COBRA Webinar – September 2024

Deep-sea discoveries from early career researchers 

Dr. Steve Auscavitch (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) and Beatriz Naranjo-Elizondo (Pelagos Okéanos & Universidad de Costa Rica)

Steve will present on his efforts to shed light on the diversity of deep-sea corals in central Pacific Ocean using next-gen sequencing (NGS) methods, like genome skimming, to support the development of voucher-based genetic reference libraries for environmental DNA (eDNA). This project was facilitated by a COBRA accelerator grant awarded in 2023, where he was able to obtain training on NGS methodologies at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Using genome skimming, he was able to generate genomic datasets for over 200 deep-sea coral specimens collected by exploration cruises since 2015, which are now being used to improve eDNA tools in the Pacific. Finally, Steve will briefly discuss how the accelerator award allowed him to broaden the impact of this experience by further incorporating historical museum specimens through a new role at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.

Beatriz will highlight the role of advanced imagery techniques in recent findings from the Octopus Odyssey expeditions and other areas in Costa Rica. Beatriz’s focus will be on how this imagery supports scientific research enhancing our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems, and aids in awareness, education, and decision-making for conservation. This project was also supported by a COBRA accelerator grant.