In the 1930s, more than 90% of the seagrasses on the North Atlantic coast died from wasting disease. The culprit was Labyrinthula zosterae, a slime mold protist that researchers often call simply “Laby.” While we haven’t seen a die-off event of that scale since, Laby is still considered a threat and causes seagrass mortality every year. Tori Agnew, a PhD student at IMET, is researching ways to reduce its impact on seagrasses and help oyster farmers (and consumers) in the process. Tori began her studies in the lab of Dr. Colleen Burge, who recently began working for California Fish and Wildlife, and has recently transitioned to working with Dr. Harold Schreier.

To understand Tori’s project, it is helpful to know a few things about seagrasses and oysters. Seagrasses are very important to estuaries, including the Chesapeake Bay, where IMET is located, and to the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest where she conducted fieldwork. Seagrasses protect shorelines by stabilizing sediment, improve water quality by trapping fine particles, and provide habitat for small creatures. They also sequester carbon and buffer pH, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and ocean acidification. To protect this valuable natural resource, states have created protections, including preventing oyster farming in seagrass beds – though Tori’s research questions whether that is the most beneficial policy.

Tori has broad career interests and is looking forward to exploring different options in science research and environmental policy after earning her PhD. This project has prepared her well for both, as she has conducted a rigorous research project with significant policy implications; if it can be proved that oyster aquaculture protects seagrass from disease, then that may open doors for co-management of the species. She has been given a window into the challenges and complexities of coastal management and is curious about working in that field.