Intersection of coral molecular responses to a localized mortality event and ex situ deoxygenation.

In July 2016, East Bank of Flower Garden Banks (FGB) National Marine Sanctuary experienced a localized mortality event (LME) of multiple invertebrate species that ultimately led to reductions in coral cover. Abiotic data taken directly after the event suggested that acute deoxygenation contributed to the mortality. Despite the large impact of this event on the coral community, there was no direct evidence that this LME was driven by acute deoxygenation, and thus we explored whether gene expression responses of corals to the LME would indicate what abiotic factors may have contributed to the LME.

Pelvic spine reduction affects diet but not gill raker morphology in two polymorphic brook stickleback () populations.

Pelvic spine polymorphism occurs in several species in the stickleback family (Gasterosteidae). Given the similar phenotypic polymorphisms in multiple stickleback species, we sought to determine the extent of parallelism in the ecological correlates of pelvic spine reduction. Based on a metabarcoding analysis of brook stickleback gut contents in two polymorphic populations, we found that significant diet differences were associated with pelvic spine reduction, but we found no clear or consistent trend supporting a tendency for benthic feeding in pelvic-reduced brook sticklebacks.

Differential gene expression in response to fungal pathogen exposure in the aquatic invertebrate, .

While vertebrate immune systems are appreciated for their complexity and adaptability, invertebrate immunity is often considered to be less complex. However, immune responses in many invertebrates likely involve sophisticated processes. Interactions between the crustacean host and its fungal pathogen provide an excellent model for exploring the mechanisms underlying crustacean immunity.

The genetic basis of conspicuous coloration in the Guadeloupean anole: Evolution by sexual and ecological selection.

Understanding how natural selection acts on the genome and contributes to the process of speciation is a primary aim of the study of evolution. Here we used natural variation in two subspecies of the Guadeloupean anole ( ssp.), from the island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, to explore the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation in lizards.

Long-term ecological research and the COVID-19 anthropause: A window to understanding social-ecological disturbance.

The period of disrupted human activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coined the "anthropause," altered the nature of interactions between humans and ecosystems. It is uncertain how the anthropause has changed ecosystem states, functions, and feedback to human systems through shifts in ecosystem services. Here, we used an existing disturbance framework to propose new investigation pathways for coordinated studies of distributed, long-term social-ecological research to capture effects of the anthropause.

Reproductive colonization of land by frogs: Embryos and larvae excrete urea to avoid ammonia toxicity.

Vertebrate colonization of land has occurred multiple times, including over 50 origins of terrestrial eggs in frogs. Some environmental factors and phenotypic responses that facilitated these transitions are known, but responses to water constraints and risk of ammonia toxicity during early development are poorly understood. We tested if ammonia accumulation and dehydration risk induce a shift from ammonia to urea excretion during early stages of four anurans, from three origins of terrestrial development.

Leveraging genomics to understand threats to migratory birds.

Understanding how risk factors affect populations across their annual cycle is a major challenge for conserving migratory birds. For example, disease outbreaks may happen on the breeding grounds, the wintering grounds, or during migration and are expected to accelerate under climate change. The ability to identify the geographic origins of impacted individuals, especially outside of breeding areas, might make it possible to predict demographic trends and inform conservation decision-making.

The impact of autotrophic versus heterotrophic nutritional pathways on colony health and wound recovery in corals.

For animals that harbor photosynthetic symbionts within their tissues, such as corals, the different relative contributions of autotrophy versus heterotrophy to organismal energetic requirements have direct impacts on fitness. This is especially true for facultatively symbiotic corals, where the balance between host-caught and symbiont-produced energy can be altered substantially to meet the variable demands of a shifting environment. In this study, we utilized a temperate coral-algal system (the northern star coral, and its photosynthetic endosymbiont, ) to explore the impacts of nutritional sourcing on the host's health and ability to regenerate experimentally excised polyps.