Protecting the Ocean We Have
Summer Sessions at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Inspire Future Marine Scientists
Fourth-year UC Davis geology student Sonia Somasundaram was studying in the Cadet Hand Library at the Bodega Marine Laboratory when a fellow student burst through the library’s doors.
“This one student came running into the library, screaming about a whale,” recalled Somasundaram, who’s minoring in oceanography. “I had my headphones in, and I could still hear her over that.”
Somasundaram and the other library occupants followed the student outside to the facility’s viewing deck. Perched atop the bluffs of Bodega Head, students, faculty and staff had a clear view of the Pacific Ocean. Its calm summer waters mirrored the color of the sky.
Then, it happened. In the distance, the surface broke as a whale propelled itself out of the water. It spun in the air and crashed back into the waves, sending a splash skyward as it returned to the blue.
Then the whale breached again. And again. And again.
“Everyone from the lab was coming out to see it,” Somasundaram said. “I was probably there for like 15 minutes.”
“It was really cool to see because I’d never actually seen a whale before,” she added.
Part of the Bodega Marine Reserve, the Bodega Marine Laboratory occupies a special space. Around it, 362 acres encompass diverse habitats, from freshwater wetlands, salt marshes and coastal prairies to rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches and the nearshore ocean. It’s a place where researchers monitor the ocean’s pulse.
It’s also a place where the next generation of marine scientists receive hands-on training and education.
Hands-on learning at UC Davis’ coastal research hub
Every year, the Bodega Marine Laboratory hosts summer sessions for undergraduate students interested in coastal systems and marine science. During the roughly five-week program, students take classes in topics like coastal oceanography, marine environmental issues and biological oceanography. They conduct fieldwork and go on field trips to nearby sites like the Hog Island Oyster Company. Students can even live at the lab’s on-site dormitory during the session.
“The experience of living there is life-changing,” said Abbie Melendez-Cubias, a fourth-year student who is also majoring in geology and minoring in oceanography. Melendez-Cubias was able to attend the summer session thanks to a BML Ambassador Scholarship. “Anyone who can go there absolutely should because there’s so much to learn and take in about this beautiful place.”
Both Melendez-Cubias and Somasundaram were motivated to pursue their areas of study by the climate change challenges facing our world.
“What really interested me was trying to figure out ways to ease climate change and help those affected by it, especially those in low-income areas who are heavily impacted by it,” said Melendez-Cubias.
These effects don’t just impact low-income communities on the coast. They impact low-income communities across the nation and the globe.
UC Davis research from 2021 showed that as climate change accelerates, low-income areas in the Southwestern United States are 4 to 7 degrees hotter in Fahrenheit — on average — than wealthy neighborhoods in the same metro regions.
“I want to help the people and the animals affected by it,” Melendez-Cubias said. “I want to help preserve what we have now and there’s a lot of research being done to help.”
Confronting climate change through research
Melendez-Cubias is a member of the Ocean Climate Lab, which is run by oceanographer Tessa Hill, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis. In the lab, Melendez-Cubias analyzes deep-time fossil records to help inform modern restoration and conservation efforts of oysters in the San Francisco Bay. Oysters, being filter feeders, act as natural water filters, providing a host of beneficial effects to their environment.
Like Melendez-Cubias, Somasundaram also conducts research at the Bodega Marine Laboratory as a member of Alyssa Griffin’s lab group. Griffin is a marine biogeochemist and an assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences. In the lab, Somasundaram studies the carbon capture power of a green mineral called olivine.
‘Olivine is a mineral that has silica in it, and when you weather silica down, it actually ends up taking up carbon dioxide,” Somasundaram said.
“I’m studying the impact of natural seawater and organic acids on olivine dissolution,” she added. “The point of this is seeing if it would actually be something that’s feasible in natural ocean conditions.”
Reflections from the field
One of Somasundaram’s favorite activities during the summer session was nature journaling. The activity was part of a class taught by Hill, who would ask the students to go outside and journal for 30 minutes about the surrounding environment.
“Honestly, I thought that was so cool and I always ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would,” Somasundaram said.
In a digital age dominated by doomscrolling, journaling allowed Somasundaram to be more present. She focused on environmental details — the birds flying overhead, the by-the-wind-sailor jellyfish that washed up on shore, the surrounding flora. The slow observation was a source for discovery.
“I was able to focus on the detailed morphological characteristics of things, but I also observed the ecology around it,” Somasundaram said. “You just start to think about how things are interacting with one another.”
For Somasundaram, that idea of connection — specifically how our actions affect those around us and around the globe — is important to emphasize when talking about climate change.
“Dr. Griffin always talks about the fact that climate change is exacerbated by the people who likely aren’t actually affected by it,” said Somasundaram. “It’s the small coastal communities, like small island communities, that are getting the major negative impact of it.”
Somasundaram, who like Griffin is Sri Lankan American, has family in Sri Lanka who are actively dealing with the detrimental effects of climate change.
“I think it’s important for people to develop empathy and realize that even though it may not be affecting you right now, there are people who are actively struggling and they also matter,” she said.