By: Eddie Nguyen
In the past few decades, public awareness of climate change has increased. Paralleling this has been a growing sense of urgency to mitigate the effects of climate change before they cause further permanent damage to the global ecosystem. One resulting effort has been in the field of wildlife conservation. At La Sierra University, the Grismer and Trueblood research labs lead these conservation efforts.
The Grismer research lab, under Jesse and Lee Grismer, is at the frontier of amphibian and reptile research. Their lab is responsible for the discovery of hundreds of new Southeast Asian amphibian and reptile species. Undergraduate students in their lab have had the opportunity to travel internationally to take part in the discovery of new species, work alongside renowned international conservation institutions, lead conservation efforts taking place at La Sierra and author their own publications in peer-reviewed journals. Last summer, members of the Grismer Lab took part in an exchange-study program at the Vietnamese National University of Forestry. Undergraduate students taught and trained alongside Vietnamese students at the university and explored remote jungle regions to collect rare species.
Currently, the Grismer research lab is partaking in a modern “ark” project, which includes 50 different specimens of endangered Vietnamese Tiger Geckos from the Cologne Zoo in Germany. These are being cared for at La Sierra until their release back into their natural habitat. Led by Sarah Goymer, a fourth-year student, the “ark” project is the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work. Although tiny, these geckos play an important role in the proper maintenance of their ecosystem. They regulate the local insect and plant population and are important sources of food for other animals higher up in the food chain. The loss of any one of these crucial species could result in a domino effect that could lead to the collapse of their entire ecosystem, creating serious implications for the human populations that rely on the ecosystem for food, water and shelter.
The repopulation of these geckos serves to not only preserve an ecosystem but also inspire more undergraduate students to pursue conservation studies. The project has already received recognition from a news outlet and has stirred positive interest among students within the La Sierra Biology department. The professors of the Grismer Lab want to make it clear that all are welcome and that one does not need a doctorate to make meaningful contributions to wildlife conservation. “I don’t care if you’re working in the hottest, most arid place on the planet or you’re stuck in some dank, dreary rainforest on top of some mountain in Malaysia, my message is: go out there, make your tracks … and do not be a bystander in this age of discovery, be a participant!" said Lee Grismer in his 2021 "Geckos, Guns, and Gurus" TEDxLaSierraUniversity speech (link).
Dr. Trueblood’s primary interest is in studying the effects of changing environments on marine animals. The discoveries made through this research will be crucial in contributing to the understanding of climate change. With this knowledge, policymakers and private individuals alike can make better, more environmentally conscious choices that will add up over time. Like the endangered geckos studied in the Grismer lab, Octopuses also play an important role in regulating marine ecosystems. Octopuses control the population size of other marine animals by feeding on them, and also act as sources of food for larger predators. Interestingly, Trueblood’s research has shown that octopuses tend to be resistant to ocean acidification, but for unknown reasons. Trueblood plans to survey more octopuses in the future to better understand this phenomenon.
Trueblood also does important research on oceanic salp populations. This marine species plays an important role in managing oceanic CO2 levels. Recently, Trueblood made a breakthrough when he became the first person to measure the metabolic rate of salps at different temperatures. He plans to take a trip to Bermuda next summer to collect more salps and get a better understanding of how oceanic warming and acidification are affecting their metabolic rate and migration patterns. In turn, these have a direct effect on the level of CO2 that can be absorbed by the ocean. Incorrect salp modeling data has led to gigaton discrepancies in previous oceanic CO2 sequestration estimates, highlighting the need for a clearer picture. The data obtained through Trueblood’s research may be used to better predict the level of carbon that can be sequestered within the ocean, ultimately giving policymakers and the general public a more accurate prediction of the effects of climate change.
Oftentimes, technological constraints force Trueblood to be resourceful and creative in his methodology, something that is evident as one steps foot in his lab. Homemade appliances and inexpensive consumer electronics are repurposed into cutting-edge technology used to study marine animals. This creates a fun and interesting environment for students, where out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged and science is made accessible for all. As part of this research lab, students gain the unique opportunity to directly care for and study these rare creatures.
Through these research labs, La Sierra contributes to continued public awareness and solution-finding for issues regarding wildlife conservation. Interest in these projects will hopefully get students involved and interested in conservation research, particularly those in the biology field who are inclined toward pre-health professions.
The impact of conservation work extends further than preserving wildlife and habitats–it also has a direct impact on human populations. Many illnesses can be preemptively treated by improving ambient living conditions, particularly in third-world countries. And medical treatment may only be a band-aid solution because individuals will inevitably have to return to areas under environmental stresses that may have initially contributed to their condition.
While the primary goal of these research labs is to address wildlife conservation issues at hand, the larger goal is to train a new generation of wildlife scientists to carry the mantle of research, which will impact all populations of life on Earth.
