Dr. Diana Chin's Sharing her Seagrass Knowledge at Cutter Gallery
What an amazing honor to collaborate with Dr. Diana Chin for my Submerged Ecologies exhibition at Cutter Gallery on December 7th, 2024.
Dr. Diana Chin gave an impressive presentation on Seagrass. Here she pointed out the importance of seagrass for both above ground and below ground ecological communities. For the longest time, I’ve been focused on fish and aquatic mammals in seagrass meadows. As Dr. Chin explained the larger contributions of seagrass, I became more aware of the interrelationship between animals in the air, earth and water. She highlighted the benefits of seagrass for birds like the Canada Goose and Herons. Dr. Chin also highlighted the benefits of seagrass enriching the clam population which in turn enriches the below ground bacteria.
Our guests had many questions to ask and Dr. Chin. The presentation turned into a wonderful back and forth dialogue.
As the presentation went from the general benefits of seagrass to ecological communities to Dr. Chin’s favorite below ground clam.
Awning clam, Solemya velum is her favorite bivalve. It has a fascinating Y shaped burrow found in mudflats. This little clam plays an important role in pumping oxygenated seawater and diffusing sulfidic porewater from the bottom of the tunnel. This small clam is symbiotic, with chemosynthetic bacteria which produces metabolic energy by oxidizing sulfide in order to fix carbon for their hosts.
Soleyma Velum, the Atlantic awning Clam
So what exactly is a Solemya Velum, the Atlantic awning clam? It’s a bivalve mollusc. The species is found along the eastern coast of North America, ranging from Florida to Nova Scotia. They live in subtidal sediments with high organic matter content with low oxygen like salt marshes, salt pods and sewage outfalls.
They have an elongated oval shell with parallel ventral dorsal margins. They are a bout 8-10 cm in length and have no teeth at the hinge. They have sulfur – oxidizing bacterial symbionts that are intracellular.
The presence of these clams and their symbionts in areas with high woody debris or sewage is critical in cycling carbon and breaking down sulfur compounds, reducing the toxicity of near-anoxic sediments.
They Build a Y shaped burrow to access oxygen from the seawater and hydrogen sulfide from deeper sediment layers, both of which are needed by their symbiont to produce energy.
So the Atlantic awning clam plays an important role in Carbon Dioxide consumption – cool!
Dr. Chin shared her research with us that shows sediment with seagrass and without. She explained that the bacteria in sediments with seagrass shows a lot more active bacteria and is enriched.
Dr. Chin also outlined the critical role seagrass plays in helping prevent shore erosion, slow down wave action in storms, and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. She also outlined threats to Seagrass that include excessive nutrients in the water(fertlilizers), frequent storms that reroot seagrass, sea level rise, wasting disease and mooring scars.
Dr. Chin outlined ways individuals can help prevent seagrass loss:
+switching to organic fertilizers
+reducing CO2 by limiting meat consumption, using public transportation
+exploring different conservation mooring options for boats
+getting involved in local non-profit ocean conservation groups.
Learn more on reducing your carbon footprint by clicking BBC’s Climate Change: Four things you can do about your carbon footprint.
For more information on getting involved at a local level please click:
Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network
or email Dr. Dianna Chin Directly at di.chin@northeastern.edu
A big thank you to Chuck Luca for helping organizing this exhibition at Dallin Museum’s Cutter Gallery. Also I am very grateful for everyone that came to our opening for Submerged Ecologies. The whole event was perfect!
For more information on the exhibition and hours, please click:
ARTIST STATEMENT
SUBMERGED ECOLOGIES
The ocean’s underwater realms have long captivated my imagination as an abstract painter. Teeming with vibrant life and ever-shifting patterns of light and shadow, these submerged habitats offer an endless wellspring of inspiration. In my “Submerged Ecologies” series, I strive to express the feeling of being beneath the waves, immersing them in the dynamic beauty of seagrass environments.
Rather than rendering these scenes literally, I distill their essence into abstract compositions that evoke the rhythmic sway of seagrasses, the interplay of cool and warm hues, and the graceful forms of aquatic flora and fauna. My paintings are not mere representations, but rather contemplations of the wondrous, fragile worlds that lie just beneath the surface of the sea.
In “Estuarine Waters,” I employ bold, saturated brushstrokes in vibrant oranges and reds to capture the energy and diversity of a lush, colorful underwater ecosystem. The warm tones evoke the glow of sunlight filtering through the water, while sweeping gestures suggest the undulating motion of seagrasses and other marine vegetation. Organic, biomorphic shapes move across the canvas, hinting at the myriad of lifeforms that thrive within this vibrant habitat.
In contrast, “Floating Seagrass” explores the more muted, atmospheric qualities of a submerged environment. Soft washes of gray and blue create a contemplative, hazy mood, evoking the filtered light and tranquil currents of an estuary. Gentler, feathery brushstrokes convey the graceful sway of aquatic plants, while abstracted forms suggest the presence of diverse organisms beneath the surface.
These paintings are the result of my deep appreciation for the ocean. My hope is that they will inspire others to take notice of the beauty and fragility of our marine environments, and to play a role in protecting them for the future.
DR. DIANA CHIN
Dr. Diana Chin is an Associate Research Scientist in the Grabowski Lab at Northeastern University and serves as the Metro Boston Regional Coordinator for the MassBays National Estuary Partnership. She has previously worked as an environmental risk assessment consultant and conducted Ph.D. and postdoctoral research on mutually beneficial relationships between marine bivalve and seagrass species. Her ongoing research interests include the application of plant-animal-sediment interaction research – and marine ecology more broadly – toward coastal conservation, resilience, fisheries, aquaculture, and habitat restoration goals. As a MassBays Regional Coordinator, Diana convenes the Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network (BHEN) and works to identify priorities for coastal health and protection in the Metro Boston region.
Cutter Gallery, Cyrus Dallin Museum
Jefferson Cutter House,
611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02474
Link to Cutter Gallery
(Parking available off of Mystic Street)
