BotanyCarter Oleckna
2025 The Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany
“climate Change Impacts on Seagrass Secondary Metabolites: Implications for Medicinal Uses and Ecosystem Resilience.”
Seagrass ecosystems play a vital role in coastal biodiversity, providing habitat, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling. They also produce bioactive secondary metabolites, such as phenolics, which have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, climate stressors like ocean warming, nutrient enrichment, and increased herbivory may disrupt the production and function of these compounds. This research investigates how environmental changes impact seagrass phenolic defenses and herbivore interactions, offering insights into both seagrass resilience and the medicinal potential of their bioactive compounds.
The Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany
To protect, preserve, and expand knowledge about the medicinal use of plants, thus preventing the disappearance of plants with therapeutic potential. Providing this research opportunity for botanists can, in turn, assist medical science to develop therapies that improve the quality of life of patients and develop life-saving medicines.
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