Editors’ Choice and People’s Choice Winner 2022

A scientific illustration in micron pen and watercolor of a Molly miller blenny (Scartella cristata) surrounded by Dictyota sp. and Caulerpa racemosa algae. These cosmopolitan little fish are found along the Texas coast and range from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. Ph.D. student Hannah Rempel and Assistant Professor Jordan Casey use cutting-edge molecular tools like DNA metabarcoding to study the diets of this small, abundant fish. The techniques the researchers use with this species may lead to better understanding of the diets of other omnivorous fishes that also consume microscopic prey and play a critical role in marine food webs.

Credit:
Hannah Rempel
Marine Science Ph.D. Student