Take 10 with... Caitlin Blain

1. Describe your research topic to us in 10 words or less.
Understanding the function and ecosystem services provided by underwater forests

2. Now explain it in everyday terms!
Macroalgal forests (kelp and fucoids) are foundational to many temperate rocky reefs around the world, supporting complex food webs and providing numerous ecosystem services. Kelp forests, in particular, are some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, due to their high rates of carbon fixation through photosynthesis. Recognition of this has led to a recent upsurge in efforts to restore, conserve, and cultivate kelp as a means to mitigate human CO2 emissions. However, significant knowledge gaps surrounding the form and fate of kelp-derived carbon make it difficult to evaluate the true value of kelp forests in climate mitigation schemes. My research aims to answer some of the questions surrounding kelp carbon by assessing its chemical composition, degradation and longevity.

3. Describe some of your day-to-day research activities.
My day-to-day activities are hugely variable! Some days I spend 4+ hours underwater conducting surveys and experiments, while other days I am setting up laboratory experiments and analyses, analysing data and writing papers from my desk, or teaching and mentoring students. Never a dull moment!

4. What do you enjoy most about your research?
I love working in nature. That feeling you get when working underwater is like no other. I also love making new connections with students and other researchers and seeing these relationships develop into great collaborations.

5. Tell us something that has surprised or amused you in the course of your research 
I think many that knew me as a child would be surprised that I work underwater and with seaweed. You would never catch me swimming in places where I might touch seaweed (yuck!) and other things that lurked under the surface. Now, I love it all (though shark sightings still have me sprinting back to the boat!).

6. How have you approached any challenges you’ve faced in your research?
Asking for advice and help from others. It has taken me a long time to realise that you do not need to know it all to be a good scientist. In fact, it is just the opposite. When I have a problem or challenge that arises in my work, I consult my peers, mentors, collaborators and field experts.

7. What questions have emerged as a result of your recent work?
Endless questions! We still know very little about the contribution of macroalgae to coastal carbon cycles and to make progress in this complex field we need interdisciplinary and international collaborations. Some questions I am currently focusing on are related to the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from kelp, including (1) what portion of carbon released by kelp is in dissolved form, (2) what is the chemical composition of dissolved organic carbon released by kelp, and (3) how resistant is kelp-DOC to microbial degradation?

8. What kind of impact do you hope your research will have?
I hope my research helps highlight the value of maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, and informs decision/policy makers to support restoration and conservation initiatives. I also hope that, through my work, I can inspire other people and future generations to take interest in the underwater world so that we can work together to protect it.

9. If you collaborate across the faculty or University, or even outside the University, who do you work with and how does it benefit your research?
I am very privileged to have been mentored by and work with Dr Nick Shears from the Institute of Marine Science. Through my research fellowships, I have expanded my collaborations across departments (Chemistry, Biology, Environment) and institutions (Auckland Council, NIWA, University of Tasmania) with people from many different areas of expertise (e.g., biogeochemistry, ecology, physiology, statistics, microbiology, chemistry). This has helped me to build a diverse skill-set, led to great conversations, and inspired new ideas and opportunities for future research.

10. What one piece of advice would you give your younger, less experienced research self?
I’ve got two:

• Don’t be afraid to get things wrong! My biggest learning moments have come from mistakes.
•  Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Students, peers, support staff, mentors, collaborators, field experts, anyone. You do not have to know it all and our collective knowledge is much better than trying to do things on your own.