Hello! My name is Chris Tancredi (they/them) and I am a Ph.D. student, BIOL 1111 Lab TA, and deep-sea ecologist in the Cordes Lab at Temple University. I originally hail from Towson, MD (home of stars such as Michael Phelps, and Divine), where I developed a love for nature and adventure while hiking with my Mom at Oregon Ridge Park. This love for nature has expanded into an interest in conservation.
I completed my undergraduate education at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, where I earned a B.S. in Biology and graduated with distinction in Fall 2020. After graduating, I worked as a grader for Dr. Kittlesen’s Introduction to Immunology class BIOL 3240 in Spring 2021. I also worked in the Zeichner Lab from February 2021 to May 2022 doing research trying to create a universal coronavirus vaccine using a killed-whole-cell approach.
Since then, my focus has shifted to ecology and evolution research, where I started my Ph.D. at Temple University. Most of my prior experience was in terrestrial systems, as they have been most accessible to me, and I initially started my Ph.D. studying the evolution of herps (lizards, snakes and frogs). However, in 2023 I dove head-long into deep-sea research completely by accident, and I have loved every minute. I feel so lucky to have landed here where I get to venture into the unknown, witnessing depths that are inaccessible to most people, and learning how to best protect the beautiful seascapes that are constantly threatened by human activities.
Currently, I study a species of deep-sea (cold water) coral called Lophelia pertusa. This species is found all over the deep ocean, but I mostly study it in the Viosca Knoll leasing block in the Gulf of Mexico, where it forms large reefs which are associated with commercially important fish.
I am trying to find out if there have been declines in the amount of living Lophelia pertusa in this region from analysis of archival and recent video footage.