Shellfish, along with other marine organisms, are facing a crisis, one that affects the
integrity of their shells. As carbon dioxide emissions increase in the atmosphere, so too
does the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by our oceans, leading to ocean
acidification. Graduate student Meghan Zulian has devoted her doctoral studies to
understanding how ocean acidification, and more broadly climate change, affects
culturally, economically and ecologically important shellfish, including abalone
As we reckon with the effects of climate change, so too must the other organisms that
call Earth home. But what if you couldn’t move away from your dwelling to escape a
threat? What if your shelter, your refuge, was a part of your body? Shellfish face this
plight. Supported by an $80,000 California Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship,
UC Davis doctoral candidate Hannah Kempf is exploring how to unify modern scientific
techniques with Indigenous shellfish management practices to help protect shellfish
from ocean acidification.