April 25, 2023 • 11 mins
UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May sits down with assistant professor Rachael Bay to talk about the evolutionary adaptations of marine species in response to climate change in this episode. Rachael was named among of "The Brilliant 10" by Popular Science for her work and research looking at reef-building corals and how they've responded to warming oceans.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to “Face to Face,” a UC Davis podcast
featuring students, staff and faculty innovators.
I’m your host, Chancellor Gary May.
Stay tuned for my next guest.
Hi, my name is Rachael Bay.
(00:24):
I've been an assistant professor in
the Department of Evolution and
Ecology since 2018.
My lab studies human-induced changes
in our environment and how they
alter evolutionary trajectories,
particularly in marine systems.
We use genomic sequences to
understand how different organisms
are adapted to different
environments, and we try to predict
how or whether populations might
(00:45):
persist under future global change.
We work on a number of different
species in many locations, from
tropical coral reefs to local
seagrass beds.
I love working at UC Davis because
of the collaborative culture.
With so many terrific researchers
across campus, it's been a really
fun place to start up my lab.
Welcome to "Face to Face," Rachael.
(01:06):
Thanks for having me.
Thank you for being here.
Your work seems really exciting.
One of the things that was left out
of the intro that we just saw though
was something I want to let the
audience know (01:15):
You were
named among "The Brilliant 10"
by Popular Science.
Ten, that's a pretty small number.
That's impressive.
This is a list of the top
up-and-coming minds in science
from around the country.
Congratulations on that.
That's a pretty big deal it sounds
like.
Yeah, thanks. Hard to live up to
that. ... Yeah.
And how did it feel when you found out?
(01:36):
Really surprising, and also,
like, a little bit embarrassing.
Brilliant is like a really big word.
And all of the people I'm surrounded
with every day are also brilliant.
So it's a lot.
How does that work?
Do you apply for this?
Someone nominates you?
Do you know how it happened?
I didn't apply.
I just got contacted by the Popular
Science reporter one day.
And they did sort of like a
(01:57):
pre-interview and then
made their selection, and I got
surprised.
Wow, that's really great.
That's great for you and great for
UC Davis.
So where does your passion for
marine science come from?
Yeah. So I always liked the ocean.
I was a very outdoorsy kid.
I think I got into biology for
the same reason a lot of us get into
biology, because I liked being
(02:18):
outdoors. I liked nature.
I actually grew up in Montana, so
nowhere near the ocean.
And then when I was in middle
school, I did one of those like
educational outreach things in
the Chesapeake Bay and just wanted
to be in the ocean all the time.
Oh, wow. So those outreach
activities really do make a
difference in people's lives.
At least for me.
Yeah.
(02:39):
So you've done some really
fascinating research with coral
reefs and climate change.
So what
is your assessment of our best case
and worst case scenarios about
the future of coral reefs in
the era of climate change?
Yeah, that's really tricky, and I
feel like my opinion changes
every day.
I started researching coral reefs
(03:00):
when I was a graduate student.
And maybe I was
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but
when I started graduate school
I felt like a lot of optimism
and that the coral
reef ecosystems were really
resilient, and they would probably
be fine.
Now I think that they need more
help. I'm still not
(03:21):
sure that we won't see coral reefs.
They might look really differently
than they look in the future.
I think corals as organisms
have been around for millions of
years and will continue to be
around, but reefs will look really
different, depending on the actions
we take.
So my wife and I have been wanting
to go to the Great Barrier Reef.
So should we go soon?
Yeah, that's tricky.
So Great Barrier Reef is
(03:42):
interesting, because over the past
five years they saw a lot of
mortality.
But there are some recent studies
showing a lot of recruitment of new
corals. So it's hard to say
whether you want to go right now or
wait a year.
OK. Good to know, though.
Thank you.
So working in your lab
is a big opportunity for our
undergraduates, right?
So tell me about engaging
(04:02):
undergraduates — how you get them
to want to work with you and work
for you, and how they learn to solve
real-world problems in your lab.
Yeah. So there are a lot of
different components to working in
my lab. We do fieldwork, we
do lab work, but probably
most of our time is spent doing
computational work.
It's moderately easy
to get undergrads working in the
(04:23):
field and working in the lab —
the entry to those are pretty low.
But what I found when I came to UC
Davis was that there was a lot of
interest among undergrads
in doing some of that computational
work — so analyzing genomes,
understanding evolution at the
genomic level.
But the learning curve
is really high to do that.
They need coding skills.
(04:45):
They need analytical
skills.
And so what we've done
is start with these sort of mini
classes to get the
undergraduates some basic skills
before they start a research
project.
And that's worked really well for
us. We've had multiple undergrads
complete genomics research
projects and even go on to
(05:07):
— actually, we're just finishing up
the first publication from an
undergrad in my lab now
... Great. ... doing genomics
research. So we're really excited
about this model of getting students
into genomics research.
Yeah, and they're — we call them
digital natives, right?
They've been on computers forever
since they were small. ...
They are very good with theircomputers.
... But they may not have
necessarily learned how to program
... That's right. ... or do some ofthose other
things that you need them to do.
(05:27):
Yeah. And one of the things that we
find is that students that
are maybe marine science students or
ecology students aren't necessarily
gravitating towards the computer
science classes, even though they're
good at using their computers.
So having an intro to coding
that's a little bit more friendly
and biological and relevant helps a
lot.
Yeah. Yeah, I can see that.
(05:47):
Some of those students are probably
facing climate anxiety, right?
We see that more and more in young
people.
How do you balance the stress
and anxiety that comes from
what you find out in your research,
when you find out some negative
things that are happening, and how
would you advise others to deal with
that?
Yeah. So I won't say that I don't
have climate anxiety, because I
(06:08):
do.
We see a lot of the effects of
climate change, especially on coral
reefs.
One of the things that helps for me
is that what my lab researches
isn't necessarily the documentation
of decline in biodiversity.
So that work is really important,
and there are a lot of great people
that do that even on this campus
here. But we tend
(06:29):
to focus on the
sort of smaller wins.
So we study how organisms
might adapt to climate change
rather than how climate change might
result in extinction or decline.
And focusing on those small wins
helps a little bit with the
optimism.
Gives you some optimism.
I was about to say that. ... Yeah,
that's right. ... That is good.
OK. Now, one of the things we do in
"Face to Face" is called
(06:51):
the "Hot Seat." ...
Yes. ... This is where I ask you
some very short, well,
questions that require very short
answers, either one-word or
one-sentence answers.
Are you ready? ...
I'm ready. ... All right.
Here we go.
Best place you've traveled for your
research?
American Samoa.
... Oh, interesting. ... Fantastic
national park there.
It's beautiful.
Yeah, nice beaches?
(07:11):
Yes, for sure.
All right. I have to go there.
If you could only take three things
to a desert island, what would
those three things be?
Zip ties, duct tape
and a sarong.
That's pretty practical choices.
What famous scientist would you most
like to meet, alive or dead?
(07:33):
That's a good one.
Rosalind Franklin.
Rosalind Franklin.
Help me remember who that was.
Imaged DNA but didn't get the Nobel
Prize.
That's right. Yes.
I'm told you have a preschooler.
... I do. ... I remember those days.
What's the best place to entertain
your preschooler on our campus?
Oh, my lab, honestly.
She loves harassing the urchins.
(07:56):
She doesn't like playing with theturtles
in the arboretum or anything like
that?
I mean, she can't pick them up and,
like, mess with them.
She's a very tactile child.
OK, this is my favorite question.
I ask every guest this.
What's at the top of your playlist
right now?
Well, I have a 4-year-old so
anything from "Frozen."
OK.
(08:17):
And you probably hear it over and
over and over.
On loop all day long.
All right, well, now it's your turn.
You can ask me any question you
would like.
Yeah, so I've got maybe a tricky
one.
The recent strike from academic
workers I think is a really symptom
of shifting attitudes nationally.
How do you see that changing how we
do things at UC Davis and maybe
(08:37):
more broadly?
Yeah, that was — I do think it's a
symptom of a national
change and shift.
I was reading an article just today
about the power dynamic between
professors and students changing.
You know, I would say with respect
to the strike,
first, let's stipulate that we
should be paying our
students a living wage.
Right? Let's leave that as our
(08:59):
foundation.
I'm a little bit worried and
sad that we
may have changed the
relationship from the mentor-mentee
to more of a supervisor-employee,
which I don't think is a good
direction.
So I'm hoping we can do something to
counter that, because I think — you
know, I remember my graduate student
days. It wasn't that long ago — only
(09:20):
35 years — that,
you know, I really
enjoyed the apprenticeship of being
a graduate student and learning from
my PI.
And I hope students still
want that and get that.
And we don't want
to diminish that by having this
employee-manager
(09:42):
dynamic. So that's where I
am with it.
Yeah, I agree. Thank you.
I have another question for you.
... OK. ... So my husband is also
a professor at UC Davis,
so our personal and professional
lives tend to mix up quite a bit.
And I notice that you and your wife,
LeShelle, manage that
mixing really well.
(10:03):
Do you have any advice?
So I have advice for your husband.
This is ...
Great. ... this is how I always get
the last word in our relationship.
And the last words are (10:13):
yes, dear.
Well, I'll make sure he watches
this.
No, but seriously, you know, I think
you have to just be in partnership
and make room for each other and,
you know, be flexible.
And we laugh a lot — that helps.
And nobody
is more important than the other in
terms of career and that
(10:35):
sort of thing. And that's really
what gets us through.
Thanks.
Yeah, sure.
No more questions?
I think that's it.
All right. Well, thank you for being
here on "Face to Face." You've been
a really delightful guest.
Thanks so much for having me. ...
I wish you all the success
with your work and
your career and your preschooler
— and same for your husband.
(10:59):
Thanks to everyone for listening.
Tune in next time on “Face to Face.”Go, Ags!
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to “Face to Face,” a UC Davis podcast
featuring students, staff and faculty innovators.
I’m your host, Chancellor Gary May.
Stay tuned for my next guest.
Hi, my name is Rachael Bay.
(00:24):
I've been an assistant professor in
the Department of Evolution and
Ecology since 2018.
My lab studies human-induced changes
in our environment and how they
alter evolutionary trajectories,
particularly in marine systems.
We use genomic sequences to
understand how different organisms
are adapted to different
environments, and we try to predict
how or whether populations might
(00:45):
persist under future global change.
We work on a number of different
species in many locations, from
tropical coral reefs to local
seagrass beds.
I love working at UC Davis because
of the collaborative culture.
With so many terrific researchers
across campus, it's been a really
fun place to start up my lab.
Welcome to "Face to Face," Rachael.
(01:06):
Thanks for having me.
Thank you for being here.
Your work seems really exciting.
One of the things that was left out
of the intro that we just saw though
was something I want to let the
audience know (01:15):
You were
named among "The Brilliant 10"
by Popular Science.
Ten, that's a pretty small number.
That's impressive.
This is a list of the top
up-and-coming minds in science
from around the country.
Congratulations on that.
That's a pretty big deal it sounds
like.
Yeah, thanks. Hard to live up to
that. ... Yeah.
And how did it feel when you found out?
(01:36):
Really surprising, and also,
like, a little bit embarrassing.
Brilliant is like a really big word.
And all of the people I'm surrounded
with every day are also brilliant.
So it's a lot.
How does that work?
Do you apply for this?
Someone nominates you?
Do you know how it happened?
I didn't apply.
I just got contacted by the Popular
Science reporter one day.
And they did sort of like a
(01:57):
pre-interview and then
made their selection, and I got
surprised.
Wow, that's really great.
That's great for you and great for
UC Davis.
So where does your passion for
marine science come from?
Yeah. So I always liked the ocean.
I was a very outdoorsy kid.
I think I got into biology for
the same reason a lot of us get into
biology, because I liked being
(02:18):
outdoors. I liked nature.
I actually grew up in Montana, so
nowhere near the ocean.
And then when I was in middle
school, I did one of those like
educational outreach things in
the Chesapeake Bay and just wanted
to be in the ocean all the time.
Oh, wow. So those outreach
activities really do make a
difference in people's lives.
At least for me.
Yeah.
(02:39):
So you've done some really
fascinating research with coral
reefs and climate change.
So what
is your assessment of our best case
and worst case scenarios about
the future of coral reefs in
the era of climate change?
Yeah, that's really tricky, and I
feel like my opinion changes
every day.
I started researching coral reefs
(03:00):
when I was a graduate student.
And maybe I was
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but
when I started graduate school
I felt like a lot of optimism
and that the coral
reef ecosystems were really
resilient, and they would probably
be fine.
Now I think that they need more
help. I'm still not
(03:21):
sure that we won't see coral reefs.
They might look really differently
than they look in the future.
I think corals as organisms
have been around for millions of
years and will continue to be
around, but reefs will look really
different, depending on the actions
we take.
So my wife and I have been wanting
to go to the Great Barrier Reef.
So should we go soon?
Yeah, that's tricky.
So Great Barrier Reef is
(03:42):
interesting, because over the past
five years they saw a lot of
mortality.
But there are some recent studies
showing a lot of recruitment of new
corals. So it's hard to say
whether you want to go right now or
wait a year.
OK. Good to know, though.
Thank you.
So working in your lab
is a big opportunity for our
undergraduates, right?
So tell me about engaging
(04:02):
undergraduates — how you get them
to want to work with you and work
for you, and how they learn to solve
real-world problems in your lab.
Yeah. So there are a lot of
different components to working in
my lab. We do fieldwork, we
do lab work, but probably
most of our time is spent doing
computational work.
It's moderately easy
to get undergrads working in the
(04:23):
field and working in the lab —
the entry to those are pretty low.
But what I found when I came to UC
Davis was that there was a lot of
interest among undergrads
in doing some of that computational
work — so analyzing genomes,
understanding evolution at the
genomic level.
But the learning curve
is really high to do that.
They need coding skills.
(04:45):
They need analytical
skills.
And so what we've done
is start with these sort of mini
classes to get the
undergraduates some basic skills
before they start a research
project.
And that's worked really well for
us. We've had multiple undergrads
complete genomics research
projects and even go on to
(05:07):
— actually, we're just finishing up
the first publication from an
undergrad in my lab now
... Great. ... doing genomics
research. So we're really excited
about this model of getting students
into genomics research.
Yeah, and they're — we call them
digital natives, right?
They've been on computers forever
since they were small. ...
They are very good with theircomputers.
... But they may not have
necessarily learned how to program
... That's right. ... or do some ofthose other
things that you need them to do.
(05:27):
Yeah. And one of the things that we
find is that students that
are maybe marine science students or
ecology students aren't necessarily
gravitating towards the computer
science classes, even though they're
good at using their computers.
So having an intro to coding
that's a little bit more friendly
and biological and relevant helps a
lot.
Yeah. Yeah, I can see that.
(05:47):
Some of those students are probably
facing climate anxiety, right?
We see that more and more in young
people.
How do you balance the stress
and anxiety that comes from
what you find out in your research,
when you find out some negative
things that are happening, and how
would you advise others to deal with
that?
Yeah. So I won't say that I don't
have climate anxiety, because I
(06:08):
do.
We see a lot of the effects of
climate change, especially on coral
reefs.
One of the things that helps for me
is that what my lab researches
isn't necessarily the documentation
of decline in biodiversity.
So that work is really important,
and there are a lot of great people
that do that even on this campus
here. But we tend
(06:29):
to focus on the
sort of smaller wins.
So we study how organisms
might adapt to climate change
rather than how climate change might
result in extinction or decline.
And focusing on those small wins
helps a little bit with the
optimism.
Gives you some optimism.
I was about to say that. ... Yeah,
that's right. ... That is good.
OK. Now, one of the things we do in
"Face to Face" is called
(06:51):
the "Hot Seat." ...
Yes. ... This is where I ask you
some very short, well,
questions that require very short
answers, either one-word or
one-sentence answers.
Are you ready? ...
I'm ready. ... All right.
Here we go.
Best place you've traveled for your
research?
American Samoa.
... Oh, interesting. ... Fantastic
national park there.
It's beautiful.
Yeah, nice beaches?
(07:11):
Yes, for sure.
All right. I have to go there.
If you could only take three things
to a desert island, what would
those three things be?
Zip ties, duct tape
and a sarong.
That's pretty practical choices.
What famous scientist would you most
like to meet, alive or dead?
(07:33):
That's a good one.
Rosalind Franklin.
Rosalind Franklin.
Help me remember who that was.
Imaged DNA but didn't get the Nobel
Prize.
That's right. Yes.
I'm told you have a preschooler.
... I do. ... I remember those days.
What's the best place to entertain
your preschooler on our campus?
Oh, my lab, honestly.
She loves harassing the urchins.
(07:56):
She doesn't like playing with theturtles
in the arboretum or anything like
that?
I mean, she can't pick them up and,
like, mess with them.
She's a very tactile child.
OK, this is my favorite question.
I ask every guest this.
What's at the top of your playlist
right now?
Well, I have a 4-year-old so
anything from "Frozen."
OK.
(08:17):
And you probably hear it over and
over and over.
On loop all day long.
All right, well, now it's your turn.
You can ask me any question you
would like.
Yeah, so I've got maybe a tricky
one.
The recent strike from academic
workers I think is a really symptom
of shifting attitudes nationally.
How do you see that changing how we
do things at UC Davis and maybe
(08:37):
more broadly?
Yeah, that was — I do think it's a
symptom of a national
change and shift.
I was reading an article just today
about the power dynamic between
professors and students changing.
You know, I would say with respect
to the strike,
first, let's stipulate that we
should be paying our
students a living wage.
Right? Let's leave that as our
(08:59):
foundation.
I'm a little bit worried and
sad that we
may have changed the
relationship from the mentor-mentee
to more of a supervisor-employee,
which I don't think is a good
direction.
So I'm hoping we can do something to
counter that, because I think — you
know, I remember my graduate student
days. It wasn't that long ago — only
(09:20):
35 years — that,
you know, I really
enjoyed the apprenticeship of being
a graduate student and learning from
my PI.
And I hope students still
want that and get that.
And we don't want
to diminish that by having this
employee-manager
(09:42):
dynamic. So that's where I
am with it.
Yeah, I agree. Thank you.
I have another question for you.
... OK. ... So my husband is also
a professor at UC Davis,
so our personal and professional
lives tend to mix up quite a bit.
And I notice that you and your wife,
LeShelle, manage that
mixing really well.
(10:03):
Do you have any advice?
So I have advice for your husband.
This is ...
Great. ... this is how I always get
the last word in our relationship.
And the last words are (10:13):
yes, dear.
Well, I'll make sure he watches
this.
No, but seriously, you know, I think
you have to just be in partnership
and make room for each other and,
you know, be flexible.
And we laugh a lot — that helps.
And nobody
is more important than the other in
terms of career and that
(10:35):
sort of thing. And that's really
what gets us through.
Thanks.
Yeah, sure.
No more questions?
I think that's it.
All right. Well, thank you for being
here on "Face to Face." You've been
a really delightful guest.
Thanks so much for having me. ...
I wish you all the success
with your work and
your career and your preschooler
— and same for your husband.
(10:59):
Thanks to everyone for listening.
Tune in next time on “Face to Face.”Go, Ags!
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