Biography
Erica Terese Krueger is a postgraduate researcher in the iCRAG marine research spoke. Erica graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a BSc (honours) in Marine Science and a minor in Geology in 2016 and an MSc in Environmental Science in 2019. She began her iCRAG research at Trinity College Dublin in September 2019 under the supervision of Quentin Crowley.
Cold-water corals are a key factor of deep-sea ecosystems, providing habitat and shelter for many fishes and invertebrates. This research focuses on how changing oceanic parameters such as climate change and microplastics will affect cold-water corals.
Technical description
Cold-water corals are a key component of deep-sea ecosystems and are proxies for sea water temperature and environmental change. These reef builders create biodiversity hot-spots, producing three-dimensional aragonitic structures that are used as habitat and shelter for fishes and invertebrates, and serve as an important carbon sink. The comprehension of cold-water coral biology, ecology, and physiology is of utmost importance since they play such a vital ecological role in deep-sea environments. This research will aid in addressing pressing environmental challenges related to climate change and microplastic pollution. A better understanding of how these oceanic parameters are affecting cold-water corals in terms of growth, structure, strength, and function is needed in order to determine how changes may influence deep-sea ecosystem engineers in the future. In addition, this research will aid in developing novel geochemical proxies for seawater temperature and determine the impact that microplastics have on cold-water coral biomineralisation.
Role
- Postgraduate Researcher
Institution
- TCD
Research Area
- Earth System Change
Expertise
- Geomarine Environment
