Speaker: Kelly Sutherland, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon

Topic: Form, Function and Flow in the Ocean: Zooplankton ecology from the organism to the ecosystem scale

Sutherland is a marine scientist focused on animal-fluid interactions in the open ocean.  Her research has brought particular attention to jet-propelled, gelatinous animals— with simple shapes and few propulsive structures—and the mechanisms underlying their prey selection and locomotory patterns. In this talk she will explore selective feeding and propulsion by pelagic tunicates, dominant members of marine communities, and the ramifications for removal and export of particles in marine systems.  Her recent work investigating propulsion with multiple jetting units as in salps and siphonophores has revealed that distributed propulsors give rise to multiple swimming modes (fast vs. efficient), a high degree of maneuverability and substantial hydrodynamic benefit.  A goal in studying these natural models is to inform engineering of coordinated, modular undersea vehicles.  She is dedicated to collaborating across disciplines, mentoring the next generation of scientists and communicating research findings to broader audiences through collaborations with journalists, filmmakers and artists.