Mangroves are ecologically and globally important, and communities around the world depend on mangroves for coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and food resources associated to mangrove-dependent fisheries. Mangrove forests support a high diversity of microorganisms present in the soil, the water column, and most notably as thick biofilms on aerial and belowground roots. Microbes perform many beneficial functions for their mangrove hosts such as helping to acquire nutrients, resist diseases and adapt to salinity stress, but the majority of microbes are unknown and uncharacterized.

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) systems and the connection of people to mangroves have been overlooked in marine science research, conservation, and policy. Dismissal of LEK has resulted in harmful global impacts to local communities and marine life. Dominant forms of knowledge like science are western based frameworks that tend to prioritize deterministic quantitative, large scale knowledge that in some instances it can operate under extractive ways, in contrast LEK is qualitative oral record that encompasses culture and local understanding and is applied to daily living and traditional subsistence practices.

I had the opportunity to co-lead my first ocean cruise in 2023. This project emerged as a collaboration with Dr. Tricia Light. We worked together and wrote a proposal to do science on the Scripps research vessel (RV) Sally Ride. We also proposed and run a grad student seminar with the help of mentors and other researchers. The Ocean cruise: The cruise offered an educational experience to students who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to go to sea.

ECOPs and ocean solutions: Solutions to complex and unprecedented global challenges are urgently needed. Overcoming these challenges requires input and innovative solutions from all experts, including Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs). To achieve diverse inclusion from ECOPs, fundamental changes must occur at all levels—from individuals to organizations. Drawing on insights from across the globe, we propose 5 actionable pillars that support the engagement of ECOPs in co-design processes that address ocean sustainability:

Island-ocean connections: This project examines the importance of island-ocean linkages and how disturbances like invasive species could have impacts not only in the terrestrial ecosystems but also in adjacent marine ecosystems. The work here examines key characteristics that strength land-sea linkage: precipitation, vegetation, soil hydrology, oceanographic productivity and wave energy. Publication: Sandin, S. A., Becker, P. A., Becker, C., Brown, K., Erazo, N. G., Figuerola, C., … Zgliczynski, B. J. (2022).

View from the sampling station at the Scripps Pier. Seasonal changes are crucial in marine microbiomes and can impact nutrient availability, light availability, dissolved oxygen levels, and community interactions. Complex biological and physical processes contribute to microbial community turn over. Understanding what factors contribute to shifts in microbial community structure and what organisms correlate with changes in the products of photosynthesis can improve our understanding of nearshore microbial ecosystem functions.

Seagrass in San Diego Bay forms beds and meadows that provide food and refugee for fish, and they serve as natural defense against pollution. In this study we examined the impact of Zostera species (a type of seagrass) on bacteria and archaea community structure. Publications: Webb, S. J., Rabsatt, T., Erazo, N., & Bowman, J. S. (2019). Impacts of Zostera eelgrasses on microbial community structure in San Diego coastal waters.