INBRE Seminar Series 

Dr. M. Ian Jenness

The measurement of productivity is critical to understanding the function of ecosystems. While this is never a trivial task, it is particularly difficult in benthic (sea floor) ecosystems. A number of techniques are being explored to address this problem. Among these are: a) growth and aging measurements to determine rate of growth; b) determining RNA/DNA ratios of living tissue (rational is that the higher the ratio, the greater the growth rate); and c) determining G2/G1 ratios of cell nuclei (again, the assumption is that the higher the ratio, the greater the growth rate).

This seminar will explore some of the initial results of these studies as well as the strengths and weakness associated with each.