Ukumehame
Levi Lewis, a PhD student in the Smith Lab, does a lot of research on the beautiful island of Maui. But as the years go by he’s seen a lot of changes that have significantly affected the beautiful and thriving coral reefs.