Christopher Carbon
Graduate Program in Marine Biology
College of Charleston
Chris collecting a blade of Ulva sp. from a floating dock in Charleston Harbor. (photo courtesy of C. Carbon)
Chris’s Story
Chris grew up exploring the forests of Connecticut and shorelines of Rhode Island with his two brothers, where he spent as much time as possible trying to identify any plant he came across. This love of botany followed Chris through high school and into his undergraduate degree, where he graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in biological sciences in 2021. During his senior year he took a class in intertidal ecology, and this course introduced him to the wonderful world of seaweed biodiversity, evolution, and ecology. His newfound interest in macroalgae led Chris to start his graduate education in the College of Charleston’s Graduate Program in Marine Biology (GPMB) in 2022. His time in the GPMB has allowed Chris to begin to think and work like a scientist and merge his longstanding passions of botany and marine biology in the beautiful Charleston, SC. Upon completing his M.S., Chris hopes to teach biology and inspire students to become outstanding biologists and environmentally conscious citizens. Outside of his academic work, Chris was a competitive swimmer for fourteen years and swam on YMCA, USA Swimming, high school varsity, and college club swim teams. He has worked as a swim coach for the past seven years and finds great satisfaction in seeing his swimmers improve, gain confidence, and set new personal records.
Photos courtesy of C. Carbon, 2024.
Chris’s Research
Chris’ thesis research uses two species of native macroalgae, Ulva spp. and Gracilaria tikvahiae, as bioindicators of various forms of pollution in Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC, USA. Charleston Harbor is an integral component of Charleston County’s history, economy, and culture, however data collected by entities such as the non-profit organization Charleston Waterkeeper and the South Carolina State Department of Public Health have shown that the harbor occasionally experiences degraded water quality due to accidental wastewater overflow or discharge events and high fecal indicator and Vibrio spp. bacterial counts. To characterize spatial and temporal variation in the trophic origin of nitrogen into Charleston Harbor, Chris’ thesis has investigated the stable isotope 𝛿15N and tissue nutrient (%N) composition of Ulva spp. and G. tikvahiae from three field sites within the Harbor from September 2023 – September 2024. These analyses have allowed Chris to determine the dominant trophic origin of nitrogen in the harbor (i.e.: natural vs. fertilizer vs. anthropogenic / wastewater), as well as approximate how enriched the harbor is with nitrogen. In addition to stable isotope and tissue nutrient analyses, Chris has also assessed the spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of coliform and Vibrio spp. bacteria on Ulva spp., G. tikvahiae, and field water samples, conducted photosynthetic physiological readings via Junior Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometry, and collected site water samples to analyze for their ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate content. By collecting these data and establishing a seasonal baseline of eco-physiological data, Chris’ research provides novel insight into Charleston Harbor’s long term water quality, investigates the potential food safety of macroalgae grown in Charleston Harbor, and begins to fill the knowledge gap of macroalgal ecophysiology in the southeastern United States.
Plating aqueous suspensions of macroalgae and field site water samples to enumerate coliform and Vibrio spp. bacteria.
Chris holding a bag of Ulva spp. to be used in stable isotope & tissue nutrient analysis.