Research | Queen’s University Canada

Gastropod Mummy

This is a picture of a gastropod mummy laying down her egg cases. My research is to assess the stable isotope (C and O), clumped isotope (∆47), and trace element compositions of living and Quaternary shells from the Arabian/Persian Gulf. The aim is to link these analyses with modern oceanographic data to develop a robust proxy for understanding oceanographic change in the rock record. In simple terms, I am trying to link the shell chemistry with its surrounding environment and then use this link to assess oceanographic changes in the past 125K year. At the time of this picture, we were growing gastropods under laboratory conditions and performing in vitro fertilization of oysters.
Submission Year: 
2022
Photographer's affiliation: 
Graduate student
Academic areas: 
Arts and Science
Smith Engineering
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Art of Research categories: 
Climate action
Photo: 
[Photo of a gastropod mummy laying its eggs]
Categories: 
PhD student/candidate
Faculty of Arts and Science
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering
Fundamental Principles of Nature: from Discovery to Application and Innovation
Ecology, Biodiversity and the Natural Environment
Sustainability, Environment and Resources
Protecting the Natural Environment
Location of photograph: 
Qatar
Photographer's name: 
Ruqaiya Yousif
Display Photographers Affiltion + Faculty or Department: 
PhD Student, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering