Alexis is a PhD candidate in Dr. Erik Cordes’ lab at Temple University. The majority of her research involves understanding how humans are influencing deep-sea coral communities. To better understand this, she is conducting multiple-stressor laboratory experiments exposing Lophelia pertusa colonies to various levels of pH, temperature, and oil-dispersant mixtures. Assessments of coral health are recorded during and after exposures by examining both the physiological and transcriptomic response. She is also involved with projects exploring the impact of stressors to deep-sea corals in their natural environment, such as natural hydrocarbon seeps or differences in aragonite saturation state. Before starting her PhD at Temple University, Alexis completed a M.Sc. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences. During her time at CAS she analyzed the axial elemental composition of different octocoral families. Her first experience with marine research was at Florida Institute of Technology, where she earned a B.Sc. in Biological Oceanography.
Deep-Sea Ecology / Ocean Exploration