The Witman Lab @ Brown
Contact us!
  • Home
  • Current Projects
    • Predator diversity and the strength of trophic cascades (GMR)
    • Effects of biodiversity on temporal stability and resilience of subtidal marine communities: a global evaluation
    • Responses to El Niño events in Galapagos subtidal ecosystems
    • Decadal scale losses of foundation species and ecological consequences (GOM)
    • Conservation protection for Cashes Ledge (GOM)
  • Published Research
  • Teaching
  • Outreach
  • Lab Members
    • Jon Witman
    • Robert Lamb
    • Franz Smith
    • Becca Ward-Diorio
    • Glennie LeBaron
    • Noah Medina
    • Leif Dykstra Deschenne
    • Lucinda Anderson
  • Blog
  • Gallery

Diving Into Conservation of Thailand

1/29/2023

0 Comments

 
by Lucinda Anderson 


​
Picture
Recently my family and I travelled to Phuket and spent a day doing scuba and snorkeling near the famous location where Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach was set. While the beaches and beautiful shear limestone faces covered in bright green foliage and dotted with long-tailed monkeys were astonishing, I was also captivated by the marine life below the sea’s surface. I did two wonderful dives off of Phi Phi Island where I got to learn about local conservation problems and use an underwater camera for the first time.
Before entering the water, the dive guide explained that the most recent El Niño had caused massive coral bleaching, something that we are studying in the Galapagos in the Witman Lab. However, once I descended into the water, I noticed a bunch of very healthy corals. There wasn’t that much noticeable bleaching at all! There were bubble corals, brain corals, mushroom corals, giant sea fans, and even Porites like the ones I am studying in the Galapagos.
Pictures: Various corals

That being said, as we are discovering in our lab, some corals are more sensitive to temperature change than others, and I never got to see what corals were growing before the most recent El Niño event. Maybe there were lots more branch and finger corals before that have since disapeared. On the first dive my guide showed me a Staghorn Coral plantation which was made in response to the El Niño bleaching, leading me to believe that the staghorn corals died during the event. The corals were planted on a sandy shelf and were raised off of the ground by a lattice of metal stakes. I later learned this was to protect it from some of its natural predators like the Crown of the Thorns. The Crown of Thorns is a starfish that preys upon stony and hard coral polyps which we got to see first hand on the dive.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Pictures: Lucinda swimming over a staghorn coral plantation & A Crown of Thorns
Aside from looking at the corals, I was surprised to see many of the same species of fish that I have been learning to identify in the Galapagos. I saw blue-chinned parotfish nibbling algae and goatfish rummaging in the sand, hogfish and snapper roving above the benthos, and also a few Black-tipped sharks gliding among the rocks. In addition to that, there were giant schools of little yellow fish swimming above the benthos. The variety of fish was truly incredible and there were plenty of different urchins and sea stars as well.
Pictures: Some fish, anemones, and an urchin
    One fish that I was not surprised to see was the lionfish. In the carribean a few years ago I got my spearfishing liscence to kill lionfish as they are invasive in much of the world due to their incredible ability to live in a multitude of pressures and depths. On my Thai dive I only saw one small lionfish hiding in a coral. My guide explained that lionfish are native to thailand, however, and are preyed upon by moray eels, sharks, and snapper, which all were abundantly present on my dive. 
    Aside from learning a lot about the benthic ecosystem of the Adaman sea, I also learned a new skill! I tried underwater photography for the first time. Just like a normal camera, it was also important to get the right lighting so that the specimens weren’t backlit. I also had a hard time taking pictures of the more active and unpredictable fish because they moved so quickly and didn’t enjoy me pushing a lens in their face. One thing that I had to learn was how to color correct underwater. We brought a white card with us to color correct for white so that the colors weren’t distorted by the water and the depth. I definitely think I’m gonna pursue underwater photography as there is so much to show people and not everyone gets the opportunity to scuba dive. One of the best parts of the experience was showing my mom the pictures afterwards on the boat.
Picture
Picture
Pictures: A sea cucumber and a turtle
0 Comments

Becca Ward-Diorio's Summer Research Experience Highlighted by University

11/21/2022

0 Comments

 
Diving deep into research in the Galápagos
Picture
Get a glimpse into Becca's summer of diving with the Witman Lab in this article showcasing her research experience collecting data for her senior thesis on megafauna impacts in the Galápagos Islands. See what it takes to be a research diver and learn more about how Becca discovered her passion for marine biology. Stay tuned this year as Becca transforms video footage from 20 meters below the surface into her senior thesis. 
0 Comments

Jon Witman Quoted in Galapagos Climate Change Article

11/21/2022

0 Comments

 
The Galapagos Islands Will Be a Cool Refuge in a Warming World
Picture
Global Climate change is a strong and nuanced force impacting regions of the globe in vastly different ways. For the Galapagos Islands, a rare spot of ocean cooling, the impacts of climate change may offer the opportunity for a 'cool spot refuge.'  Read the article in its entirety to see what the future may have in store for the Galapagos Islands, and how this vibrant ocean community is predicted to change in a changing ocean. 
0 Comments

Witman Lab animation team publishes first video for World Oceans Day 2021

6/8/2021

1 Comment

 
For this World Ocean's Day (June 08, 2021) the Witman Lab put together the first of an animation series explaining the El Nino Southern Oscillation and how it relates to Witman Lab research! Check it out! 
1 Comment

Marisa Agarwal and Adelaide Dahl finish senior theses!

4/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Undergraduates Marisa Agarwal and Adelaide Dahl finished their senior thesis presentations and manuscripts last week! Marisa's work was titled Ecology of a Foundation Species: Black Corals in the Galapagos Marine Reserve and Addie's was called ​Investigating patterns and drivers of sessile invertebrate diversity in the Galapagos marine ecosystems. Both seniors defended their projects well and had some of the largest EEB Seminar turnouts for senior research projects! Congratulations to our Witman Lab seniors! 
0 Comments

IBES Welcomes Jon Witman as an Affiliate Fellow

3/8/2021

1 Comment

 
Jon Witman was recently named an Affiliate Fellow at Brown University's Institute at Brown for Environment and Society! As a faculty affiliate, Jon will be joining a team with diverse research interests that connect environmental studies to human impact, taking a multidisciplinary approach to subtidal marine ecology research. In joining IBES, the Witman lab is excited to increase engagement across both the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies departments. Read more here: IBES Welcomes Jon Witman as an IBES Affiliate Fellow
Picture
1 Comment

Recent graduate Maya Zeff receives honorable mention for Best 15 Minute Talk at conference

11/23/2020

1 Comment

 
Maya Zeff, a recent Brown University and Witman Lab graduate, just won an honorable mention for Best 15 Minute Talk at this year's virtual Western Society of Naturalists Meeting (WSN). Her talk, Resource Partitioning of an ecosystem engineer increases algal diversity and production, discusses results from her honors thesis research in the Galapagos Islands. Maya and fellow Witman lab alumnae Calvin Munson, Robert Lamb, and PI Jon Witman suggest a novel perspective for resource partitioning theory: they propose that increased resource partitioning does not always lead to resource depletion; conversely, partitioning in organisms that have a positive effect on their environment, such as ecosystem engineers, may increase resource availability, rates of resource renewal, and resource diversity. Find the link to the full program of this year's WSN talks here!
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Witman Lab research included in recent Science article

8/17/2020

2 Comments

 
In an article published August 13th, 2020, Science Magazine describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an "anthropause" in a variety of systems around the planet. The paper (found here) mentions a current Witman Lab project that characterizes the effect of reduced tourism on marine community dynamics in the Galapagos Archipelago. Check it out!
Picture
2 Comments

New paper published in Nature Climate Change

4/28/2020

1 Comment

 
Dr. Witman and collaborators from around the world were published in Nature Climate Change this past Monday, April 27th, 2020. Their paper, "Evolution of Galapagos in the Anthropocene", focuses on the increasing globalization of the Galapagos Archipelago and its role as a living laboratory that can be used to  study human impact in conjunction with climate change. The paper can be found here -- check it out!
Picture
1 Comment

Dr. Robbie Lamb and Dr. Jon Witman to speak at “Sustainable Oceans: from Port to Plate” in RI!

10/11/2019

1 Comment

 
Later this month, both Dr. Witman and Dr. Lamb will be speaking at the Sprout CoWorking Art Galleries in Warren, Rhode Island. Their talks will focus on the health of the oceans and the role of consumers in protecting marine life, and we would love to see you all there! The presentations will be accompanied by a responsibly sourced seafood meal prepared by a local chef, a jazz concert, and art gallery exhibition. The gallery will be featuring artwork that focuses on the beauty and vulnerability of the oceans, and we are proud that the Witman Lab will be able to be a part of their mission to inspire public awareness and change!
Picture
1 Comment
<<Previous
    Follow the Witman Lab's adventures, on land and at sea @witmanlab on Instagram and Twitter!
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    October 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    June 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Education
    Marine Biology
    Outreach
    Photography
    Science
    Scuba

Proudly powered by Weebly