Sugey is a rising third-year Biology major and has recently joined Dr. Paul Barber’s lab this
winter quarter.
As a CARE Fellows student, Sugey is participating under a graduate student’s project assessing
the role of seagrass Zostera marina (eelgrass) in the Port of Los Angeles, a highly disturbed
marine environment. Overall, seagrass are a foundation species, which means they provide
biological, chemical, and physical support to marine environments. Since the Port of Los
Angeles is a disturbed area, acknowledging whether the eelgrass is able to provide refuge for
other organisms is important. This is determined by characterizing biodiversity using
environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding from samples collected at the site. Based on the
results, conservation efforts can be made for the eelgrass beds along the coast of these highly
distubed areas.