Master of Science in Environmental and Ocean Sciences Alumna and Department Faculty Publish Research in Aquatic Invasions

Environmental and Ocean Sciences alumna Emily Zavacki ‘23 (MS) recently published her second thesis manuscript in Aquatic Invasions, an open access international journal focusing on biological invasions in aquatic ecosystems. The paper, “The influence of biogenic habitat created by the non-indigenous bryozoan, Amathia verticillata, on the resident marine invertebrate community in San Diego, California,” examines how invasive species alter local ecosystems. Co-authors include her thesis advisor Chair and Professor of Environmental and Oceans Sciences Nathalie Reyns, PhD and Associate Professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences Michel Boudrias, PhD, along with Research Coordinator Jeffrey Crooks, PhD, from the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

“Seeing our work in print is incredibly rewarding," said Zavacki. "The experiences and skills that I gained while researching at the University of San Diego have been invaluable for my current PhD work.”

Emily is now in her 2nd year PhD program at the University of South Dakota, where she focuses on freshwater mussel conservation through interdisciplinary research. Her work documents native unionid distributions across the Great Plains region using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, in collaboration with state wildlife agencies. This year she won University of South Dakota’s 3-Minute Thesis competition and advanced to compete in the regional Midwest Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) competition.