Genomic Identification of Coastal Seaweeds in Half Moon Bay
Kayley Camilleri
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: Zheng-Hui He
Seaweeds play a crucial role in marine ecosystems as they provide nutrients to marine life, produce oxygen, and reduce carbon dioxide, however there is limited information on their genetic diversity. Using DNA barcoding, we aim to identify the seaweed species living off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California. To do this we used an 18S ribosomal RNA genetic marker. In addition, a 16S genetic marker was used to investigate the microbiome of these seaweeds. This could provide new insight on the ecological interactions of these organisms. Taxonomic identities were obtained using PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing, followed by BLAST analysis. The BLAST results using the 16S primer identified some samples as Eukaryotic species. This raises questions about primer specificity and potential contamination. These findings highlight the need for optimized primers and further sequencing to accurately classify seaweed species. Future work will involve refining the PCR protocol, expanding the dataset, and constructing a phylogenetic tree to better understand seaweed genetic diversity and their evolutionary history.