LSU Science Café: Algae: The Key To All Aquatic Life

Algae is the first link in all aquatic food webs. It supports the majority of aquatic organisms, from the largest vertebrates to the most minuscule invertebrates, including groups that are very important for fisheries and conservation, such as fish, shrimp, oysters, and corals. But as environmental pressures increase, algal populations are changing and disappearing. This has dire consequences for the organisms that feed on them, as well as for corals that need particular species of algae to recover after bleaching events.

To safeguard our world’s most important algal genetic resources, LSU’s Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center is creating repositories through cryopreservation. This includes the development of new technologies that will allow the recovery and maintenance of multiple species of commercial, ecological and economical importance, now and in the future.

About the Speaker

Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing is an assistant research professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources and assistant director for outreach and network development at LSU’s Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center. Originally from Mexico, Gutierrez-Wing earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from LSU. She is a cofounder of Envirotronics, a company focused on the development of electronic devices for coastal protection and restoration applications, and holds patents obtained through her work at LSU and LSU AgCenter.