Neomie Darmon

Gitai Yahel Lab

I am currently working as a research technician in the Yahel lab.
I completed my MSc and BSc studies in 2023 in Marine Sciences from the Faculty for Marine Science in Ruppin Academic Center under the joint supervision of the late Dr. Eyal Wurgaft (The Open University), and Prof. Gitai Yahel.
My work focuses on the role of sponges and other filter-feeding organisms in the carbon cycle of coastal environments where they abound. 
Sessile suspension feeders filter vast amounts of water and play an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling. During my research, I developed a method to measure continuously, in situ, the DIC flux mediated by individual pumping filter feeders. Combining these flux measurements with benthic surveys of abundance allows us to scale up these measurements to community-level fluxes. This method allows us to estimate the contribution of filter feeders to the inorganic carbon budgets and can be utilized to further understand these animals' metabolism.