She Studies Seaweed By The Seashore: The Arising Researcher

Tramping through podocarp forests, scrambling up alpine zones, stumbling through tussock grasslands, and clambering along rocky coastlines were common activities I enjoyed as an undergraduate student studying Ecology and Botany at the University of Otago, in southern New Zealand. We set out to test the theories of great ecologists such as Gleason, Grime, MacArthur, and Wilson, which allowed us to develop our understanding of ecology as well as familiarize ourselves with the surrounding environment. Being able to continually explore unique and diverse ecosystems reinforced my desire to study ecology. A favorite field site of mine was the rocks at Brighton Beach, where we would rush to survey the intertidal macroalgae before the waves came too close. We relied on field guides filled with beautifully hand‐drawn illustrations from the botanical artist Nancy Adams to identify the unique macroalgal species. However, after discovering Wendy Nelson's identification guides to New Zealand coralline algae, it became apparent that not all species could be identified through their morphology. Coralline algae are generally observed growing as pink crusts on coastal rocks. The difficulty of distinguishing coralline species in the field means that they are often lumped together as one functional group. However, Wendy's work is showing that there are countless more species than we previously thought, which is impacting how this distinct group is studied. A specific article of Wendy's that contributed to my research direction was her review article entitled “Calcified macroalgae – critical to coastal ecosystems and vulnerable to change: a review” (2009, Marine and Freshwater Research, 60: 787–801). This article made me realize the great diversity of calcified macroalgae and their global importance. The pink crusts that coralline algae form help to cement reefs together and are important for the settlement stages of many marine invertebrates and macroalgae, while upright green calcifying species from the Halimedaceae family are a significant source of calcareous sediment in warmer climates. Calcified algae, however, are particularly vulnerable to rising temperature and ocean acidification. The rapidly changing carbonate chemistry and lowering pH of the ocean is making it more difficult for calcified algae to build and maintain their calcareous skeletons. Realizing the importance of calcified macroalgae and discovering that there was still so much to know, I was convinced, after reading Wendy's paper, to further my research career in marine botany. I completed a masters,