Ashlynn Brooke White
Research title: Investigating the acute and prolonged effects of increasing temperatures on Drupella spp physiology
Research Summary
My research interests primarily involve investigating the impact of climate change on physiology and its implications for organism behavior, distribution, and overall survival. I am particularly focused on the coral reef ecosystem, with current research centered on the physiology of the coral-eating snail, Drupella. My work specifically examines the physiological responses of these snails to rising temperatures.
My reserach will analyze the thermal sensitivity of the metabolic rate, moving rate and feeding rate of Drupella. This information proves valuable in assessing the vulnerability of specific populations at known water temperatures and in modeling predicted threshold densities of Drupella that coral reefs can sustain. Such insights form a critical foundation for the development of conservation strategies aimed at preventing and managing Drupella outbreaks.