I recently defended my Master’s Thesis “How Historic Shipwrecks Influence Dispersal of Deep-sea Microbiomes”. My thesis investigated how historic (> 50 years old) wooden shipwrecks influence dispersal of deep-sea microbiomes by placing introduced wood on the seafloor in near proximity (0-200 m) to wooden-hulled historic shipwrecks in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Biofilms formed on experiments were analyzed for microbiome richness, diversity, and phylogenetic composition. Richness and diversity decreased with decreasing proximity to both shipwrecks revealing historic shipwrecks may function as island-like habitats. The phylogenetic composition analysis shows strong selection by wood type for bacteria, and highlights differences in bacteria, archaea, and fungi dispersal patterns. The results of my thesis show that built structures, like shipwrecks, impact microbial biogeography in the deep sea. I will be working through the summer to publish this research.

Conducting this research was challenging, but extremely exciting. I am grateful to all the people who assisted me and helped make this thesis and my defense a success. I could not have done it without my advisor and lab mates standing with me (even through 8-foot seas on the recovery cruise for my experiments). I could not have done it without our collaborators and those who helped on the research cruises aboard USM’s R/V Point Sur. I could also not have done it without the support of my family. Thank you all. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a graduate student in the Hamdan Lab and at USM. #SMTTDeep

-Rachel D Moseley