UNCW marine biologist to lead research trip to Antarctica

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A researcher at UNCW is gearing up for a trip spanning more than 8,000 miles.  

Dr. Jake Warner with the university’s marine biology department will be leading a research mission to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. 

Warner’s team is hoping to study how sea urchins have evolved to survive in the harsh conditions of the arctic ocean 50 feet underwater, and six feet below solid ice.  

“So we collect sea urchins from Wrightsville Beach and we look at their DNA and compare that to the DNA of Antarctic species,” Warner explained. 

Warner said this research is made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation and advancements in DNA sequencing.  

“Researchers have long been looking into how animals survive in these environments,” he said. “The difference now is we have huge advances in modern tools to look at changes in their DNA using DNA sequencing to find specifically what changes in their DNA have allowed them to colonize those habitats.”  

This is the second trip warner has made to the artic station along with graduate student Kristen Boddy.  

Boddy said while you might think a trip to one of the most isolated places on earth would be lonely, there are actually more than 1,000 people living and working at McMurdo Station year-round. 

“You’ll hear from anyone who goes there that the people are what make it so wonderful, and I agree with that, but the environment is absolutely gorgeous,” Boddy said. 

For this former art historian turned molecular biologist, she said seeing the artic environment is a profound experience.  

“Getting to see some of these creatures like the Weddell Seal, the Antarctic Sea Urchin up close and in person was just a dream come true really,” Boddy said. 

You can learn more about Dr. Warner’s research by visiting his lab’s website.