Crabby Adventures: Jonah’s Journey Under the Sea
July 24 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Meet the Jonah crab species, a lesser-known crustacean and learn about overfishing and climatic changes’ impact on fisheries. Attend AJ Mabaka’s lecture explaining his research at the Gobler lab exploring the effects of climate change conditions (high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen concentrations) on Jonah crab survival, and feeding/foraging behavior.
This lecture is free with admission to the lighthouse.
AJ Mabaka is a Long Island local who grew up in Riverhead. He began his career as a high school intern in the Gobler lab through the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology program. He then earned a BA in Environmental Studies from Washington & Lee University, during which he interned at the Hol-Chan Marine Reserve, the Henry’s Fork Foundation, and Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. During these internships, he studied the effects of algal phase shifts on corals in Belize, the effects of climate change on highly valued wild trout species in the Henry’s Fork Tributary of the Snake’s River, and the environmental implications of offshore wind development at Duke University in North Carolina. After graduation, AJ returned to the East End and worked as a server before pursuing a PhD in Marine Science at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in Dr. Chris Gobler and Dr. Yong Chen’s laboratories. Mostly, his research involves climate change and it’s effects on shellfish such as blue claw crabs, oysters, scallops, and Jonah crabs. Now, he is in the second year of the PhD program studying how shifts in ocean temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels due to climate change can interact to impact the survival of shellfish species, such as Jonah crabs. In his free time, he enjoys kayak fishing, crabbing, and clamming.
