Biography

My name is Jasper (he/they) and I am a PhD student in the Davies Lab at GSO. I completed my B.S. in Biology at Florida State University, and completed my M.Res at the University of Southampton.

My M.Res project focused on a patchy cold-water coral (CWC) assemblage of Lophelia pertusa in Greenland at a depth of 900-1300 m, and their impact on that cnidarian community’s diversity and distribution. I analyzed ROV and image data to form presence/absence data and abundance matrices, which were then analyzed in relation to many environmental factors. The data was presented using GIS and multivariate ecological statistics, and I aim to continue this research on more systems in the Davies Lab, and to see how the presence of structure building CWCs affects cnidarian community diversity and distribution.

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. Getting involved with educating the community about the oceans and the animals that we live with is a very important aspect of my growth as a scientist and scientific communicator. 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. I look forward to continuing that aspect of my growth in the Davies Lab and at GSO.