New Publication in Science!
Here’s a huge milestone I’m excited to share: the first paper from my PhD is out in Science. In this study, we show that the low-lying “turf” algae now blanketing many Maine reefs don’t just take over space— they release bioactive compounds that change the reef’s chemical landscape and directly suppress kelp recruitment. To get there, we combined underwater surveys, non-targeted metabolomics, and lab assays on early kelp life stages to test causality. The big takeaway is that chemically mediated interactions (allelopathy) are a key—often overlooked—reason some collapsed kelp forests fail to rebound, which has major implications for restoration strategies and climate resilience. Science
If you want a quick, readable overview, several outlets covered the work.
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