Imagine yourself on the deck of a research vessel in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. The wind stings your face, waves crash around you, and the cold is constant and biting. It’s remote, intense, and strangely beautiful. As you collect samples and monitor instruments, you realize you’re not just doing research—you’re uncovering how this vast, icy world shapes our planet’s climate.

That’s the world Alexis Bahl studies—one of extremes and hidden complexity. A PhD candidate in oceanography at UBC’s Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Alexis is uncovering the surprising role of tiny, gelatinous creatures called salps in the fight against climate change. In the search for solutions for our planet, these easily overlooked zooplankton may be powerful players in the carbon cycle.

“My work focuses on one specific species of zooplankton called Salpa thompsoni, or salp,” she explains. “Salps are these gelatinous, barrel-shaped zooplankton, and they live in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. My research looks at how they migrate on a daily basis—bringing carbon from the surface to the deeper ocean where it can be sequestered for long periods of time and mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Alexis grew up in the Midwest far from the ocean. Yet, her curiosity ultimately led her to marine science. “I just kept saying yes to my passions,” she says.

Her path took a defining turn during her master’s studies in environmental science and policy, when she discovered a gap in research connecting zooplankton to climate change. Under the mentorship of salp expert Prof. Evgeny Pakhomov, Alexis dove deeper into the underwater world of these elusive creatures. A crucial part of her journey has been made possible by donor support.

“I have been really fortunate to get donor-funded awards,” she says. “If it wasn’t for these funding opportunities and the gracious donors, I would not have had the opportunity to do field research in oceanography—or to seek out opportunities where I could network and learn new skills.”

These opportunities not only advanced her academic growth but also fuelled her passion for exploring the vital role of zooplankton in ocean ecosystems.

“A lot of people might think that plankton can’t be that significant to the marine ecosystem. Zooplankton—and salps specifically—are incredibly abundant. They are kind of the workhorse behind a lot of the carbon that is sequestered to the deep ocean.”

In addition to her research, Alexis has been recognized for her teaching, earning the Killam Teaching Graduate Assistant Award after being nominated by her department. Looking to the future, she is determined to make a lasting impact.

“I really hope to work in a position where I’m teaching, and have the opportunity to work with students because I feel so inspired by them, as well as working in research,” she says. “My dream job would be applying everything I’ve learned about salps into a global model.”