Research Interests

My lab investigates symbiotic systems.  Symbiosis is the living together of a minimum of two different organisms from two different species.  The work in my lab focuses on symbioses in the coral reef ecosystem primarily between corals, octocorals, or sea anemones and their symbionts.  The symbionts include unicellular dinoflagellate algae (family Symbiodiniaceae), bacteria, and fish.  Most of the work looks at mutualistic interactions, which are beneficial to the partners.  With global climate change, some mutualisms may become too taxing, leading to a breakdown of the symbioses and potentially to the death of the host, the symbionts, or both.

Specifically in symbiosis, I am interested in how different host/symbiont genotypic combinations influence the ecology and evolution of the symbiosis. In order to address this interest, research in my laboratory combines genetic techniques, to identify the hosts and symbionts, and other techniques relating to ecological assessment. For example, I am working on the physiology of different host/symbiont genotypic combinations and how various environmental parameters affect the physiology.

My lab also investigates clonality of organisms.  As part of this research area we are determining the ramifications of coral chimerism.