jess.zacharuk@my.jcu.edu.au
Masters by Research
College of Science and Engineering
jess.zacharuk@my.jcu.edu.au
Masters by Research
College of Science and Engineering
Master of Marine Biology
I have worked as both a lab instructor, and lab assistant at Athabasca University. Main focus was on Ecology labs, Introductory Biology and Microbiology. I am a certified PADI open water diver, and a quick independent thinker.
Master of Marine Biology
2022 to 2024
To determine the effects of DEHP and DEHT plasticizer leachate from PS fibers on copepod behaviour, growth, survival.
This project is important to help understand the effects that plasticizers and microplatic leaching has on copepods. As copepods are the number one source of food for many marine organisms in marine food webs.
Lab based tanks for copepod husbandry. Beakers for different levels of plastic/polymer concentrations, various equipment to measure concentration of leachate before (characterization), during, and after experiments of the leachate. Microscopy to see the effects on the copepods per experiment.
To see strong negative effects of copepod survival, function and growth as concentration of number of plastics is increased and the measure the amount of leaching plasticizer per experiment.
Behaviour,
Benthic,
Cetaceans,
Climate change,
Communication / Education,
Controlled Environment,
Coral reefs,
Corals,
Crustaceans,
Deep sea,
Ecology,
Manipulative experiments,
Mapping,
Microbial,
Microbiology,
Pelagic,
Physiology,
Plankton,
Pollution,
Qualitative techniques,
Quantitative marine science,
Squid / cuttlefish / octopus