Raz Marom (Moskovich)

 

I began working in Professor Gitai Yahel's lab while an undergraduate at the Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center. During this time, I participated in underwater research and analysed marine samples using Flow Cytometry. I continued my studies and earned an MSc under the joint supervision of Professor Micha Ilan (TAU) and Professor Yahel (RUP). This research focused on comparing the metabolism strategy (pumping rate versus respiration) between the 2 groups of sponges: high microbial abundance (HMA) and low microbial abundance (LMA). By adapting technology to underwater work, we were able to measure the metabolic rates of many species in situ, over periods between 24 and 72 hours. Currently my Ph.D. research continues this underwater work in quantifying and understanding the metabolic rhythms of sponges and understanding the relationships of individual size with its metabolic rate.