Anitha Mary Davidson

Anitha is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, under the mentorship of Prof. Jiang-Shiou Hwang. Her research focuses on the impact of hydrothermal vent waters on mesozooplankton in the Kueishan Island region, off northeastern Taiwan. She specifically investigates spatiotemporal variations in mesozooplankton mortality and community structure, with a particular emphasis on the dominant copepod species across three distinct monsoonal periods.
Supported by the WAC student grant, her research also explores the resilience of copepods to acidic vent waters by assessing oxidative stress through specific biomarkers and evaluating DNA integrity. By connecting these physiological responses to oceanographic variables characteristic of hydrothermal vent environments, her research provides valuable insights into how such environments can serve as natural analogs for the impacts of climate change.