The University of Southern California is awarded funding to build a research-oriented greenhouse at the Philip K. Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC), a field laboratory located on Santa Catalina Island, CA, and part of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (WIES). The WMSC has supported research and education primarily in the marine realm but recent visitors have investigated water cycling, atmospheric chemistry, geology and geography, photochemistry, landscape architecture, archaeology, and terrestrial ecology. These interests are coalescing to provide more integrated view of aquatic and terrestrial systems that is timely given the challenges of climate change, the stresses imposed by invasive species and the increasing use of natural resources, and the vulnerabilities of coastal systems. This award will support construction of the greenhouse to serve the growing research needs of the WMSC and fill an important gap in environmental research capability. The greenhouse will have heating and cooling facilities to provide excellent climate control for most temperate and subtropical ecosystems under natural light conditions. The structure will be plumbed with seawater and freshwater so both marine mesocosm and plant system experiments can be accommodated.
Intellectual Merit: Researchers both within and outside of USC have expressed strong fundamental research interests in terrestrial ecology, biodiversity, and invasive species themes; land-sea interactions; comparative studies of coastal systems from pristine-to-urban; and science underpinnings for sustainable shellfish aquaculture. A greenhouse at the WMSC will serve existing strengths in marine science, accelerate the growing interest in plant-genome interactions and invasive species research, and facilitate collaboration across the terrestrial-marine divide, in a compelling natural setting.
Broader impacts: The Wrigley Marine Science Center serves researchers, post docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students both nationally and internationally. The Institute also has 8 staff dedicated to the development of programs that promote scientific knowledge, and convey the scientific experience, to teachers and learners at all stages in life. Collectively, these education and outreach programs have brought thousands of students, educators and the general public to the WMSC over the last five years. The WIES faculty and educators are committed to integration of research and education activities, and to incorporation of greenhouse-based science activities at WIES into our active education and outreach portfolio.
For more information about the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies please go to: http://dornsife.usc.edu/wrigley/home/
