and Maddie Briscoe
The 2023 Campus Sustainability Grant Program funded the sustainability awards at the Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference (GSURC). One of the winners of the sustainability award at GSURC 2023 was Alejandra Tapia Batres with her project “It’s getting hot in here.”
About Tapia’s Project: “It’s getting hot in here”
Tapia’s award-winning project originated from her research conducted at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts during her summer internship in 2022. Climate change is heating up our oceans, leading to significant harm to the marine ecosystem.
Her research focuses on the coral species Astrangia poculata, known for its temperature resilience. To see how corals handle stress, Tapia simulated bleaching by slowly warming the water. Bleaching happens when stressed corals spit out algae they need for nutrients, turning white due to nutrient loss. It’s like the coral’s way of saying, “I’m not feeling well.”
Tapia’s project highlights how climate change affects marine life and emphasizes why it’s crucial to act now to protect our oceans.
Study Focus
Astrangia poculata, chosen for its broad temperature resilience (-2 °C to 26 °C).
Simulation Process
Gradual daily temperature increase until 30°C to induce coral bleaching.
Post-Stress Treatment
Oxygen treatment with vitamin C applied to explore bleaching reversal.
Research Duration
Originally planned for 30 days, shortened to 14 days due to external factors.
Results
Within 14 days post-treatment, corals not only regained weight but some successfully recovered their algae.
How did Sustainable Initiatives’ grant at GSURC help Tapia?
Tapia, along with Carlo Hernandez and Raquel Gonzalez, debuted at GSURC in 2022 with ‘Georgia Audubon: Project Safe Flight.’ Born from an internship with Birds Georgia, this initiative is a nationwide project to collect data about birds and how they collide into buildings during migrations.
They first presented the project at GSU’s STEM conference and after receiving positive feedback, they decided to present their project at GSURC, where they also won the sustainability award.
Tapia said her experience with GSURC in 2022 and her desire for more research experience made her apply to GSURC again in 2023.
“GSURC showed me that it feels really good to have people able to understand your research and then be like ‘I want to be a part of that. I want to be involved. What can I do.’ It makes you feel really good. That you’re doing something that matters and can make a difference.” – Alejandra Tapia Batres
Alejandra Tapia Batres
About the Author:
Primarily a Master’s student at Georgia State University, specializing in climate issues and data-driven solutions, Shambhavi Giri is dedicated to leveraging data towards a more sustainable future. Alongside her studies and her work as an Energy and Sustainability Researcher in the Office of Sustainable Initiative, she authors sustainable stories blogs and manages the office website as her passion project aimed at spreading awareness and increasing dialogue about climate issues.