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Varoon Supratya

@varoon-supratya.bsky.social

PhD candidate studying bull kelp ecophysiology at the University of British Columbia

25 Posts317 Follower430 Folgt
S. W. Lawrence, MD@swlawrence.bsky.social · last yr.

Curr. Biol. (2025) 10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.025  Kelp forests are integral + critical to aquatic ecosystems, but species such as giant kelp + bull kelp have experienced population bottlenecks in recent decades.

Graphic of kelp genetics.Giant kelp. In particular, kelp forests are declining in many parts of the northeast Pacific, practically right off my doorstep where we live close to Puget Sound [Salish Sea]. "Bemmels et al. sequenced the genomes of 429 bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and 211 giant kelp (Macrocystis sp.) from the coastlines of British Columbia and Washington." They found 'low effective population size was associated with low genetic diversity and high inbreeding coefficients (including increased selfing rates), with extreme variation in these genetic health indices among bull kelp populations but more moderate variation in giant kelp.' They found fewer deleterious variants than predicted, but suspect their loss was more likely due to genetic drift rather than purging. "The researchers predict (1) reduced within-population inbreeding depression in small populations, which may be associated with an observed shift toward increased selfing rate, and (2) hybrid vigor in crosses between small populations." These findings inform several possible strategies for optimal sourcing and crossing of populations for restoration + aquaculture. Kelp have keystone ecosystem functions, but also represent a potential source of both biofuel + agricultural amendments.
Siobhan Schenk@siobhanschenk.bsky.social · last yr.

@varoon-supratya.bsky.social and I are celebrating #PhycologyFriday by continuing to collect data for our long-term monitoring project that is now accepted! cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1... Read it for free on BioRXiv 🦑🧪 #botany #ecology #phycology

Figure 2. Line graphs showing the mean richness of each macroalgal group by across (A) the entire site or (B) between 0.7 and 0.9 m chart datum. (C) The mean macroalgal percent cover between 0.7 to 0.9 m chart datum. Transparent ribbons represent the standard error around the mean. Representative images from (D) May 2023 and (E) August 2023 of the change from high brown algal cover, dominated by kelps, to high green algal cover, dominated by ulvoid algae. Both images are from transect number 3, 90 m from the seawall (0 m chart datum height).
Siobhan Schenk@siobhanschenk.bsky.social · 2y ago

40 months of macroalgae sampling in a row! @varoon-supratya.bsky.social and I are co-leading this sampling effort and just resubmitted our manuscript to share these data. See our pre-print here www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #phycology #science #biodiversity