Effects of Environmental Effects of Environmental Stressors on Essential Fatty Acids in Marine Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton produce more than half of the world’s oxygen annually, and make omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are healthy fats that are passed marine food chains to fish for human consumption. These healthy fats are essential to our diet, meaning our bodies either cannot produce them at all or not in high enough quantities to maintain suitable health. Due to current environmental changes, variations in temperature and pH in the aquatic environment could negatively influence the ability of producers and consumers to extend essential fatty acid movement throughout food webs. I will be identifying lipid and fatty acid composition of key species of phytoplankton when placed in warmer, more acidic conditions manipulated in a laboratory setting. These conditions will mimic predicted future climate changes, therefore, observing how phytoplankton adapt their fatty acid production could give insight into how our main source of oxygen could change in the future.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christopher Parrish

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal de São Carlos

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program: