Chestina C
- Research Program Mentor
MS at Georgia Southern University
Expertise
marine biology, marine animal physiology, ecologial physiology, climate change affects on animal physiology, shark and ray biology, intertidal marine organisms, scientific diving, elasmobranch (sharks and rays) biology, fish reproductive biology
Bio
Hello! My name is Chestina Craig and I am a marine animal ecological physiologist, which means I study the way animals internally experience changes in the environment around them. For example: how low oxygen in ocean water affects the levels of stress markers in the blood of a stingray! I am interested in the effects of shifting temperature specifically, as well as extreme marine environments like tidepools, and how animals deal with living in those environments and what adaptations they have that can help them live there! I spend a lot of my free time snorkeling, tidepooling, and scuba diving. I also enjoy knitting and sewing when the weather is too bad for outdoor activities.Project ideas
A review of how sharks and rays respond to changing oceans
Sharks and rays are a unique group of fishes, many species of which are of concern to conservationists. Overfishing has traditionally been one of the big challenges that sharks and rays face but as our ocean environment changes sharks and rays will begin to face more challenges such as low oxygen, higher temperatures, and increased CO2 in the ocean. Scientists are just beginning to dive into how changes in these factors may affect sharks and rays. The student will pick one environmental factor and review the current literature on what we know about the effects of the chosen environmental factor on sharks and rays. The student will summarize the information and provide their interpretation of the overall effect of the factor on sharks and rays as well as provide their thoughts on future research projects and knowledge gaps.