My name is Jasper (he/they) and I joined the Davies lab in Fall 2023 as a PhD student. I completed my M.Res at the University of Southampton and my B.S. in Biology at Florida State University.
What made you decide to go into marine science?
As a child, I remember so distinctly watching documentaries about the ocean, and realizing I wanted to do that too—not make documentaries but be an expert in marine science. During my undergraduate career I tried lots of different fields out in the scope of marine biology, but never was able to break into deep-sea science, something that I was really dying to try. Thankfully, though, my Master’s project focused on a patchy cold-water coral assemblage of Lophelia pertusa in Greenland at a depth of 900-1300 m, and their impact on that cnidarian community’s diversity and distribution. This is what really
threw me into a passion for cold-water corals.
What is the focus of your research/work? What do you think is the most important takeaway from your research?
I focus on diversity and distribution of benthic communities. Amond this research, my goal is to understand what factors control diversity of communities in the deep-sea. I apply these questions to both
hydrothermal vent communities, cold-water coral communities, and sponge gardens. I think the most important takeaway of my research is how sensitive the deep-sea is. Even the smallest of changes can largely impact diversity and distribution of deep-sea communities. Finding what factors can have that impact is what I really care about investigating in the long-term.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done through your work?
So far, one of my favorite things we’ve done have been working on the landers. I wasn’t particularly inclined to learn much about tools before joining the Davies lab, but it’s been really fun, and I’ve learned so much!
I also love Science Saturday! I really excel in public engagement, and being able to present about the lab’s work at Science Saturday, as well as teach people about corals was super fun. I know it isn’t everyone’s “coolest” moment, but to me, there aren’t many more things that beat it.
What is one fun fact about you?
I spent a year working in the education and outreach department of an aquarium after I completed my degree at The University of Southampton, where I worked extensively with ambassador reptiles and public engagement/education. Additionally, I feel that being able to speak to the general public and get them excited about conservation is an important part of environmental stewardship, and something scientists should be an active part of. Because of that experience, I now have two reptiles at home, a ball python and a leopard gecko!
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I would be a shapeshifter! I think it would be really cool to be an animal that can survive in the deep-sea… Then I could swim around and gather all the information we could ever possibly need. But also, how awesome would it be to fly? Or just have a different hair style every single day?!