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Woodman, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Woodman, J..

2 recordsLinked to original sources
bioRxiv2026

Argentina Explores Its Bathyal and Abyssal Zone for the First Time Using an ROV: New Biodiversity Discoveries and Unprecedented Public Engagement

Between July 23 and August 12, 2025, members of the scientific group Grupo de Estudios del Mar Profundo de Argentina (GEMPA) and collaborators conducted the Talud Continental IV expedition in the Mar del Plata Canyon. The expedition was conducted aboard the R/V Falkor (too) in partnership with Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI), marking the first deployment of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in Argentinean bathyal and abyssal waters. The Mar del Plata Canyon was explored in 2012 and 2013 by CONICET researchers using bottom trawls aboard the R/V Puerto Deseado (CONICET, Argentina). This new expedition combined high-definition video surveys, acoustic seafloor mapping, and physicochemical water-column characterization, with in situ sensing and sampling of fauna (animal specimens, zooplankton, and environmental DNA), water, sediments, and rock to characterize biodiversity and habitats between 880 and 3900 m. The expedition revealed extensive Bathelia cold-water coral reefs, soft-coral gardens, and more than 40 species suspected to be new to science, six of which have already been formally described. Anthropogenic debris, including plastics and fishing gear, was recorded at multiple stations, reaching even the deepest sites, underscoring the extent of human influence on these environments. The Talud Continental IV expedition was successful both scientifically and in promoting deep-ocean literacy and engagement, with broad outreach conducted through SOIs outreach and community engagement programs. The Ship-to-Shore program connected scientists on board with students and educators through live interactive sessions, engaging over 900 students from 19 institutions across Argentina and the United States. The live ROV divestreams, broadcast through SOIs YouTube and Twitch platforms, reached record levels of public engagement, with [~]19 million total views by July 23rd. The national and international press responded with extensive coverage and interview requests, resulting in over 3,900 international stories. Scientists continued to engage with the public after the expedition through talks at schools and public institutions. The expeditions achievements promise to usher in a new era of scientific discovery in the Southwestern Atlantic and underscore the value of integrating exploration, conservation, and outreach to inspire wonder and curiosity about the deep-sea in society. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=179 SRC="FIGDIR/small/726651v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (138K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1457548org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@116f19aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14fbb26org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@187c3a4_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

ecology↗
bioRxiv2024

Wild yeast isolation by middle school students reveals features of North American oak populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis

Features of the natural life cycle of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were crucial to its domestication as a laboratory experimental model, especially the ability to maintain stable haploid clones and cross them at will to combine alleles via meiosis. Stable haploidy results from mutations in HO, which encodes an endonuclease required for haploid-specific mating-type switching. Previous studies found an unexpected diversity of HO alleles among natural isolates within a small geographic area. We developed a hands-on field and laboratory activity for middle school students in Denver, Colorado, USA to isolate wild yeast from oak bark, identify species via DNA sequencing, and sequence HO from S. cerevisiae isolates. We find limited HO diversity in North American oak isolates, pointing to efficient, continuous dispersal across the continent. By contrast, we isolated the "dairy yeast", Kluyveromyces lactis, from a tree <10 m away and found that it represents a new population distinct from an oak population in an adjacent state, pointing to high genetic diversity. The outreach activity partnered middle school, high school, and university students in making scientific discoveries and can be adapted to other locations and natural yeast habitats. Indeed, a pilot sampling activity in southeast Texas yielded S. cerevisiae oak isolates with a new allele of HO and, from a nearby prickly pear cactus, a heat-tolerant isolate of Saccharomyces paradoxus.

evolutionary biology↗