Faculty Advisor
Joel Elliott
Area of Study
Science and Mathematics
Publication Date
Summer 2021
Abstract
Seagrasses are important foundational species in shallow nearshore areas, and are globally in decline primarily due to climate change and pathogens. Two species of seagrasses are found in the Puget Sound, native Zostera marina, and introduced Z. japonica, and they are very different biologically and occupy different niches We hypothesized that the protist pathogens would be most successful under different environmental conditions due to the difference in habitat for the two host plant species, considering that they reside at different tidal heights. We collected two species of seagrasses at three different collection sites (Dash Point State Park, Lost Lake Park, Chambers Bay). The temperature and salinity were also recorded at varying tidal heights. Zoospore release patterns differed between Zostera marina and Z. japonica treatments at different temperatures and salinities.
Award
Washington NASA Space Grant
Recommended Citation
Kelly, Kate L. and Mooney, Megan, "Physiological and morphological differences between novel protist pathogens of the seagrasses Zostera marina and Zostera japonica" (2021). Summer Research. 427.
https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research/427
Rights
Publisher
University of Puget Sound