Claudia “Kaya” Carrion-Banuchi
Joined our Summer 2017 Research Fellowship
My experience growing up in Puerto Rico led me to develop a connection to the ocean and a drive to learn more about coastal ecosystems. During my undergraduate career, I have sought opportunities to become more involved in research related to these topics. As a CREST CAChE Undergraduate Research Fellow, I worked with Dr. Jim Fourqurean and Jason Howard in developing a technique to understand factors that control decomposition rates in seagrass sediments. The techniques I developed in Dr. Fourqurean's lab will be used to understand soil decomposition across Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, and will inform global models of carbon loss in seagrass ecosystems.