Leading the Charge Against Global Environmental Issues
It takes a global effort to combat issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, and LMU associate professor of biology Demian Willette and his team of student researchers are doing their part to create a more resilient environment.
“In our lab, our focus is a lot on sustainable fisheries, in combating things like illegal fishing or seafood fraud; and in the cityscape, looking at how we restore urban landscapes,” Willette says. “How do we bring back those ecosystem services that have been degraded so that they are able to then give those benefits back to the community?”
Willette is currently working with what is believed to be the first patent to come from the Biology Department of the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, a compact device that uses eDNA technology to understand and solve biodiversity loss and other major environmental issues facing our planet.
The problem Willette and his team is tackling is immense: According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, unreported and unregulated fishing activities are responsible for the loss of 11-26 million tons of fish each year, which is estimated to have an economic value of $10 billion to $23 billion.
A marketable eDNA device, like Willette’s, would allow users throughout the seafood industry to immediately collect and record data, raising the traceability of fish caught and allowing more accurate record keeping.
Willette and his team are also helping to restore Ascot Hills Park, an urban part in northeast L.A. Working with local organizations, the team is conducting field experiments aimed at optimizing restoration efforts.
“Los Angeles is a brilliant natural experiment that inspires endless research questions my team and I can ask as applied ecologists, exploring the boundaries between the built and natural environments,” he says. “We are particularly interested in ecosystem services – the free benefits nature provides to people – and with over 4 million people in L.A., those benefits can be substantial for Angelenos.”
Willette’s lab examines shifts in communities due to invasive species and environmental change, and investigates the biodiversity and connectivity of over-exploited natural resources to help ensure more sustainable use.
“The nice thing is you can walk through our habitats here in Los Angeles and be inspired to come up with solutions to ask the questions: ‘Why is it like that? Is there something more we can do to improve our environment?’” Willette says.
