{"id":31227,"date":"2026-04-07T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?p=31227"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T23:03:45","slug":"uwm-biologist-dives-beneath-antarctica-sea-ice-to-study-the-impact-of-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/research-news\/uwm-biologist-dives-beneath-antarctica-sea-ice-to-study-the-impact-of-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"UWM biologist dives beneath Antarctica sea ice to study the impact of climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Antarctica is a barren, lonely place. Ice and snow stretch for miles, and the only sound is the howling of the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut when you go underwater, there\u2019s this whole array of diversity and color and life,\u201d said Lauran Liggan, a PhD student in UWM\u2019s Biological Sciences Department<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s just such a stark contrast above and below the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the frigid waters beneath Antarctica\u2019s sea ice, life is thriving. Seals call to each other as they hunt and play. Penguins dart through the currents as starfish wave from the ocean floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liggan got to witness it all first-hand as she dove into Antarctica\u2019s waters on McMurdo Sound to collect samples of red algae. She is studying that species\u2019 genetic diversity to see how the algae \u2013 a vital part of Antarctica\u2019s underwater ecosystem \u2013 is affected by climate change. Answering that question is becoming increasingly important as Earth\u2019s warming climate causes Antarctica\u2019s sea ice to recede further with every passing year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Antarctic adventure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Liggan grew up in southern California and frequently went scuba diving with her dad. She fell in love with the giant kelp forests that grew in the sea off the coast of Catalina Island \u2013 her \u201cplayground,\u201d she called it \u2013 and was inspired to become a marine biologist. She majored in botany and then earned a master\u2019s degree in seaweed ecology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she began thinking about a doctoral degree to explore her interest in marine plant diversity, it just made sense to apply to work with UWM Biological Sciences Professor Filipe Alberto, an expert on kelp population genetics. Plus, Alberto had an exciting project for Liggan: Some of his colleagues were looking for a marine botanist to travel to Antarctica on a grant from the National Science Foundation. With her diving and remote fieldwork experience, Liggan was a perfect fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t hard to convince her to join the trip: \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Oh yeah, twist my rubber arm,\u2019\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traveling to Antarctica is an arduous task. First, Liggan had to pass a physical exam to ensure she was healthy enough to visit a remote land with limited medical care. Then, she had to fly to New Zealand to complete some of the training required of Antarctic visitors and receive her cold weather gear. At last, she and the other researchers and scientists took a U.S. Air Force plane to the McMurdo base to begin their Antarctic adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scuba diving in Antarctica was totally different than the diving Liggan was used to. For one thing, the water was a frigid 28 degrees Fahrenheit. She had to wear a heated vest and gloves to stay warm and carry a 5-pound battery to power the heaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even finding places to dive could be a challenge. The divers descended to the water through holes drilled in the ice, like ice fishing holes about 4-5 feet in diameter, Liggan said. If there wasn\u2019t an existing entry point at the site where the team wanted to dive, they had to make their own by using an auger to drill through six feet of sea ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But being able to explore the Antarctic sea was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAntarctica has some of the best (underwater) visibility in the world. It feels like you can see forever,\u201d Liggan said. \u201cIt\u2019s quite otherworldly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Biological sciences PhD student Lauran Liggan collects a red algae sample during a dive in Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound. Photo by Brett Seymour (NPS).<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Two
Researchers entered the waters of Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound through holes drilled into the sea ice. Photo by Brett Seymore (NPS).<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"A
Divers sometimes had to drill their own entry points into the sea ice using ice augers – a process that could take up to three hours. Photo by Brett Seymour (NPS). <\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Two
Many areas where researchers wanted to dive were so remote they could only be reached by helicopter. Photo by Brett Seymore (NPS). <\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Two
Biological sciences PhD student Lauran Liggan collected red algae samples during her Antarctic research trip. Many times, she found that sea urchins had stuck bits of red algae to their spines to save as a snack, like the urchin on the right. Photo by Brett Seymore (NPS).<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"An
Biological sciences PhD student Lauran Liggan was able to observe some of Antarctica’s wildlife, like these Weddell seals. Photo by Brett Seymour (NPS).<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"Two
What’s a trip to Antarctica without a penguin sighting? Biological sciences PhD student Lauran Liggan spotted some ad\u00e9lie penguins during her research trip. Photo by Brett Seymore (NPS).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Algae genetics and climate change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On her dives, Liggan was on the hunt for Phyllophora antarctica<\/em>, a type of red algae. Scientists had studied the ecology of this species in the 1990s, but now researchers want to revisit those studies and see how climate change has impacted the population since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis sea ice extent has drastically changed throughout the years. This year was actually the worst year for sea ice that anyone on the team has ever experienced,\u201d Liggan noted. \u201cLight and temperature have a huge effect on communities, especially on seaweed. If the sea ice is receding, then these populations might change drastically in how they\u2019re cued for reproduction, or even how dense or abundant they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Liggan saw that areas with little sea ice cover had extensive mats of algae growing on the rocks that choked out other species like anemones and sea sponges, whereas areas with more sea ice coverage showed greater diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liggan had some unexpected helpers as she collected her samples: sea urchins. \u201cThey take the algae and they put them on top of their bodies like little hats,\u201d she laughed. \u201cI think they\u2019re using that as a lunch bag, basically waiting until they get hungry and they can move it to their mouth and eat it.\u201d She felt bad for stealing their lunch, but it was all in the name of science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liggan is also interested in how connected \u2013 or not \u2013 the red algae populations are to each other. She gathered about 100 samples of algae from seven different sites and is currently in the process of identifying \u201cmicrosatellite markers\u201d \u2013 areas of genetic code in the algae that are prone to mutation, which makes it easier to identify different individuals of the same species. By comparing the microsatellite markers across her samples, she can see if the populations of algae at the different sites are isolated from each other or if they\u2019re connected by dispersal. If the populations are isolated, that might mean they\u2019re more at-risk if the environment changes over time, because they won\u2019t be able to adapt as easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liggan, who will graduate in May, eventually plans to publish her research. Her work is important because algae can be \u201ccanaries in a coal mine\u201d when it comes to impacts of climate change because they are found throughout McMurdo Sound and are directly affected by environmental changes. By looking at red algae\u2019s population genetics, Liggan hopes she can help keep life thriving beneath Antarctica\u2019s sea ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antarctica is a barren, lonely place. Ice and snow stretch for miles, and the only sound is the howling of the wind. \u201cBut when you go underwater, there\u2019s this whole array of diversity and color and life,\u201d said Lauran Liggan, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":785,"featured_media":31281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[1848,1648,1961,1946,1954,1846],"tags":[1854],"class_list":["post-31227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-student-news","category-in-focus","category-in-focus-2026","category-in-focus-spotlight","category-natural-sciences","category-research-news","tag-april"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters & Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/research-news\/uwm-biologist-dives-beneath-antarctica-sea-ice-to-study-the-impact-of-climate-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UWM biologist dives beneath Antarctica sea ice to study the impact of climate change\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antarctica is a barren, lonely place. 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