Tena Dhayalan (she/they) was born in San Diego, CA and currently resides in Northridge, CA. Tena is a first year Biology Master’s student at California State University, Northridge studying under Dr. Nyssa Silbiger and Dr. Casey terHorst.
Tena’s research is based in the California rocky intertidal, at the intersection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Specifically, she studies the effects of warming and acidification on both the physiology and ecology of rocky intertidal foundation species.
The study organisms of California mussels and rockweed are habitat-forming species that facilitate other species by ameliorating the stressors of their extreme environments. However, these species are experiencing mass declines along our coast, affecting coastal ecosystems for marine organisms and humans alike.
Tena was motivated to become a CDLS Climate Resilience Fellow to apply her climate change-based work broadly and reach a diverse audience. Coastal ecosystems are incredibly important globally, and among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. She’s had the opportunity to bring in a diverse cohort of undergraduate students to gain research experience through her thesis, but she hopes to expand that even further through this program. Ultimately, Tena hopes to increase awareness about these vital coastal ecosystems and work with those who will be affected the most by climate change.