Speaker: Prof. Cheryl Lynn Ames, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tohoku University [website1] [website2]

Title: Changing Approaches to Monitoring Marine Biodiversity Change: An Overview of the WPI-AIMEC Marine Biology Integrative Analysis Unit

Bio: 

I am a Professor in the Laboratory of International Marine Sciences and Leader of the WPI-AIMEC Marine Biology Integrative Analysis Unit Graduate School of Agricultural Science,Tohoku University, Japan. I am also a Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA. 

I develop identification and monitoring tools to help understand mass outbreaks (and mitigate) dangerous jellyfish stings and octopus fisheries declines. 

 I hope to contribute to the broader understanding of marine toxins and especially those expressed by jellyfish species that can be fatal to humans. 

It is my life-long goal to produce research findings that can provide solutions to living in harmony with marine organisms while simultaneously avoiding inherent dangers. 

This includes:

(1)  Molecules to examine the expression and function of proteins, molecular phylogenetics to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among Metazoa species.

(2)  Cells to understand jellyfish defense and predation, the ecological function of Cnidaria-Symbiodiniacea symbiosis, and patterns of gametogenesis and reproduction. 

(3)  eDNA (Environmental DNA) to identify and monitor venomous species of box jellyfish (Cubozoa) and biological indicator species (Rhizostomeae), and Fisheries species (octopuses) to predict and mitigate potential stock declines.