Tell us about your research at bit.ly\/ucf-research-60-form.<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHow did you get started in research at UCF? \n<\/strong>My research journey began under the mentorship of Dr. Linda Walters at the Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab through a former U.S. National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) scholarship. This program was pivotal in launching my career as an early scientist. Without the REU it would have been incredibly difficult to break into STEM or pursue graduate school, especially as a U.S. Navy veteran who took a nontraditional path to higher education. Dr. Walters continues to serve as my mentor throughout my master\u2019s degree in biology.<\/p>\nWho inspires you and how? \n<\/strong>I am inspired by Claudia Sheinbaum, the newly elected president of Mexico. As a scientist, and now national leader, she represents the kind of intersection I strive for, where science informs public policy, and leadership is rooted in evidence and sustainability. Her journey gives me hope that [researchers] with strong STEM backgrounds can make lasting impact not only in the labs and classrooms, but in the world stage.<\/p>\nHow does UCF empower you to do your research? \n<\/strong>UCF has given me access to an amazing network of scientists and field opportunities.<\/p>\nWhy is this research important? \n<\/strong>Seagrasses are essential to healthy ecosystems and livelihoods. However, these coastal plants are experiencing global declines, especially under anthropogenic stressors like eutrophication, which occurs when nutrients that can lead to excessive plant growth and pollution. My research is about future-proofing our conservation approach to help these critical ecosystems and the people who depend on them thrive in a changing environment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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Biology graduate student Carla Perscky’s research examines environmental stressors on seagrass and how to future-proof critical ecosystems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":146986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,23,24,27],"tags":[982,8703,14916,44759],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-146985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-research","category-science-technology","category-student-life","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-department-of-biology","tag-research","tag-research-in-60-seconds"],"yoast_head":"\n
Research in 60 Seconds: How Seagrass Helps Coastal Ecosystems Thrive | 色花堂 News<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n