Blog

Meet ZEN student fellow, Max

Blog0 comments

Max Overstrom-Coleman

by Max Overstrom-Coleman (ZEN student exchange fellow in Massachusetts)

My name is Max. I’m a PhD student at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire USA studying seagrass ecology.  I’ve always been interested in marine biology.  When I saw my first Jacques Cousteau film I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to exploring life underwater.  Certified to dive when I turned 13, I took my first job as a research diver when I was 16 and never looked back.  After studying coral reef cleaning symbioses in the Yucatan Peninsula for my undergraduate thesis at the College of the Atlantic, I struck out for California and the great Pacific Ocean.  There, I learned of the concept of a foundation species while researching the effect that kelp, algae from the order Laminariales that can form dense forests underwater, has on both the physical and biological structure of an ecosystem.  Foundation species are “a single species that defines much of the structure of a community by creating locally stable conditions for other species, and by modulating and stabilizing fundamental ecosystem processes” (Paul Dayton 1972).

Habitat forming species give life to underwater landscapes

Max holding Eisenia galapagens, a tropical habitat forming kelp

I quickly developed a love for these habitat-forming species and I was intrigued by their influence on animal communities.  That interest drove my research at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, where I earned a master’s degree in marine science under Dr. Michael Graham.  Having returned to the East Coast and the ocean I was first introduced to, the intrigue of foundational species continues to motivate my PhD research at Dartmouth College.  I currently study how foundation species affect their associated communities, particularly the mechanisms influencing the role of Zostera marina (eelgrass).  As with kelps, the presence of eelgrass drastically alters the physical environment and provides essential habitat for a diverse community of plants and animals.  Eelgrasses influence these communities via their leaves, which provide substrate for epiphytic algae as well as offering small crustaceans, gastropods and fishes refuge from predation.  These interactions are important because epiphytes are known to fuel these coastal food-webs and the refuge offered to small animals that eat epiphytes is thought to positively influence the growth of the seagrass itself.

Unfortunately, a pattern has recently emerged: seagrasses are in decline in New England and globally.  The loss of seagrass populations and reductions in their density can have community-wide consequences including loss of commercially important species.  My research is aimed at understanding how reduced eelgrass density affects epiphytes and the animals that depend on them.  This summer I am excited to learn more about eelgrass and the role they play in structuring the communities that exist in the habitat they provide.  My participation in the ZEN project will allow me to work in an eelgrass bed in Nahant, Massachusetts, help me to understand what is important for eelgrass growth and persistence and investigate what happens when it declines or is lost from a system.

Outside my life as a marine scientist

Max and dog Jackson shucking oysters on the porch

I currently live in Thetford, VT with my fantastic wife Amanda and our wonder-dog Jackson.  We live on about 4 acres of land. When I am not working on the coast or studying at Dartmouth you will find me rock climbing, hiking with Jackson or working on our house/land.  My recent projects include reclaiming an old apple orchard and re-siding our barn.  I am especially excited about the orchard because it looks like we can expect moderate production this year (200-300 gallons) and it to increase thereafter (over 1,000 gallons next year)!  Our other project for the summer are to replace our decrepit porch with a structurally sound deck on which we can enjoy BBQs and the cool night air.

Comments are closed.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.