The Secret Life of Seaweed with Jessica Muhlin, Ph.D — WildFed Podcast #008

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In this episode:

Jessica Muhlin, Ph.D | Intertidal Ecologist & Associate Professor of Marine Biology in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy

Podcast discussion:

• Introduction to Jessica and her work

• How phycology is being shifted by genetics

• Defining marine botany

• Al-gee or Al-gay?

• Protists: the garbage kingdom

• The theory of endosymbiosis

• Jessica’s background foraging seaweed

• The complex and fascinating world of seaweed reproductive ecology

• Ingenuity of natural selection

• The many applications of seaweed

• Tips for procuring wild seaweed (and doing it sustainably)

• All kelps are seaweeds, but not all seaweeds are kelps

• The sustainability of seaweed harvesting in Maine

• Jessica’s favorite seaweeds

• Getting involved with seaweed citizen scientist projects

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WildFed Podcast is brought to you by:

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Episode Resources: 

• Learn more about Jessica and her current research projects

• A research project Jessica is involved with: Conserving Rockweed Animal Systems for a Sustainable Harvest

• An article by Jessica: The nuts and bolts of algae

• Micah Woodcock — Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company

• Endosymbiotic theory

• Lynn Margulis and the endosymbiont hypothesis: 50 years later

• Bladder wrack, Fucus vesiculosus

• Carrageenan

• Susan Hand Shetterly

• Bob Steneck

• Dulse, Palmaria palmata

• Sea Lettuce, Ulva lactuca

• Irish Seaweed Kitchen: The Comprehensive Guide to Healthy Everyday Cooking with Seaweeds by Prannie Rhatigan

• Eagle Hill Institute

• Vital Signs Experience — Citizen science project at Gulf of Maine Research Institute

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Meet Jessica Muhlin

In situ stable isotope experiment on Beals Island, Maine (Summer 2015)

Jessica Muhlin is an Associate Professor of Marine Biology in the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy. She was appointed to Maine Maritime Academy's faculty in 2007. Jessica received her Ph.D. from the University of Maine and her B.A. from Boston University. Her research interests focus on the reproductive ecology, population genetics and food web ecology of fucoid seaweeds in the northwestern Atlantic. Jessica is also actively involved in art-science collaborations using marine algae as inspiration. Jessica is the lead principal investigator for a Maine Economic Improvement Fund-Small Campus Initiative project researching the importance of surplus fucoid reproductive material to the nearshore marine environment. In addition, she participates in phenology research of Gulf of Maine rockweed species.